Starting in 2012, I will be beginning a program through my university where I travel around the world and study the culture and language of a variety of countries. I will be spending anything from 2 weeks to 6 months in each location, depending on how difficult I find the assignment for that given country. I am posting because I would love to hear about some of your dream destinations, or if you're already there, all about it! If there a country or language that ignites a passion in you? A culture that excites you or a city that feels like it's just where you belong? If you're from a smaller or less represented country (Pretty much anything but Aus, Canada, UK or USA), how would you advertise your country/city? What passions help direct your travels and your dreams? For me, it's food! Is there a specific country you have always wanted to know more about? Answer as few question as you like, any input would be really appreciated! **EDIT** If anyone has any information or tips to Switzerland in specific and its culture, it would be greatly appreciated!
That sounds like an exciting program, I'm jealous I'm really interested in the locations of my heritage. I'm always wanted to visit Ireland and Germany (no cities in particular except for Berlin). I've also always wanted to see Egypt, England, Italy (especially Venice), France, Spain, Amsterdam, Sweden, Australia, China, India, Brazil (the rainforest), Peru, and I've always really wanted to see Antarctica. I think what drives me to those places in particular is the beauty of them or the historic events that took place there. I can say with certainty though that wherever I go I will always return to NYC. There's no where else for me. I've always wanted to see the world and its wonders but my favorite part of any vacation has always been returning home and having a slice of pizza.
Mmm Pizza... perhaps I don't want to leave Aus afterall, i hear the Pizza in Italy is crap! I wish NYC was an option, otherwise I would be straight there! Unfortunately, I have to go to non-english speaking countries.
Oh man I want to travel the world so much. I'd love to visit Japan for the hotsprings, historical sites and I just love the whole damn culture. Then I'd like to visit Australia for the landscape and to visit the beaches. Then perhaps travel through Europe site seeing places like Paris, Rome, Madrid, London, Moscow. Finally I'd love to go to Tibet to get a taste of the Buddhist spirituality. I'd be able to go on and on the world is so vast and has so many things to offer to us that most people don't realize that. Hopefully one day soon I'll be able to step out into the world myself.
What?! The pizza in Italy is ah-mazing, perhaps not everywhere, but in the restaurant where I ate one, it was like no other. Undescribable. Switzerland must be wonderful, too, with all the mountains and stuff. AND it's close to France, which I wouldn't miss if I were you. Because..the language, the culture, the sites, the people, the atmosphere...(If you go to Paris, don't miss the MARAIS. It's your district. AND eat macarons in Ladurée) Other than these...Iceland, China, Indonesia, Sweden, Belgium, Scotland and sooo many more. I almost forgot, you could visit the lakes of Plitvice in Croatia. They're like paradise. Aaand I feel like I should say some words about Hungary. So. Budapest is great, beautiful&historic sites, museums (e.g. House of Terror), etc. We have some pretty amazing wines, national parks, folklore, music&art festivals, etc. The language is, well...hard I guess, but only because it's nothing like an indo-european language. Things like vowel harmony and the plethora of affixes, suffixes and circumfixes are kinda confusing if you don't learn it as your mother tongue. BUT it's not impossible to learn and is really beauuutiful.
I'm still jealous of my dad's trips to India/Nepal. He does birdwatching tours so he doesn't spend much time in cities.... he gets to see things they don't usually show tourists. I'd love do things like that in central Asia and Thailand too, and maybe Russia. But that's just my family. We like wild places. Speaking of which, all the wild places I knew in Australia got built on/became huge tourist destinations and scared all the wildlife away. Not cool. Oh, and you should come to New Zealand. Just 'cos.
