Travelling has quickly become an essential part of human life. 100 years ago, it was rare if people ever left their hometown. Now, it’s no surprise that we know people who have gone all over the world or we have travelled the world ourselves. I personally love travelling and exploring new things (the wanderlust is strong in this one). So here are my 11 places that you should hit up if you haven’t already (Disclaimer: I’m not done travelling yet, nor have I gone everywhere I want to go… These are just my 11 favorite of the places I have been to).

1. Jacksonville, Florida

What kind of person would I be if I didn’t have Jacksonville on this list? Jacksonville has some pretty cool spots to hit up. The beaches aren’t ever too terribly crowded. Food wise, you have to hit up some of the more local places, such as Maple Street Biscuit Co., Metro Diner, Cruisers, M-shack, and Sweets by Holly- just to name a few. Jacksonville is also super close to St. Augustine, which is a cool little place.

2. Orlando Florida

Now most people only associate Orlando as just having Disney World. Yeah, Disney World is pretty awesome and if you haven’t been (Disneyland doesn’t count), drop everything and go right now. Orlando also has Universal Studios, which has some absolutely epic roller coasters-- and Harry Potter World. You also can’t forget Downtown Disney, Sea World, Blizzard Beach, or Typhoon Lagoon. Orlando also has a Cirque De Soleil. My food recommendation for Orlando is always Rainforest Café. The animals really make the place.

3. Chicago, Illinois

I highly recommend anyone coming to Chicago. Personally, it’s my favorite big city. New York is fun, Los Angeles is cool, but there’s just something about Chicago that I like better. You of course have to go to the Navy Pier, Chicago Art Institute, Wicker Park, and take great tourist pics by The Bean. While you’re walking around, go ahead and take in the magnificent mile. Starting to feel a little drained on energy from all the cool sights? Go treat yourself to Intelligentsia coffee. Hungry? Hit up Harry Caray’s or get funky at the House of Blues. If you want seafood, then go to Bubba Gump’s at the Navy Pier.

4. Atlanta, Georgia

Growing up, we spent a lot of time in Atlanta. It’s just such a cool city. Make sure to go to a Braves game or Hawks game while you’re there. You also want to be sure to go to the aquarium, it’s absolutely amazing. If you have the time, be sure to make it over to Coca-Cola world. It is well worth the trip. There is only one place you really have to go eat at in Atlanta: The Varsity. If you go to Atlanta and fail to go to The Varsity, it will forever be one of the worst decisions of your life.

5. Hershey, Pennsylvania

We went to Hershey as part of our family vacation this past summer and it was great. You should definitely go to Hershey World and take in all the chocolate-y goodness. The Chocolate taster session is fun and you even get an “official Hershey’s chocolate taster” certificate. Also be sure to go on the tour of Hershey world. The trolley staff is absolutely hilarious and it’s cool to learn more of the history of Hershey. They also have a “make your own Hershey bar” lab, which gives you the ability to design your chocolate bar anyway you want and then design a wrapper for it. Hershey Park is also super fun. The rides there are just a completely different level of awesome. There’s one called Skyrush which has you going at extreme speeds, angles, and turns… with basically just a lap bar holding you in. The food is also absolutely amazing- as one would expect. And the desert options? Two words: True Love.

6. Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Hong Kong is very closely tied with Chicago for my favorite big city. The hustle and bustle is just a beautiful thing to behold- as well as scary if you’re in a car or bus. There’s so much to do. You could spend a day in Ocean Park, which is a fun amusement park with great rides and pandas. You could also go on a junk boat trip and chill out in the bay for a day. Don’t worry, there’s not actual junk on the boat. My favorite thing is to go to the markets. You’re barraged with tons of sights, sounds, and smells all at once. The experience of bargaining is also tons of fun. In the markets, you can get souvenirs for cheaper than you would at a normal souvenir store. You also have practically endless options and choices. If you go and are craving American food, then you should go find Awakening café. It’s a cute little hole-in-the-wall type place that has great burgers. But you can’t be afraid to go and try new things. None of the food I had over there was bad. Did I always know what I was eating? Nope. But it was still good.

7. Helena, Montana

Most people don’t think there’s much to Montana, but Helena is quite the cool little place. I personally love small towns, which is exactly what Helena is. You can go visit the capital of Montana, appreciate the awesome scenery, or enjoy walking around the local shops that are around town. Montana is known for their yogo sapphires, which are gorgeous to look at. There’s also a Yogo Inn, which is a great place to stop for lunch. While you’re in the neighborhood, go ahead and swing by Yellowstone National park and see Old Faithful.

8. Calgary, Canada

Canada is a very interesting place. We happened to be up there during Canada Day, which is their Independence day. It was a really chill place with a great atmosphere. We also hit up a small ski village nearby, which was tons of fun. Calgary has a lot of extremely neat historical sights that you can go to. My personal favorite was Fort Calgary, an 1875 wooden fort built by the North West Mounted Police.

9. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Like Calgary, Philadelphia has tons of amazing historical sights. There’s the Liberty Bell, Ben Franklin’s house, Independence Hall, Betsy Ross’ house, Christ Church, and many other museums and historical sights. Philadelphia is also the best place to get a Philly cheesesteak. You can go to an actual restaurant to get one, but I personally think street vendors are the way to go in any city in order to get truly authentic food.

10. Phoenix, Arizona

My time in Phoenix was regrettably extremely short. Being a Floridian, I naturally loved the warm weather- and the lack of 90-100% humidity was amazing as well! I had my first real encounter with In-N-Out. That place is incredible. I was also shown a chill little coffee place called Dutch Bros. Unfortunately, we went at like midnight so I wasn’t really feeling coffee at the time. The scenery is just absolutely beautiful. I definitely need to go back for longer even if just to conquer some mountains.

11. London, England

Ok, so this one I haven’t actually been to. But I am going this summer and I cannot wait. I mean seriously it’s London. If you don’t want to go to London, even just to say you’ve been, go straight to the doctor’s office now. The places to hit: London Eye, Tower Bridge, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben- just to name a few.

Next time you don’t know where to plan your next getaway, just remember some of the places on this list that you may have not already explored. Traveling is so much fun and always leads to great new experiences. Wherever your wanderlust takes you, take full advantage of your travels and adventures.