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This year wasn’t anything like I predicted, but it wasn’t all bad. In fact, I have a lot to be grateful for in 2020, some travel included. This year gave me the opportunity to reconnect with the USA and to double down on outdoor activities — something that’s always been an interest of mine but that I haven’t done exclusively for years.
From a blogging perspective, I spent a lot of my time editing and updating old posts instead of creating new ones. Still, I was thrilled when I had new experiences to share and I’m thankful for everyone who read, shared, and commented throughout the year.
Even though I didn’t have as many new stories this year, I think there were some good ones. I’ll be back in 2021 with (hopefully) more new tales and advice. In the meantime, here were my favorites from 2020 in case you missed them:
Best sightDOING Stories of 2020
(in chronological order)
Technically my trip to Kenya was in December 2019, but my published stories were in 2020. I kept meticulous notes to share this one and to prove that you CAN go on a Kenyan safari without giving up your life savings. It wasn't cheap, but it was totally manageable.
Each winter, millions of monarch butterflies migrate to central Mexico. Being surrounded by all of them, all at once, is a wonder you don't want to miss.
Perhaps the world's ugliest sandwich, but also the tastiest. I've tried to re-create it at home but I continue to fail. When it's safe, I'll be heading back to Condesa (Mexico City) to order a few more.
It takes a few buses to get here, and it may or may not be in a safe part of Mexico, but these gorgeous blue pools are an actual place on actual earth.
My trip to Tempe feels like *so* long ago. It's perfect Phoenix weather meets college town vibe, with outdoor adventure and a ton of good food. In short, it's the kind of place you'll want to go when it's safe to travel again.
Next came March and April, when our world was turned upside-down. After being sick and tired of reading everyone's list of virtual tours (BORING), I decided to seek out some interactive sightDOING you can safely do.
In June, it felt safe to wander out again (carefully, of course, and within my own state). A short roadtrip took me to the Finger Lakes for a new way to explore one of my all-time favorite regions.
Not everyone has a world wonder in their own backyard, but I do! In a perfect world, travelers will see the falls from both sides of the border, but with Canada still closed to outsiders, this guide to the American side will have to do.
Remote work is here to stay, but it's harder to do than you might think (or, at least it was for me). Learn from my mistakes and plan accordingly!
I loved, loved, loved the Tetons and would go back in a heartbeat. I spent pushing myself to new extremes, a natural high coursing through my body from accomplishing insane personal records. But it's also an amazingly scenic and photogenic part of the country, which you can see here.
Outside of Jackson are the mountains most other people never give a second thought: the Wind Rivers. They're wonderful in their own way, with a certain stillness you'd be hard-pressed to find anywhere else.
It's pretty tough to travel to New Mexico right now, given strict state restrictions, but if/when you get the chance later...there are some epic landscapes in the Bisti Badlands. At times, I felt like I was walking on the surface of the moon. Other times, I thought the elements might kill me. Say what?
I don’t think anyone knows what 2021 will bring, but here’s what I’m hoping for: lots and lots of travel! Happy New Year everyone!