Now that there’s talk of restrictions being lifted here in the next month or so, travel is starting to feel like more of a possibility. I know that traveling to other countries will be dependent on more than just my province doing well with covid – who knows when other countries will even be ready to open their borders to tourists without restriction. However, prior to this I didn’t even want to think about going on a trip at all, because it felt so out of reach.
Thinking about a potential return to normal, and the potential to be able to travel sometime soon got me thinking about where I’d like to visit – or, more specifically, where I’d like to hopefully return to some day.
So, here are some of the places I’ve been dreaming about revisiting some day…
Bruges
Bruges is my favourite place I’ve ever visited. When my brother and I were there, we stayed near the old town centre, and it felt like…I don’t know, like we left regular life and entered into some kind of storybook world. There were canals and cobblestone streets, and everywhere we walked it smelled like chocolate and fresh waffles.
Everyone also seemed so friendly and happy, and I’ve never felt safer anywhere else in the world. I definitely want to go back one day to explore Bruges some more – my brother has been able to return since our trip there together, and he still wants to go back again. It’s truly a magical place.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam was beautiful as well. One of my favourite Amsterdam memories is just getting up in the mornings, going to a nearby bakery to get a pastry or two for breakfast, and casually strolling around doing some sightseeing while we ate. Or finding a random cafe to enjoy a nice snack and beverage after an afternoon of wandering around doing touristy things.
We also visited the Anne Frank house when we were there, which has been a lifelong dream of mine ever since I first learned about Anne Frank when I was a child. Although I’ve visited once now, I think I’d like to visit it again one day when it’s not the busy tourist season. It was still remarkable to walk around the museum, and to go up into the annex, but I didn’t feel like I could really take my time and absorb it all because it was very busy. We had to just keep shuffling along, and I would have liked the opportunity to stop, look around, and really take it all in.
Berlin
I’ve been to Berlin twice, and I would happily return a third time. The second time I went, I think I just ate Currywurst for almost every meal. I’m not sure what I would want to visit the next time I go to Berlin, but it’s another city that I just enjoy walking around in, taking in the sights, and enjoying the delicious food. It’s also quite interesting to be able to still see the architectural differences between east and west Berlin.
People might be wondering why I’d want to go back to places I’ve already been when there’s still so much of the world to see. And I do want to visit a lot of places I’ve never been to before, too. But I think the reason I’m yearning to return to these cities is because I’m remembering how much I enjoyed visiting the first time, and I know that I would have another great experience in them again. Maybe it’s the pandemic making me reflect on happier times, and wanting to relive those memories.
Hopefully international travel will be available again in the not-too-distant future, and we can actually start making plans for trips rather than just sitting at home fantasizing about it.
Until next time,
Nadine
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