Today is a truly wonderful day. It is my best friend, my travel partner, my husband’s birthday!
It’s been almost 4 years since we first met and we’ve had plenty of adventures in that time. From becoming kitty parents to getting married to traveling the world! In honor of the man I call my better half, I decided to dedicate a special post to him. An homage, if you will. These are my top ten travel moments with my husband:
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Our First Trip to Maui, Hawaii
Our love story was a whirlwind. After 3 dates in a single week, Kevin and I decided to go bold and declared our love for each other. He then proposed two weeks later (a series of many proposals from my Mr. Romantic). A month after this, we flew to Hawaii for a friend’s wedding. The couple that introduced us happened to be invited to this same wedding and not only treated us to an amazing suite for a week but food and drinks all weekend. It was the most romantic getaway I’d ever been on!
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Locks of Love in Paris
Many of you have heard of the Locks of Love Bridge in Paris. If not, you’ll find yourself strolling down the Pont de l’Archevêché only to stumble upon hundreds of thousands of locks along the bridge’s fence. This is where lovers from around the world declare their love with a lock (usually with a message or date written on it) and then throw the key into the water. Soon after Kevin’s “real” engagement proposal in Los Angeles, we flew to France for Kevin’s parents’ 40th Wedding Anniversary. If there were any time to call Paris ‘The City of Love’, this trip was it!
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Camel Trekking in Morocco
Our trip to Morocco wasn’t exactly the best trip during our RTW travels. But what really salvaged the entire experience was our camel ride through Marrakech. We absolutely loved this adventure! In addition to bonding with some cutie camels, we made friends with the travelers and our guides, drank mint tea and got to witness a landscape that we’ve never traveled through before. Being the animal-lover that Kevin is, he was obsessed with this trek.
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Exploring the Fjords in Bergen, Norway
When Kevin is happy, I am happy. So traveling to Norway, one of his dream vacations, was one of the highlights of our honeymoon experience. It was the second city on our RTW honeymoon trip and it was absolutely amazing. For a small fee and brief 4-hour boat tour, we sailed through Bergen’s breathtaking fjords until we reached the Monstraumen waterfall. Our captain collected water from this small yet wondrous waterfall and shared it with the entire tour. It was the crispest and freshest water we’ve ever had!
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Our Fanciest Dining Experience in Eze, France
As a retired waitress, I thought I knew a thing or two about fine dining. But this dining experience had topped them all. Château Eza is a 400-year old chateau in Éze, France, a commune located along the Côte d’Azur between Nice and Monaco. Our friends, who happened to be in Nice, picked us up in their convertible and drove up the windy road that took us to the top of the hill overlooking the entire French Riviera. This chateau is not only a Michelin starred restaurant with panoramic views of the Mediterranean, but is a beautiful hotel as well. Between the view, the food and the service, it was the best meal I have ever enjoyed. Granted, our bill matched the grandiose experience at a whopping 400 euro per couple! But what a way to enjoy our new engagement!
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The Ultimate Honeymoon in Ubud, Bali
After 3 weeks of trekking Europe and Africa, it was time to relax and enjoy our honeymoon like normal newlyweds! We started our Bali vaca in Kuta, but the real treat was in Ubud, Bali! We went all out and stayed at the Dwaraka Royal Villas, which really wasn’t much of a splurge anyway. After going nonstop, it was nice to feel like royalty in our presitgious villa for a week.
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Wandering Las Ramblas, Barcelona
Barcelona is a spectacular city! The architecture, the art, the food, the nightlife… Barca has it all. But we got our biggest kick just wandering around the city. No plan, no cell service and little camera use. It felt romantic and authentic. I was surprised to hear that Kevin adored Barcelona as much as he did as his style is a little more mid-century modern or James Bond-esque. Who’da thunk it? Barcelona takes hold of everyone!
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Partying in Las Vegas
I’ve lost count exactly how many times I’ve traveled to Las Vegas with Kevin. There was our bachelor/bachelorette, my 24th birthday, his 30th birthday (as pictured above) and several other random trips in-between. But one of the reasons we love it so much is that we feel like we can finally let loose. Kevin likes to gamble, I like to
visit adult poolsdrink champagne and we both can take a little time off from life. Not to mention, Las Vegas is home to one of our favorite restaurants in the whole world: Sinatra. -
Late Night Kayaking in Vieques
Oh, Puerto Rico. I don’t know how I feel about you, buddy. We often got lost in sketchy parts of town, got sick from a couple of meals and had our rental car broken into and robbed. Still, one part that was unanimously one of our greatest memories is kayaking the Bioluminescent Bay in Vieques, Puerto Rico. It was our first time kayaking together and the bioluminesence in the moonlight was spectacular. It was such a great getaway from the Puerto Rico we had become accustomed to, it felt like heaven. -
Feeling like Home in Australia
Our favorite country in the entire world is Australia! I had been previously and loved it way back when. After 2 1/2 months of traveling, I knew this hip and beautiful country would make Kevin feel a bit less homesick. AND IT WORKED! Kevin was enamored with the beautiful beaches and loved the kangaroos. I loved seeing some of my best friends who live there as well as the good eats that never seemed to end. (Seriously, everything in Australia is delicious.) Australia, we’re coming back for you!
