Travel is about so many different emotions and I find that with each different trip I take, I come away learning something very specific.  Everyone experiences different destinations differently, however there are generally “types” of trips that all seem to have their own distinct experiences and you’ll walk away from each with a very different perspective on ourselves and our world.  And while some people might prefer a beach vacation and others might prefer a city break in a high end hotel with amazing food, still others might prefer a mountain adventure trip or a yoga break in India.  All of these types of trips each have a specific purpose for us as travelers and I personally believe that all should be experienced at different points in our lives.  So give yourself this goal – the following are 4 types of trips worth taking at some point in your life – take away whatever you can from each because you’ll leave each one with a new awakening, I promise!

Adventure

When I started traveling regularly, I wasn’t really the “adventure-type” of traveler.  I much preferred a city break in a great hotel and modern conveniences.  I’d say all that changed on our first trip to Iceland five years ago.  I was never much of an “outdoors-y” type of person, but my time over the years in Iceland has completely changed the way I look at our planet.  And I’m still not a “camping out in the woods” type of person but put me in a beautiful landscape like Iceland and I come alive, even out in the middle of no where.  You might need to find the right place to really experience an adventure trip but when you find the right fit – it will change you.  I’ve done things in Iceland I never thought I would and it’s pushed me outside of my comfort zone in ways I never could have imagined.  Since that initial trip to Iceland, we’ve been to all sorts of destinations that I would deem adventurous: Cambodia and Peru to name just a few.  Sometimes you just have to pull out that inner tomb-raider persona and go with it!

Ideas for an Adventure Destination:

• Explore the wind landscapes of Iceland
• Wander the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru
• Go zip lining across the mountains on Oahu
• Trek through ancient temples in Cambodia
• Drive the craziest roads in the world in New Zealand
• Experience the craziness of the souks in Marrakech

Relaxation

Sometimes life is so chaotic you just have to rest on a true vacation.  This type of trip might mean a beach for some, for me, it’s a nice hotel in a place with good food and relaxing experiences.  I don’t do these types of trips often, but when I do, I’m reminded of how amazing they are.  We all need a break in this fast paced world and relaxing trips are the ones that you come home from totally refreshed and ready to take on the world ahead!

Ideas for a Relaxing Destination:

• Spend a week taking in the slow paced life in Hawaii
• Enjoy a few days at the gorgeous and luxurious Udaivilas in Udaipur, India
• Relax in a private villa on the beaches of Bali at the Oberoi Hotel in Seminyak
• Take in a long weekend in Paris with no agenda or itinerary

Romantic escape

There are also times in life when you just really need a romantic escape with your partner.  A few years ago Nick and I were having an incredibly crazy busy Summer and between a big promotion for Nick and a massive workload for myself, we were burnt out by August and felt like we’d barely spent any time together for months.  So on a whim, I booked a long weekend in Amsterdam for us over Labor Day and to this day, it was still such an amazing few days together, without looking at our phones or worrying about what was going on at home – it was just us exploring a city we love together.  When I say romantic escape, the sentiment is always that it has to be a luxurious hotel or a really romantic places with romantic dinners and such.  Personally, I much prefer the places that just allow us to spend more time together and for me that’s romantic in and of itself.  Romantic escapes don’t have to be this big blown out thing – oftentimes, a great romantic trip can be found in the smallest details.

Ideas for a Romantic Escape

• A weekend in Amsterdam wandering around and eating amazing food
• Spend a week in Paris, among the most romantic cityscape in the world
• Explore India, including a sunrise visit to the Taj Mahal, one of the most romantic buildings in the world
• A few days driving through the Vermont countryside in October as the colors create an otherworldly magical view
• Driving through the beautiful vineyards of Napa

Personal Exploration

The final trip that I wholeheartedly believe is worth taking is the trip to really explore within yourself.  I personally don’t love traveling solo and would much prefer that Nick be with me, but at the same time, while my solo trips have been some of my hardest, they have also led me to really explore within myself.  It was on my many solo trips to Seoul that I did some of my deepest soul searching and on my solo trip to Paris and London years ago when I fully realized the direction I really wanted to head in my life.  Solo trips and personal exploration is a worthy and sometimes much needed opportunity to do that deep soul searching that you can’t always do in your daily life and to offer you some much needed guidance about where you’re headed and where you want to go.

Ideas for Personal Exploration:

• Exploring the incredible beauty of the Great Ocean Road and Melbourne, Australia
• A few days in the incredible city of London
• Take in the beauty and vitality of Vienna
• Experience the calm, beauty, and kindness of locals in Bali