As is suitable when keeping a diary, which this site could very well be, I want to keep some thoughts about my planned travels on a multi-year basis. Eventually I'll find back to this post and it will remind myself about what I wanted one day.
I've travelled quite a bit over the years but with kids at home that hasn't happened enough these past 14 years or so. Thankfully work has brought me to places I wouldn't have visited otherwise so that's cool. I've since gained a lot more insight into what I like and don't when visiting new countries and cities. I have also gained an interest in nature which has added some more goals to my list.
Sarek
I am looking to do a solo hike in the Swedish national park Sarek in the coming 6-18 months, depending on when I get the chance of going away 10-12 days on my own. I am closing in on a possible path through the park for my first time there, and right now I just want to get it out of my system, enjoying it while I'm there of course. It is the ultimate hike in Sweden with epic scenery, huge mountains, and neverending U-shaped valleys.
I suspect the chances are big that the weather may spoil the fun a bit, and if I go too early in the year there may be a huge mosquito nuisance. Because of this I'm trying to plan for 3 visits in total. At least one of these is bound to be magical, and by the third visit I'll probably be experienced enough to know if I want to keep going or change my focus.
London
I'll be travelling here for work in the coming months, and I also want to bring my wife sometime. It's a really cool city with a lot of history. I spent my last time here running in Hyde Park, walking the bridges around the Thames and checking out famous landmarks. The next time I want to check off a few items on my bucket list and learn the topology even more. Camden, Abbey Road, Canary Wharf and some museums would be at the top of my list.
New York City
Visiting New York City is a huge dream of mine. I've been fascinated by the city since watching Home Alone 2 as a kid, as well as countless other homages that has cemented this city as one of the most impactful in the world. Even at its worst, NYC still manages to stay deeply attractive to me.
I want to run along the riversides of Manhattan, around Central Park, ride the subway, walk in Chelsea, visit Brooklyn, Harlem, and Queens, the 9/11 memorial, Jersey City, and the list just goes on. One day...
I have an idea of going on a helicopter ride over Manhattan and get a glimpse of these iconic spots from above. It would probably be well worth the money.
Los Angeles
I have no hopes that LA will be the city of my dreams. The climate is nice but they also have problems with homelessness and a traffic focused never ending sprawl that is impossible to visit the entirety of.
That being said, the appeal of visiting Los Angeles is tied to the film noir, roaring 20s, serial killer mystique that no other city in the world can compare to. LA is obviously a unique place that have been welded into my conciousness for most of my life and it would be a sin to ignore that city just because it is overhyped, disgusting or unoriginal.
The Alps
Whether in the summer or in the winter, it feels like the Alps has something to offer all the time. I've been there as a kid, but only passing and staying a night here and there. I mostly remember the hills that was alive with the Sound of Music and infinite tunnels straight through mountains. And steep hills.
I've since taken to really basic mountaineering and also downhill skiing, so this should be paradise for me. I assume I'll go before I'm 50.
Russia
Hear me out. I'm obviously not going now. But I've been to St Petersburg and it was extremely interesting and a fabulous city that had both great and horrible things. Most of all it held history. We went almost 15 years ago when Russia felt more like a twisted curiosity than a threat.
I hope Putin and his likes will get thrown out and the regime would shift into something better. Then I would go again, probably to Moscow but honestly also to St Petersburg again, to get to know this fascinating country a bit more.
Alaska and Canada
Alaska, like Greenland and Iceland, has never been on my bucket list, but I've recently come to the conclusion that the very remote regions east of Anchorage and in Yukon on the Canadian side is probably the closest we can get to being on the moon, next to maybe the South Pole that is. It looks like Swedish Sarek but a million times larger.
Concluding
I'm quite happy going to Spain every few years to soak up the sun and eat well, but I do hope that I'll get to experience the destinations above before I die or give up. We'll see.