For years, our readers have shared their travel adventures every Sunday, submitting their “Wish You Were Here” vacation selfies and adventures, and offering travel tips to help fellow readers globetrot, too. Now with vaccines beginning to arrive, it’s time to dream again of palm-fringed beaches, rustic hillside towns and the chic cities we’ll one day explore.
Here’s just a sampling of “Wish We Were There” travel dreams, with more to follow. (It’s not too late to share yours. Just email jburrell@bayareanewsgroup.com.)
Dreaming of Spain
I’m a high school freshman living in San Jose. When we are fortunate enough to travel again, I most look forward to returning to Spain. During the summer of 2019, after I had taken Spanish for one year, my mom, my brother and I spent three incredible weeks exploring Barcelona, Madrid, Seville and Grenada.

Seville stood out the most to me, with its breathtaking Plaza de España, the enchanting Moorish influences and the classical people-on-horses-with-swords statues mixed into the metropolitan jungle.
I cannot wait to go back to Spain, when it’s safe to travel again, speak with the locals, snack on delicious tapas and enjoy feeling at home in a foreign country.
— Ritu Belani, San Jose
Hawaiian mai tais, New York holidays
Since March 17, when the shelter-in-place directive was issued, my wife and I have been no further than San Ramon. So, traveling almost anywhere sounds pretty darn good right now. For nine months, the only break in our daily routine has been Thursday pick-ups by Pleasanton Garbage Service.
We have talked often of how nice resuming our annual pilgrimage to Hawaii would be. A dip in the warm ocean, reading a good book beneath the palm trees and late afternoon mai tais at Hale Koa’s Barefoot Bar would be like heaven at this point. If COVID were actually controlled, the five-hour flight in one of the germ tubes would be no deterrent.
But we also think of how much fun another visit to New York City would be. The Rockette Christmas Spectacular at Radio City could put any wannabe Scrooge in the Christmas spirit. With so much going on at all hours, New York is almost the capital of the world: ice skating and the huge Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, Broadway, Fifth Avenue, the nighttime view of the Statue of Liberty from the Staten Island ferry, street performances and on and on. Frank Sinatra said it all when he sang, “New York, New York.”
— Bill and Ellen Lathlean, Pleasanton
Paris, interrupted
Once it’s safe to travel, we will re-do our abruptly-suspended, three-month apartment stay in Paris.
This long-planned vacation, which we had already put off for several years, commenced on March 4, 2020. We knew there was a virus starting to cause concern, but there were no travel restrictions, and the first month of our apartment was already paid for.
The first week or so after our arrival was wonderful, with so few tourists that we felt like we had Paris to ourselves. We used a lot of hand sanitizer as we walked around the city, visited shops, restaurants and museums, used the subway, etc. Face masks were not yet a necessity.

Within a short time the major museums started closing due to COVID-19. A few days later, all the museums closed, along with other places we frequented like jazz club, restaurants, stores and even the big parks. Soon our outings were limited to grocery/food stores. We learned that we would have to carry with us the “attestation” document affirming we were outside only for exercise or to get groceries. Under threat of citation, there would be no wandering the streets of Paris as spring began to emerge.
We came home on March 20, instead of the end of June (we had planned on adding one month in Ireland). Our return trip was complicated by cancelled flights, but after 25 hours we were at our own front door and beginning our 14-day self-quarantine.
Our re-do to Paris is tentatively planned for spring of 2022, assuming the public health risks are diminished and such travel is allowed. We will definitely complete this “bucket list” trip we had started, but we are not making any firm plans at all until the path is very clear.
— Malcolm Smith and Eileen McKenna, San Jose
Dancing in Buenos Aires
Here is my travel dream: I would like to sail on a cruse from San Francisco to Buenos Aires in Argentina, where I will stay for a month and learn how to dance a sexy tango. My late husband and I loved to dance, when it was chic to dance cheek-to-cheek. We were planning to travel to Argentina and learn from the very best. Sadly, he passed away three years ago, and our dream never came to fruition.

But in his memory, I would love to make our dream come true and travel to the capital of tango. I hear people in Buenos Aires dance on the main square in the city. Hopefully, my tango teacher will twirl me around.
Cheers and olé!
—Lina Broydo,Los Altos Hills
Trains across the bay
I’m a San Jose girl, who has been reading “The Merc,” as my family calls it, since the late ’70s. My first trip — kinda allowing myself to dream a little more lately — would be to jump on the Amtrak train, after parking at Diridon Station. Enjoy the beautiful ride (past) the salt ponds after Alviso towards Fremont, and really appreciate all that has happened. Let things go and get the courage to start going out again.
Hubby and I have been helping dad and mom, who helped us so much through life. I learned about the train when they retired from the Cement Plant in 1999 and discovered it stopped two miles from their house in Turlock. So for 20 years, I took the train to visit them — since 2019, they’ve been in Watsonville and we’ve been able to be with them since the virus.
I would get off at Jack London Square Station, enjoy a beer at Heinold’s historic bar on the waterfront and walk around the farmers market. On the way back home to Santa Cruz from the train, I’d go up San Carlos to Bascom and pick up Taco Bravo bean buckets and soft tacos and their SALSA and head home for the day. I can dream, right!? Patiently waiting for the vaccine.
— Leah Meek, Santa Cruz
A cross-country road trip
I read that the New York Times coined the word, “vaccications” for these dream trips!
Post-vaccine, my husband and I are going to do one massive road trip and visit all of our out -of-state friends in Montana, Oregon, Maryland and Wyoming, to name a few. We’ll stay in motels and eat in restaurants and hug people. Can’t wait.
— Susan Sprickman, Danville
Greek island adventures
We had a trip planned to Greece for April 2020, including Athens, Rhodes, Corfu and Santorini, plus some side trips to Cyprus and Albania. I started studying Greek through Duolingo in January 2020. By April, I was struggling with it – barely getting the alphabet and basic words. I’ve kept it up and it’s gotten easier. At the rate I’m going, I’ll finish Duolingo Greek in a year.

A few years ago, I studied Portuguese on Duolingo in preparation for a trip to Brazil. Other than hello, please, thank you and good bye, I don’t think I actually spoke any Portuguese (but) it helped me read signs and menus.
By 2022, I should be ready for Greece!
— Clare Meyerson, Sunnyvale
A NOLA state of mind
I dream of traveling to New Orleans. Mind you, I have traveled quite a bit. I have visited all the continents in the world and about 90 percent of our U.S. National Parks, but I have never been to New Orleans. I have loved jazz forever and have read books about its history, its old mansions, its old folklore, its food and more. I can’t wait to visit jazz places, stroll the Garden District and eat beignets. Looking forward to traveling conditions being safer, so I can go!
— Edda Stark, Danville
Share your travel dreams here:
FAQs
How can I travel the world for free? ›
- Work Abroad in Expat-Friendly Industries. ...
- Look for Work Exchanges. ...
- House-Sit or Pet-Sit. ...
- Volunteer Long-Term With the Peace Corps. ...
- Volunteer With Short-Term Volunteer Organizations. ...
- Organize Your Own Volunteer Trip. ...
- Maximize Credit Card Rewards.
- Get a Seasonal Gig.
- Volunteer (And Maybe Get Paid for it)
- Travel With Your Talent.
- Work on an Organic Farm.
- Help the Planet and its People.
- Teach English Abroad (And More)
- Speak English Abroad.
- Take a Road Trip.
What is a Dream? A dream can be described as a series of images, thoughts, desires, or emotions that pass through your mind. It's a wonderful thing you can create in your imagination, most often related to your future. It's something you wish and hope to achieve someday.
How do you make your impossible dreams come true? ›- Step 1: Dream of greatness. Everything starts in your mind and heart. ...
- Step 2: Believe that it is possible. ...
- Step 3: Visualize it. ...
- Step 4: Tell others. ...
- Step 5: Plan how you plan to achieve it. ...
- Step 6: Work hard and intelligently. ...
- Step 7: Enjoy the process every day.
- Telecommute to your current job. ...
- Explore your company's other locations. ...
- Teach English or another language. ...
- Become a tour guide. ...
- Write a research guide. ...
- Become a flight attendant. ...
- Start a side gig. ...
- Find a new remote opportunity.
It may take several months or even a year, but once you reach around 5,000 followers you'll qualify as a micro-influencer. Travel micro-influencers, though still too small for major influencer marketing, can begin reaching out via public relations channels.
What is the best way to travel? ›Traveling by plane is the quickest and most comfortable way to get across a country, often turning a 12+ hour bus ride into a 1-hour trip. They're all set for you, have easily trackable and distinct schedules, and are generally very reliable.
Why you should travel the world? ›Travel exposes us to different cultures and ancient traditions and through these authentic encounters, we learn to embrace and celebrate both our similarities and our differences. Travel teaches us about humanity and gives us an appreciation, understanding and respect for different points of view and ways of life.
Where is the cheapest place to travel? ›- Thailand. There's a reason why Thailand remains so popular with backpackers – it's got idyllic islands , a rich culture, beach-huts aplenty, tantalising cuisine and adventures galore , and all available at often staggeringly low prices. ...
- South Africa. ...
- Vietnam. ...
- Uruguay. ...
- Cuba. ...
- Prague, Czech Republic. ...
- Greece. ...
- Guatemala.
- Become a Travel Blogger. ...
- Become an English Teacher. ...
- Travel Freelance Writer. ...
- Website & Graphic Design. ...
- Travel Tour Guide. ...
- Traveling Yoga Instructor. ...
- Foreign Service Travel Jobs.
How do you get free in 2022? ›
- See the world for free by joining a work exchange platform. ...
- Hack your hotel budget by becoming a house sitter. ...
- Save cash for future travel by Couchsurfing. ...
- Score a free stay while WWOOFing. ...
- Travel the world for free by becoming an au pair.
A goal = some future action. Dreams provide you with the vision of where you want to go. They're your blueprint for your future life. You can't achieve a dream.
What are the best dreams in life? ›- Become an inspiration to others.
- Master a difficult skill.
- Become a thought leader in your industry.
- Get promoted to an executive role at your company.
- Learn about how to become a millionaire.
- Go on a trip around the world.
- Travel to your dream country.
- Double your personal income.
It helps you achieve any goal that you want to achieve. It is almost the most essential thing in one's life. So dreams are very important in life. They motivate, inspire, improve and help you in achieving any goal that you want to achieve.
How do I make my dreams come true from God? ›Look for ways that your dreams intersect with opportunities for you to act on what God has revealed to you so far. Make your relationship with God your highest priority in life. If you seek God himself first — before any particular dreams — then he will make the right dreams come true for you. Fight fear with faith.
Is it too late to chase my dreams? ›Maybe you put your dreams off until the time or money was right, or perhaps you have given up, thinking you're too old to go chasing dreams. Whether your dream is the same as it was in childhood or it has morphed into something new, it's never too late, and you're never too old to chase your dreams.
Do impossible dreams come true? ›All Can Come True
And so you have to make a choice, with incontestable belief. You need to give your impossible dreams a 'go,' or things will never happen, or even come true. Sometimes you have to take uncalculated risks to have what you want. You need to see it in your mind and work it into your reality.
- “Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer” – Anonymous. ...
- “The journey is my home” – Muriel Rukeyser. ...
- “To travel is to live” – Hans Christian Anderson. ...
- “It feels good to be lost in the right direction” – Unknown. ...
- Life is a journey, not a destination” – Ralph Waldo Emerson.
- Bon Voyage and get there safe.
- Safe Travels.
- Enjoy your journey.
- Get there safe and sound.
- Wishing you a safe journey and a relaxing holiday when you arrive.
- May your journey be free from stress and bring you home safely.
Being a proofreader, voice-over actor reading for audiobooks, starting a book review blog, translating books, writing books, and finding a career in the industry can all become a full-time job with a full-time income. You may get paid $5 for reviewing a book, or you may get paid hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
What is the best job to travel the world? ›
- Au pair.
- Foreign service travel jobs.
- Peace Corps / NGO work.
- Hostel worker.
- Bartender.
- WWOOFer.
- Yoga instructor.
- Surfing instructor.
Whether it's promoting a hotel or a product, there's big money to be made in exchanging a photo and an Instagram post or Story. With anywhere from 1M to 4M followers, these influencers can make up to $31,000 per post. If they post just one sponsored photo per week, adds up to $1.6 million over a year.
What makes a successful travel influencer? ›To make your account ace, read on marketing skills, watch a lot more content, get inspired but do not copy content. Becoming an influencer is a slow journey, be patient and create content that people can relate with.
How do you get paid for Instagram travel? ›HOW TO GET PAID TO TRAVEL | INSTAGRAM - YouTube
What are some travel words? ›- journey,
- peregrinate,
- pilgrimage,
- tour,
- trek,
- trip,
- voyage.
- Get travel insurance.
- Get lounge access.
- Make a list of what you need to pack.
- Research your destination before you go.
- Book your flight and hotel as early as possible.
- Pack light.
- Bring an extra credit card.
- Download offline maps of the area you're visiting.
Travel is the movement of people between distant geographical locations. Travel can be done by foot, bicycle, automobile, train, boat, bus, airplane, ship or other means, with or without luggage, and can be one way or round trip.
How does travelling affect your life? ›First and foremost, travel changes your life by improving your overall health and well-being. One study found that people who travel regularly are at less of a risk of heart disease, siting that men who didn't take an annual vacation were shown to have a 30% higher risk of death from heart disease.
Why travel is important today more than ever? ›Traveling is a unique experience as it's the best way to unplug from the pushes and pulls of daily life. It helps us to forget about our problems, frustrations, and fears at home. During our journey, we experience life in different ways. We explore new places, cultures, cuisines, traditions, and ways of living.
What goes around the world without moving? ›And the correct answer is: A postage stamp! But how can something stay in the corner and travel around the world at the same time?
What travels the world but stays in one spot? ›
What travels around the world but stays in one corner? Sent by: Age: A stamp.
How can you feed your sense of adventure without leaving home? ›- Take an adventure through YouTube. ...
- Catch up on your favorite, or find some new, travel blogs. ...
- Read a book. ...
- Visit somewhere virtually. ...
- Share stories with friends and family.
- Vietnam.
- South Africa.
- Ecuador.
- Costa Rica.
- Malaysia.
- Mexico.
- Indonesia.
- Bulgaria.
- Travel nurse. What you'd do: As boomers continue to age, the national nursing shortage is continuing to grow, according to the American Nurses Association. ...
- Archaeologist. ...
- Athletic scout. ...
- Management consultant. ...
- Event coordinator. ...
- Flight attendant. ...
- Travel agent. ...
- Geoscientist.
- Shutterstock, the heavyweight of stocks. ...
- Adobe Stock, for creatives of all kinds. ...
- Pond5, for amateur or professional videographers. ...
- iStock, Getty Images' antechamber to sell travel photos. ...
- Dreamstime, for flexibility. ...
- Alamy, if you like exclusivity.
- Flight Attendant. One of the best jobs that allow you to travel is being a flight attendant. ...
- Cruise Ship Worker. ...
- Travel Agent. ...
- Customer Service Agent. ...
- International Aid Worker. ...
- Foreign Service Officer. ...
- Consultant. ...
- English Teacher.
So, How Much Does it Cost? In general, you should expect it to cost between $20,000 to $30,000 per person to travel around the world for a year. This rough estimate comes from reading travel budgets of other bloggers, various travel planning resources, and our own experience.
How can I travel to 2022 for free? ›- See the world for free by joining a work exchange platform. ...
- Hack your hotel budget by becoming a house sitter. ...
- Save cash for future travel by Couchsurfing. ...
- Score a free stay while WWOOFing. ...
- Travel the world for free by becoming an au pair.
List of International World Holiday Packages | No. of Days | Price* |
---|---|---|
Thailand Tour Packages | 5 Days / 4 Nights | Rs. 51,000 |
Dubai Tour Packages | 6 Days / 5 Nights | Rs. 75,000 |
Singapore Tour Packages | 5 Days / 4 Nights | Rs. 85,000 |
Bali Tour Packages | 7 Days / 6 Nights | Rs. 57,600 |
It would take you around 415 hours (a bit more than 17 days) to drive the 24,900 miles around the circumference of the earth if you could drive a car around the earth.
How much money do you need for a year of travel? ›
The minimal budget is around $12,000 for one person if traveling very low budget-style in the cheapest countries. If you add more developed high-income countries, a minimum $25,000 is a good rough estimate.
How much money would you need to travel the United States? ›How much does it cost to travel in the US? In summary, you should look to budget between $75 and $300 per person per day for travel in the USA. This amount will vary depending on your travel style, where in the US you travel, and which sights you want to see.
How do I start traveling for a living? ›Working as a flight attendant is the most traditional way to earn a living traveling. Between flights, you can explore your destination. You may also consider working for companies that provide attendants for nontraditional flights such as charter, private or corporate flights.
Where is the cheapest place to travel? ›- Thailand. There's a reason why Thailand remains so popular with backpackers – it's got idyllic islands , a rich culture, beach-huts aplenty, tantalising cuisine and adventures galore , and all available at often staggeringly low prices. ...
- South Africa. ...
- Vietnam. ...
- Uruguay. ...
- Cuba. ...
- Prague, Czech Republic. ...
- Greece. ...
- Guatemala.
The most economical way to circumnavigate the globe is to buy a round-the-world (RTW) plane ticket through a single airline alliance. These are confederations of several different airlines that make it simple to maximize the number of places you can travel and pay for it all in one place or with points.
What is the cheapest way to travel? ›- Consider renting a car instead of driving on your own or go for a driveway.
- Try investing in a train pass. ...
- Consider traveling by bus. ...
- Try signing up for discounts. ...
- Use a travel credit card. ...
- Consider dining downstairs. ...
- Buy your own groceries. ...
- Get food to go.
- Become a Travel Blogger. ...
- Become an English Teacher. ...
- Travel Freelance Writer. ...
- Website & Graphic Design. ...
- Travel Tour Guide. ...
- Traveling Yoga Instructor. ...
- Foreign Service Travel Jobs.
- Gear Up with Some Necessities. ...
- Go Human Powered. ...
- Dumpster Dive for Food. ...
- Forage for Food. ...
- Water. ...
- Live Naturally- Personal Hygiene. ...
- Electricity. ...
- Travel with a Purpose Greater than Yourself.
If you know what you're doing, your travel budget can be as low as $50 a day. The amount is going to vary wildly depending on where you want to travel, and how thrifty you are. But for long-term budget travel, I usually recommend planning to spend at least $1500 per month.
How much money do you need to travel for a week? ›Vacation costs vary tremendously depending on the destination, accommodations, activities and other factors. The average cost of a one-week vacation in the U.S. for one person is $1,558.
Which is the best country for tourist? ›
- Italy. #1 in Good for tourism. #16 in Best Countries Overall. ...
- Spain. #2 in Good for tourism. #19 in Best Countries Overall. ...
- Greece. #3 in Good for tourism. ...
- France. #4 in Good for tourism. ...
- Australia. #5 in Good for tourism. ...
- Thailand. #6 in Good for tourism. ...
- New Zealand. #7 in Good for tourism. ...
- Switzerland. #8 in Good for tourism.