With the whole “New Year, New Me” vibe in the air, lots of people have started (and maybe already quit? ;)) their New Year’s resolutions. I am not huge on the resolutions, but I usually do set some goals for the New Year. In 2017 my goals are to learn French, to learn how to cook, get a bit healthier (have to throw that in the mix) and continue to explore my love of travel. Travelling was a huge part of my life in 2016 and if it’s up to me, 2017 will be the same.

The only thing is, I get very overwhelmed when I think of all the places that I want to visit and how little time I have to do it in. Anytime I start planning a trip my mind always goes “Yes Paris would be nice, but what about Argentina? Or Italy? You haven’t seen Rome yet! And don’t forget Tokyo. And Sydney. And Switzerland and and and “. Settling on a place is hard for me, so over the holidays I did a lot of research and listed to my heart and what it really says. I researched close to 50 places all over the globe, with the end goal of picking 10 of them for my bucket list. So next time I want to plan a trip, these are the 10 places that I am going to choose from!

I’ve set myself a little “Before 30 Bucket List”, not because 30 is a cut-off age, but because I usually do 2-3 trips a year, so my goal is to visit these 10 places in the next 4 years. I might be cutting it a bit short, and you never know how life turns out- I might not get to visit any of them! But I thought it would be a fun thing to share for anyone else planning trips and looking for inspiration. I didn’t just pick places, I focused on things to do there. There is of course so much more that I want to do, but having these 10 as a starting point is a good idea don’t you think? Let’s jump into it!

1. Stay in a beach hut in the Maldives 

I love a good island holiday, but how fabulous would it be to stay in one of these beach huts? You can literally see the ocean as your floor and when you look outside it’s just the blue sea and skies. Maldives is something that I will save for my Honeymoon, because I think it’s the ideal location!

2. Watch a sunset in Santorini 

Fun fact- Santorini actually means Saint Irene, which is basically me!;) I’ve always thought of this island as “my” island because of its name. If there is a place that I’m meant to visit, it has to be Santorini! The girls and I have been chatting back and forth about a possible trip there later this year so let’s see what happens!:)

 3.Walk the streets of Prague 

You might notice European cities pop up the most on my list, but something about Europe just resonates with me so much. Maybe it’s because I grew up there, but my soul yearns for anything European! The history and the architecture of Prague fascinates me so I hope to make a stop there sometime when I visit my parents in Russia.

 4. Shop in New York City 

Do I even have to explain this one? Ever since watching Sex And The City I have been dying to visit this gorgeous city. The only reason I haven’t done it yet, is because it is far. I want to do as much of Europe as I can(because that can be done in shorter periods of time) and then save my leave and do a month long USA trip. Maybe for my 30^th birthday?:)

 5. Visit Newport Beach 

Speaking of the good old USA, the second place I want to visit there is California, and especially Newport Beach! Newport Beach is also the home of Urban Decay Cosmetics so I wouldn’t mind checking that out there as well. I would actually just like to take a whole road trip in California and maybe party in Las Vegas 🙂

6. See the Tulip Fields in Keukenhof Gardens 

I mean can you even handle the gorgeousness? Holland is very famous for their tulips and tulip has been my favourite flower since I was little. Every March in Ukraine the streets would start getting flooded with tulip sellers, and my mom would buy me a bunch every week. Seeing a whole gorgeous filed of them would make my year, and Amsterdam is the first place on my bucket list for 2017.

7. Drink Moet Et Chandon in Champagne  

Not that I am a big drinker or anything, but I’ve always loved me some good champagne. But I want to drink the proper champagne- the one that’s made in the province of Champagne in France. I want to take a day trip to Rimes next time I visit Paris and spend a day tasting at the Chateau Moet Et Chandon. Dreamy!

8. Swim in the Bali waters 

When it comes to Asia, the only place that’s calling my name at the moment is Bali. Yes I know Thailand is cheap and apparently very nice, but my heart is just not into it. I’ve wanted to visit Bali ever since I read “Eat, Pray, and Love”- silly I know, but that’s also why I wanted to visit Italy. Bali is still good value for money and I am hoping it will live up to the hype.

9. See London at Christmas time

I’ve always wanted to live in London for a year or so, and it’s something I am hoping to do before I have kids. London during Christmas time looks magical- the lights, the markets, and the snow(well hopefully)!.

10. See the lavender fields in Provence 

Back with the flowers again, but this is another place that I’ve been dreaming about. The lavender fields mainly bloom in the month of August and I think that it’s something you have to see at least once in your lifetime.

Have you been to any of these places and have any recommendations for me? What are the places on your bucket list?

*Travel Pictures are not my own