As a culture and world fanatic, I love traveling. Even the idea of traveling excites me! Sure, it's super expensive, I probably won't like even 17% of the food in these areas, and I only speak English and very little German, but traveling the world would be an incredible experience. I have already traveled to parts of Europe with my German class, but there are other areas I want to visit or revisit someday too. I compiled a list of the top 10 places in the world that I want to visit and why. I hope they make you consider the rest of this beautiful world too!

1. Japan

There is something absolutely beautiful about Japan. Have you ever seen it in the spring when its waterfalls shimmer and its cherry blossoms flutter through the sky? Have you ever seen that? I will always dream of the day I can visit and touch each of its natural beauties. Other than the wondrous environment, Japan is my favorite country because of its history and culture. Japan has one of the most interesting back stories and traditions that I’ve ever read. Stories of samurais, Kami gods, and dragons! How incredible is that? They are also full of cultural norms and traditions like the Japanese Tea Ceremony for guests in a home, a tradition gathered from Zen Buddhism. Japan is the perfect blend of beauty, culture, and history.

2. China

Like Japan, China is full of beautiful culture and history. Besides, who wouldn’t love the country after the movie Mulan? Whether it’s the dragons, dancing, Great Wall, sword fights, environment, architecture, or culture, China is a beautiful place to visit. I’ve always dreamt of walking along the great wall and captioning a photo “the Huns are coming!” I’ve always wanted to walk through the streets, under its arches, and through its grand entrances. I’ve always wanted to come for the New Year’s Festival and celebrate under the spark of fireworks, music, dancing, theatre, and culture.

3. Switzerland

My sophomore year of high school, I got the honor of touring this beautiful country. As a lover of mountains, I fell for Switzerland. I got to wake up, look out the window, and see the mountains rising behind the city. It was gorgeous. We also got to tour Mt. Pilatus in Switzerland which was also a crazy beautiful place. The fact that I could go up a mountain one day just because makes me fall in love with Switzerland even more. The locals can tour Mt. Pilatus anytime they want. I love that. Switzerland also has a history of being peaceful; not only in its foreign relations, but in its towns as well. The artwork and architecture is sweet, calm and just fascinating to look at.

4. Austria

Another country I toured was Austria, and it honestly felt homey. We got to tour downtown Vienna and explore. It was a really good experience that made me feel like home in a city which is almost impossible for me. I never liked cities, but I liked this one. It felt comfortable but interesting all at once. Not only did I love Austria for its home feel, but Austria is also known for having about 1,000 balls a year. That’s a lot of fancy dancing.

5. Egypt

Ever since I was a kid, I loved Egypt. I loved it mainly because of the Bible stories of Moses and Joseph. I also loved how the people were decorated in that time. I loved their attire and customs. I also loved hieroglyphics. As a lover of words, I love languages and how they are written down, so hieroglyphics are beautiful and fascinating to me. There is something fascinating and beautiful about the pyramids too. Strange to say that about a grave stone, but it’s true. They’re beautiful wonders of the world that hold so much history.

6. Israel

I have also been very interested in Israel throughout my childhood. As a follower of Jesus, I have always wanted to tour the places He walked, the city He lived in, and the tomb He died and resurrected in. That country holds a special place in my heart as well as in the history of what I believe. Not many people have the opportunity to visit the land of their god or strongest belief, but I do. If I travel to Israel, I could go where the One I believe in was centuries ago.

7. India

Through one of my favorite book series, you can learn a lot about the history of the country and their many gods. Following the story of Durga and the other gods along with the customs each have was fascinating to me. I really loved diving into the origins of India and its beautiful culture. Beyond the history, India is also known for its beautiful colors and intricate designs which I absolutely love.

8. Australia

Australia is one of those places that you see on commercials and just think, “man, I wish I could do all those crazy stuff too!” Every time I watch an Outback restaurant commercial, I think those exact words. Whether it’s their waterfalls, landscape, or crazy kangaroo, Australia just seems like a super fun place to visit. It’s home to beautiful, maybe even dangerous, animals and the terrain is just the same! It’s an adventurer’s dream!

9. Ireland

Who doesn’t love Ireland? Ireland is home to plenty of customs, traditions, and deeply rooted culture. Many locals still follow the superstitions and old beliefs of their country and praise them to this day. Have you ever taken the time to read a book set in Ireland? There is fantastic history in it! You learn so much about the country’s beliefs, history, and legend. That’s what I love most about Ireland. It has amazing legends and folk life that just soar off the page. It’s a great place to gain writing material and to enlighten yourself with liberating possibilities as to what this world is full of.

10. Scotland

Scotland, much like Ireland, is full of customs and legends. Known for their kilts, but amazing to me because of their stories. I especially love the Viking stories. Vikings were always an interesting, almost unheard of, part of history that I loved learning about. It’s an unusual part of Scotland’s history and customs that is well worth looking into. Along with Scotland’s history though, there is plenty more to find interesting there. Take the landscape for example, Scotland is a beautiful country with plenty of old castles and deteriorated cities. You can find plenty of these moss and vine covered wonders throughout Scotland. It’s an interesting and unique attribute of Scotland that would be worth the visit.