"To Travel is to Live" -Hans Christian Andersen

As I'm sitting here on the bus, headed home from New York City, I am thinking about the traveling I've done over the last few years. To some definition I am not considered "well traveled" but I have gone more places than I ever thought I would! I didn't do that much traveling before marrying Josh. I grew up in a small town in Washington and I thought I would never leave, or if I did, I wouldn't go very far. (Not that I wanted to leave, I never even really wanted to travel.) I didn't even have a passport before last year! But now, in terms of my own life, I do feel well travelled.

Before getting married I had been to Vegas once, but other than that had never been outside of the Pacific Northwest. I have now been to 15 out of the 50 states! (And I definitely plan to add more to that list.)

I was able to spend my honeymoon in the islands of The Bahamas, and see some of the most beautiful scenes in the world. I was able to snorkel and see tropical fish and sand sharks. I swam over the second largest open water drop-off in the world!

I was able to return to The Bahamas two years later on another cruise. I got to snorkel again and be surrounded by schools of beautiful fish! (Snorkeling is one of my favorite things ever, and if you ever get the chance to do it, you should!)

Through Josh's job I was given the amazing opportunity to visit a third world country. I played with orphans in Nicaragua and got to see the beaches there. And I stared down into a volcano!

I've been to California several times, where most of Josh's family lives. I know that one isn't quite the same, but I had never been there before getting married!

More recently I was finally able to see Niagara Falls, which is one of the most breathtaking things I have ever seen. And Canada itself is so much fun!

And most recently, I finally got to see New York City! It isn't like I always "dreamed" of going there or anything, but it is definitely a place I've always wanted to go someday and I just never thought I'd get to go. 

Obviously people can travel without being married, but I'm so thankful for Josh and for the fact that I have such an amazing life partner and a best friend to experience all of these places with! 

And I'm only 22, so I'm really excited to see where else this life takes me over the next several years!