it’s the end of 2011 and i realized i haven’t blogged once about my travels all year. 2011 was a year of many big changes, the biggest of which was leaving my job as a consultant and becoming a full-time mba student. with that drastic change, i bid goodbye to glamorous work-paid travel and became grounded in cambridge for almost half a year. while it was a nice change of pace to be settled in one place for an extended period of time, it certainly feels weird to be spending the holidays at home. however, as i reflect on the places i’ve been over the past few years, i’m extremely grateful for the sights that i’ve seen, and for the moments that simply take my breath away. here are some of those that i have not blogged about before.
Huangshan (Yellow Mountains), Anhui, China
it took 2 days of hiking to see this beautiful world heritage site, and i vowed to return one day.
Bonn, Germany
the perks of working for a german company: travel to germany every year. i miss the christmas market in bonn so much.
Sacre Coeur, Paris, France
heart-stopping view of paris from sacre coeur. now i see why people fall in love here.
Sunrise in Avesta, Sweden
God’s gift to me at the end of my first missions trip. every year i returned to sweden after that, i would always visit this lake first.
Jungfraujoch, Swiss Alps, Switzerland
i am enamored with mountains, so i had to visit the highest one in all of the swiss alps. another world heritage site.
Christmas in Milan, Italy
i’ve seen more cathedrals than i can count, but the duomo in milan blew all the rest away. christmas lights were a nice touch too.
Ponte Veccho, Florence, Italy
the famed ponte veccho in florence, and yes, this was my desktop wallpaper for a long time.
Ruins in Rome, Italy
so, so much rich history in rome. i loved the catacombs, but they wouldn’t let us take pics there, so this will have to do. =)
Xiamen Island, China
i went to search for the future in china, but found beauty in the present.
Bamboo Forest in Kamakura, Japan
so many moments from my time in japan, i wish i could list them all…
Autumn in Nikko, Japan
fall foliage in new england is beautiful, yes, but the “koyo” in japan totally wins.
1,000 Torii Gates in Kyoto, Japan
there are hundreds of beautiful temples in kyoto, but it was this stairway to heaven that captivated me.
Night view from Odaiba, Tokyo, Japan
4 months in this amazing city = forever changed.
Palais Badii in Marrakech, Morocco
what a fun adventure morocco was…
Shopping in the Souks, Fes, Morocco
Sevilla, Southern Spain
is there gonna be another city in spain that’s better than the ones in andalusia?
Bonjour Paris, again
this time i spent only 24 hours in paris, and soaked in every minute
The Louvre, Paris, France
a gorgeous lazy afternoon, where i didn’t mind being by myself and just simply people-watching
London stole my heart in 2011
it only took 7 trips, but i love, love, love the city of london so much. i can definitely see myself living there one day. and it will be a good, good life.
there’s sooooo much more of this world that i have yet to see. fortunately, there are many adventures to be had with my wonderful new classmates, and weddings to attend in exotic places. looking forward with anticipation to the travels next year!
on the slate for 2012:
kenya and tanzania (jan), norcal (feb), beijing (march), socal (may), thailand (july), hong kong (nov)