You Can Only Travel For One More Year. Where Would You Go?

I answer my own thought-experiment!

You can only travel for one more year and then never leave your home city again. Where would you go?

Oh, but you’re not dying! This is a fun thought-experiment.

Even so, it’s pretty terrifying for a nomad such as myself.

Should I revisit all the favorite destinations of my past? Or should I finally go to all the places I’ve always wanted to visit but never got around to seeing?

(Incidentally, for this thought-experiment, Brent is busy working on-location on a movie project. Which is a good thing because this much flying would make his head explode!)

January: Hiking Bhutan and Nepal

I’m originally from Colorado, so I grew up surrounded by towering mountains. But as nomads, we’ve mostly spent time on oceans and lakes — far from mountains.

So for my final year of travel, I would make a beeline for the highest and most famous mountains in the world, the Himalayas.

First, I’d visit the storied peaks of Nepal, then mysterious Bhutan, where I would hike the steep, two-hour climb to the famous Tiger’s Nest Monastery, some 3,120 meters (or 10,240 feet) high.

Alternatively, I could ride to the monastery on top of a flying tiger, which is how Guru Rinpoche, who introduced Buddhism to Bhutan, supposedly first reached this spot in the eighth century!

Photo by Aaron Santelices on Unsplash

February: The geographical wonders of Yunnan, China

Distant horizons have always pulled at my imagination. The farther the horizon, the more I want to see what’s on the other side.

So naturally, during my last year of travel, I’d want to visit Yunnan Province, located in China’s far west — one of the most difficult-to-reach places in the world.

Once there, how could I resist exploring places with names like Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Leaping Tiger Gorge, and Dongchuan Red Land — where the soil in the stunning terraced fields is rich with iron and other minerals?

Photo credit: VisitYunnan

March: India for Holi

As Brent and I have traveled the world, some of our most memorable adventures have involved local festivals or celebrations.

There’s one celebration I’ve always wanted to see: India’s Holi, or the Festival of Colours, Love, and Spring. And if this really is my last year of travel, this is my last chance.

The festival, which commemorates the arrival of spring (as well as certain Hindu gods), is celebrated in the north of India with bright, colorful powders. Adults smear the powder on their faces, arms, and hands — and children throw it at each other!

Meanwhile, I’d celebrate by taking lots of colorful pictures.

Photo by John Thomas on Unsplash