It’s time for some honesty: It’s not easy being a blogger who’s on a strict budget. I watch as my peers travel around the world, exploring new cultures and taking in new experiences, while I’m stuck at my 9-5 office job so I can support myself and what I love to do. And trust me, I’m not complaining. I didn’t grow up with any illusions of grandeur or spectacular summer trips with my family. We stayed local while my mom worked just as hard to support us. So really, not complaining.

I had my first job at 15, moved out of the house at 18, and never looked back. While I’m proud of my willingness to be on my own, that raw, stubborn independence has also had me paying rent since I was 18, buying my own groceries since I was 18, taking care of myself financially since I was 18. And, needless to say, that doesn’t save a lot of room for traveling abroad. And traveling is what I really, truly, honestly want to do in life. I crave that culture and that experience. I yearn for getting out of the American bubble I’ve become so comfortable in. I want to see the places my ancestors came from, like France and the UK. And, knowing myself, I know I will continue to work hard until I get there – until I can afford that long leave from work and that plane ticket, destination: anywhere.

While I’m sure some of you can afford to travel (please, please never take that for granted), I know that a lot of you must be in the same boat as me. So, until that time comes, where I’ll find myself somewhere new, I’ll sit here and dream. You should, too. Dreaming is a glorified form of planning, so let’s plan our top destinations together.

The Loire Valley, France
Positano, Italy
Tokyo, Japan
Dubai, UAE
Marrakech, Morocco
Jaipur, India
Barcelona, Spain
Machu Picchu, Peru
London, UK
Istanbul, Turkey
Prague, Czech Republic
Hanoi, Vietnam
Havana, Cuba
Santorini, Greece
Budapest, Hungary
Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Sydney, Australia
Bali, Indonesia
Duba, Botswana
Québec City, Québec

I was going to write a little blurb about each of these, but after writing this list, I feel that they’re pretty self-explanatory. I don’t need to justify why I want to see what I want to see. These are the top of my long (long, long, long) list, in no particular order. While I would love to explore most of these countries in their entirety, I can’t get greedy. I’ll start by checking these off the list.