By Karlie Marrazzo
Welcome to my travel blog. I’ve been traveling as much as I can over the past four and a half years. It’s all I think about, almost all I talk about, and it fills my dreams almost every night. Yet starting this blog is a big step for me.
I didn’t leave my home country, Canada, until I was 22 years old, and I didn’t even set foot on an airplane until I was 21.
In the past four and a half years, I’ve been lucky enough to visit our neighbour to the south several times. I’ve had relaxing Caribbean vacations. I’ve visited my ancestral country and my favourite country, Italy, twice (and counting…), hiked the Great Wall of China, fallen in love with Havana, and visited several European countries. I say I’ve been lucky to visit all these wonderful places, and I have, but traveling also requires a lot of planning, a lot of saving, and a little anxiety, too.
Travel is addictive. The itch is never scratched. The more places I visit, whether mega cities across the world or small towns in my own province, the more places I add to my list.
On my 25th birthday, I set a goal for myself to travel to at least 30 countries by the time I turn 30 in May 2015. It’s still almost unbelievable to me that I’ve visited 16 countries in such a relatively short time, and traveled quite a bit around my own country, too. As of now, March 2013, I have just over 26 months to achieve that goal.
In some ways I’m an unlikely traveler. I’m terrified of flying! I prefer a cozy train car over a flying metal tube, and I always carry my good luck charms with me. I’m attached to my family and friends. I have two cats that I love immensely and it’s hard to leave them behind. I’m very lucky that my dad and in-laws take great care of them when I’m away. I get incredibly homesick for the little things – my house, my couch, comfort food, regular sized showers. But there are so many fantastic and intriguing places, people and experiences in this wide world that I know are just waiting for me. My couch will always be there when I get back.
I don’t have a trip planned until me and my husband, Dave, go to Iceland in June for 10 days, so until that time I will share some of my favourite stories of travels past with you, as well as some of my experiences planning upcoming trips. I hope you like them, too!
This is so awesome Karlie! I’m thrilled you’ve decided to do this, especially as I’m twice as old you and have only visited half the places you’ve been too (I think, we’ll have compare notes.)
Looking forward to armchair traveling with you.
Donna
Thanks so much Donna! Your support means a lot to me.
Good luck Karlie. I had tears in my eyes as I finished reading your blog. Not many people accomplish such big goals. I always wanted to travel the world and although I did some traveling it wasn’t near what I wanted to do. Happy travels to you and Dave. I look forward to reading about your travels.
Now you’re going to make me tear up! Thanks Brenda.
It’s about time!!! Looking forward to reading about all your wacky adventures. So proud of you babers:)
Thanks babe! xo
Very exciting! I don’t have the opportunity to travel even half as much as I would so I will live vicariously through your blog! Blogging is fun and gets addicting as well!
Thanks for reading Holly! You are definitely an inspiration as well. We can do anything we put our minds to 🙂
That is an awesome goal Karlie! You and Dave are going to have a great time working on it. 🙂 I look forward to hearing all about your travels.
What is your criteria for having “visited” a country. Mine is pretty much did I spend at least a day there… No airports counting toward my country count!
Thank you! We are having a blast 🙂
My criteria are pretty much the same as yours. I don’t count airports, either. I count places where I spend at least a day, ex) Vatican City…
Very cool. Already excited to read about Iceland.
Is that a pun? Iceland…cool :p
Great intro to your blog! Can’t wait to read more about your travels – past AND future 🙂
Thanks friend!
This is awesome Karlie!! I’m always excited to hear all your travel stories!! So I’m so happy to see that you’re blogging about them so that we can live vicariously through your exciting travels 🙂
Much love to you ❤
Thanks for all your support and positivity girl!
As a fellow travel junkie I love that you are blogging all of your memories, tricks and tips for others to learn from, share and re-live their own memories all over again.
Thanks for allowing me to have a peek into your journey while taking tea and remembering a few of my own.
Cheers darling!
Thanks for your support and for reading girl!
Well done Karlie!
What a Magnificent goal & blog name 😉
Mary & I would love to join you on a trip sometime but failing that, we will live vicariously through your blog.
Have Safe & Adventurous travels!
Thanks for the inspiration :p
We would love to go on a trip with you guys, too! We’ll make it happen. Thanks for reading!
Yay, this is so exciting!
Wahoo! Thanks!
Congratulations on your adventurous spirit!
Thanks!
Wow Karlie, so wonderful to read and see your blog. Not many young people can afford to do what you and your spouse are doing. I guess it is really all choices we make. Well good luck to you and I am going to share this with my daughter Whitney as this is her dream. You are living the life girl. Safe travels and thanks for sharing.
Cyndi ( friend of your Aunt Shirley )
Very proud of you for starting this! Excited to be the lucky one that gets to see all the places with you!
If you have Brunei on the list and if I’m there, I’ll definitely show you the place around where Kim and I grew up from. 🙂 (That would add at least 7 countries to the list since there are that many countries in Southeast Asia)
Hi! I follow you on instagram and I think it is a great idea to travel the world :). I live in Iceland and I think you will really enjoy visiting it. If you have any questions, I’d love to answer them 🙂
Have fun!
-Anna Sif
Great read Karlie, looking forward to reading more!
Thanks David!