2014 Ultimate Travel Bucket List

One of the first posts I ever wrote was about 15 things I can’t wait to cross off my bucket list. Over the last year, I have smashed through a few off my never ending backpacking bucket list ideas, while also having unexpected and wild adventures along the way.

My heart pounded in my chest as I ran with the bulls in Spain, sped off in a Russian police car, and partied a little too hard at Germany’s Oktoberfest (trust me, five days is too much).

Adventure Travel is my passion. Now that  2014 has arrived, I am making my bucket list for this year, all new items that I am setting out to discover and conquer. Some of them are adventures and others are personal. Either way, I am determined to cross off this entire list before the end of next year. Most of my bucket list destinations are in Australia, as it is my home base for the year.

Top 10 Bucket List Travel 2014

Dive the Great Barrier Reef

During my first couple months living in Oz, I want to tick this off my travel bucket list. Since conquering my fear of deep water, I have become slightly obsessed with diving, so exploring the underwater life of this is of course one of the the Seven Wonders of The World Natural Edition is a given.

 Save Enough Money for Another RTW Trip

Even though 2014 has just started, I am already hammering out my 2015 travel schedule. This means I need to start putting together a saving strategy and budget. When I am not exploring every inch of Australia that I can, I will be working and saving for the next year of adventure travel.

Backpacking NZ – One Tour To Rule Them All

I am a massive dork when it comes to Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, both the films and books. New Zealand is truly a land of natural beauty, and it has been a massive dream of mine to visit the stunning locations in the movies, like Hobbiton and Rohan. This is one of the things I am most excited for in the coming year.

Sky Dive

This year I am planning on strapping on another type of backpack, the type that holds a huge amount of cloth connected to a string, then paying someone to fly me high into the air, and then jumping out of said plane and hoping (and praying) the little string doesn’t sail. This is one thing I have been waiting to get off my bucket list for years.

Drive the Great Ocean Rd.

I love road trips, like driving to Alaska and the Mongol Rally. The classic Australian road trip is to drive the Great Ocean Road up the east coast. This road trip is the gateway to beaches, wildlife, and a lot of amazing sights that Australia has to offer.

Fraser Island

I remember one day long ago, before the traveler in me was born, I picked up a National Geographic and flipped through it until an article about Frasier Island grabbed my attention. The photos showed an absolute stunning, untouched island full of sandy beaches with crystal blue water and green forest. The place grabbed my soul. I remember thinking to myself, “One day I will go there” — and now I will! Freaser Islands is beatiful but does it compare to the best islands in Greece.

Pet A Kangaroo & Hold a Koala

Ayers Rock

This huge rock in the middle of nowhere is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Australia. Not only is it impressive, but it also allows visitors a rare glimpse into the outback. Recently, I was making small talk with a guy on the subway who said you are allowed to climb it. I do not know if this is true, but I plan on finding out.

Spend December in Europe.

The Christmas markets, maybe even some of the top Christmas towns in the USA. And city squares, and the festive vibe of Europe during the holiday season is supposed to be magical. Spending the winter in Europe has been climbing up my bucket list and 2014 might just be the year to cross it off. I’m looking at you, Italy and France and Netherlands. Make sure to plan to visit the best places in Europe.

Visit at Least 5 Countries.

I’m on a personal quest to visit every country in the world, and Australia is my gateway to backpacking some of those that lie on the Pacific. These are a few of the countries that I have my eye on for the coming year: New Zealand- Fiji- Cambodia- Malaysia- Vietnam – Solomon Islands – Papa New Guinea. I want to see the most beautiful places in the world.

Man! 2014 looks like it is going to be packed with adventurers and great travel stories as I we share in these bucket list experiences together. I’m not exactly sure of everything that will be in store for me this year, but that is the way I like it. As always, I will continue to follow the road wherever it leads. Here are some more travelers to follow this year.

What are some of your bucket list trips in the upcoming year? If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?