In addition, despite the fact that I try to find something positive about every place I visit, there are a lot of places I just didn’t connect with for whatever reason, or didn’t have enough time to visit. I think everywhere deserves more than once chance–so here are ten places I need to visit again!

Cambodia

Some real talk here: I kind of, um, hated most of my time in Cambodia (except for moments at Angkor Wat and in the Ratanakiri Province). Awful, right? After an amazing, action-packed month exploring Thailand, my cousin and I went to Cambodia and so many things went wrong. We were both really sick; we’d left our friends behind in Thailand and missed them (and their traveling skills); the endless heat and oppressive humidity was getting to me; we were there over Thanksgiving and the homesickness was out of control; and honestly, the locals seemed to harass us, hate us, lecture us, or be annoyed that we weren’t acting the way they wanted. I feel like all of these things combined together to make me hate it, and I couldn’t wait to leave. When we crossed to border into Vietnam–via a boat on the Mekong, on a visa that our couch surfing host had done incorrectly which would make us get detained later (but that’s a different story)–I let out a breath of relief. I know Cambodia is a beautiful, complicated, impoverished country, and I think I need to give it another chance.

Read more about Cambodia here. 

China

China is one of those places that, while I was there, I didn’t love it–but now that I look back, I think “WOW! What a great country!” China, partially because of the situation I was in while there (an internship working with earthquake survivors in Sichuan province) pushed my boundaries like no other, and therefore wasn’t exactly a comfortable experience. I witnessed tragedy, heartbreak, corruption, illness, confusing cultural norms–and was struck by the resilience and joy of the people, and the country itself. Oh yeah, I need to go back.

Read more about China here. 

Thailand

Unlike the Cambodia saga above, I just adored Thailand. The smiling people! The food. The diverse, gorgeous landscape. The sweaty, chaotic cities. The idyllic islands. Thailand pretty much has everything, and even though I spent a month there, I have so much left to see! Plus, E has never been, which is reason enough to return.

Read more about Thailand here. 

South America

Is it cheating to put an entire continent on here? I haven’t been to South America since I studied abroad in Peru and Ecuador in 2009. That study abroad trip was my first real time away from home, and my first solo travel, which means that a lot of my memories are overshadowed by my homesickness, my parasite (yep), my idiocy (even more yep), the reasons I left in the first place (struggles in school and relationships), and my sky-high expectations slowly crumbling beneath me. That being said, now that I’m more comfortable traveling–and (slightly) more comfortable in my skin–I would love to go back to South America. I mean, there is so much more of that giant continent to explore.

Read more about Peru here and more about Ecuador here. 

Panama

We spent only three days there on our honeymoon in 2015, on the island chain of Bocas del Toro. I…did not like it. I don’t know why. I found it overcrowded, dirty, and rather stressful. So maybe I do know why–but I have been to a lot of places that fit those criteria, and that didn’t necessarily bother me. I think the Bocas are exploding with tourism and are not equipped to handle it, and the environment is starting to suffer. It really is a beautiful corner of the world, though!

Read more about Panama here. 

Iceland

Two 17-hour layovers were not enough! Iceland has simply exploded onto the international travel scene, for good reason. I’d love to spend more time there!

Read more about Iceland here. 

Vietnam

Although I would go back to every country I visited during my tour of Southeast Asia (Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, South Korea & Vietnam) the one that pulls me the most is probably Vietnam. I can’t quite put my finger on the why. It stands out in my mind as the most beautiful, but it’s also the place where, as we were traveling so quickly, my cousin and I missed a lot of gems, or just stayed for a day or two. It’s funny, because we had some visa issues and did not leave the country on good terms–but I’m still dying to go back. Or maybe that’s why, and I’m just contrary.

Read more about Vietnam here. 

Italy

Okay, I know Italy is on everyone’s bucket list or return-to list. There’s a reason Italy is one of the most visited spots in the world–and I’ve only seen a few little corners! I haven’t even been to Rome or Florence. I think I haven’t been in a rush because a) Italy is expensive; b) Italy is crowded; c) I will always want to go to Italy and d) Italy is a place I can travel to when I’m older, too. Now, this is usually the opposite of my travel philosophy–I always want to see it now, rather than later, because you just never know if you’ll get another chance, do you? Italy has been creeping higher up my list after our visit to Venice, and the fact that we have friends living all over the country. Not that Italy needs a reason to creep up anyone’s list–it is Italy, after all.

Read more about Italy here. 

Greece

I’ve told you (maybe too much) how even though it was a crazy trip, I completely loved Greece. And I’ve only been to Santorini and Athens–there is so much more to see! The combination of relaxed (sometimes too relaxed, admittedly) attitude, delicious food, ancient history, and beautiful scenery just hooks me in.

Read more about Greece here. 

France

I’ve been to Paris, and Lille, but I would love to get out of the cities and explore more of France. I’m particularly intrigued by Normandy. Truthfully, I didn’t “fall in love” with either Lille or Paris, and I think France deserves another chance! And I didn’t just choose it because it rhymed with chance! I also am part French, and like any true American, I’m eager to learn more about one of my self-assigned homelands.

Read more about France here. 

Do you have places you need to give another chance?

Linking up with Wanderful Wednesday and Faraway Files. 

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Linking up with Travel Tuesday. 

The post Venice: In Photos appeared first on Amy and the Great World.

Still, it was such a great day–full of so many wonderful, Venetian-and-Italian moments, in addition to the proposal, that I couldn’t resist sharing a little bit of it with you.

It was our third day in Venice, and I was well smitten with the city at this point. I defy you to not be in awe the minute you see Venice from a distance, and if not then, the minute you step out of the train station and hop into a water bus. The day before, we’d traveled to the charming little islands of Murano and Burano, and I was ready for another full day in Venice.

We started the day off with the fantastic breakfast offered at our hotel, the Hotel Bel Sito. While we didn’t have the most comfortable bed (and our room was small, albeit charming) the breakfast at this hotel inspires me to recommend it to you. Endless coffee, served in a silver pot! Panna cotta! Fresh yogurt! At least three varieties of eggs! So much bread! I think my favorite thing about Italy was the food–I can only name one “bad” meal and even that one was just not that terrible.

After our glorious breakfast, we headed out to explore. I purposefully did not do extensive research on Venice, mostly because I didn’t have time. I still found many things for us to do and see, because I’m anal like that, but I knew we also needed the time to relax. While it may seem like I bounce around Europe traveling, my teaching schedule is actually quite grueling! And Venice is the perfect place to explore yet relax.

So, we wandered. We started with a long, leisurely boat trip in a water bus (a great way for a self-guided tour!). We stopped in for a slice of our favorite pizza, had some gelato, wandered by endless charming alleys, visited the famous Bridge of Sighs…then went home and took a nap. It was our vacation, after all.

After our nap, per Margo’s recommendation, we wandered over to the Rialto Bridge for sunset and the photographer’s dream, blue hour. The actual Rialto Bridge was a little more crowded than I would have liked, but we found some steps right on the Grand Canal which were a perfect viewing platform.

After the sunset, we went to Da Mamo (which Margo also recommends–that woman is a star!) and had an incredible, incredible meal. We snuck in just at opening, around 7PM, because we hadn’t made reservations. We grabbed a table and about three minutes later, the place was packed and there was a line–being grandparents who need to eat by 7PM pays off sometimes ;).

The meal was honestly one of the best of my life, and we had so much fun sampling everything we could think of. We ended with the most glorious tiramisu I have ever had (those ITALIANS! THEY KNOW FOOD!).

After this, we wandered around the empty, moon-soaked streets for awhile before ending up at a pier right by our hotel, marveling in the jewel-bright lights along the Grand Canal. There, E popped the question! It was so fun and romantic, under the moon and the stars, right by the Grand Canal, that I kind of went blank and can hardly remember the actual moment. Go figure. I will say I wasn’t completely surprised–we’ve been together for quite some time and have discussed marriage at length, plus Mr. E was acting all nervous (so cute)–but somehow, I still was completely shocked.

Afterwards, giddy, we decided we needed to celebrate. We were in Italy, in Venice, and we were engaged! Obvious.

So celebrate we did, with a glass of prosecco at the first bar we could find–one that weirdly looked like the inside of a yacht.

And that’s how we got engaged in Venice!

And now, we have a wedding date, too!

Linking up with Travel Tuesday. 

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As is often the way of these stories, I’m so happy I did, because I loved Murano. While I enjoyed exploring Burano, Murano felt much livelier to me, perhaps because evidence of their famous industry was everywhere. We popped into a glass-making factory and watched a few demonstrations and wandered the picturesque canals. They didn’t have the colors of Burano, but they were so pretty! Murano is proud of its heritage, and you can see glass-blown artwork everywhere: from a giant sculpture in the square, to the water glasses in the little restaurants, to the stained glass doors visible all over the town.

I’ll be honest with you–after all my talk of being happy with less and not wanting/needing more, sometimes I just love to shop. Shopping for souvenirs is probably the most fun kind of shopping in my mind, especially as I’m choosy with the types of souvenirs I usually buy. Since my budget is so strict, I usually only buy postcards, but I do occasionally splurge on a local and/or special item. This was my long-winded way of saying I just had to buy some Murano glass!

You have to be careful in Murano, as there is an issue with knock-off, not-original blown glass, so I focused only on the shops that had the coveted “certified Murano glass” paperwork.

You can buy Murano glass all over Venice, not to mention Italy and the world, but sometimes buying it straight from the source is the most special thing (and now I have several pairs of earrings–because they were on sale! yay for off-season prices!–that I can say I bought in Italy).

Even if you don’t buy Murano glass, I found Murano a charming addition to the Venetian lagoon. It’s even closer to Venice than Burano is–only about fifteen minutes, depending on the weather–and it is so fascinating to watch the glass-blowing demonstrations. Murano felt like a smaller, more manageable, more arty Venice…a must-see!

Linking up with Travel Tuesday.

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If you’ve spent about ten minutes on Pinterest (although I don’t know about you, but it’s impossible for me to spend only ten minutes on Pinterest, which is why I tend to avoid it) you will see pictures of Burano everywhere. It is really a small fishing village on an island located about forty minutes from Venice via water bus. It’s also known for its lace, and more famously, it’s brightly colored houses, painted in these vibrant colors to help the locals identify their houses in thick fog. There is even a homeowner’s association to approve changes in house color–but unlike the ones I’m accustomed to in the States, where the choices are generally, well, beige, these ones are essentially technicolor. There are certainly no beige houses in Burano!

It was a pretty chilly day when we hopped onto the water ferry but the sun peeked out when we arrived in Burano. With or without the sun, Burano is a great little trip from Venice. I loved strolling along the canals taking pictures of the houses and taking turns with E choosing our favorite colors. E, the engineer, was completely flummoxed by the bell tower of the church which was at quite an angle, so we wandered over to check that out. The mystery was never solved–perhaps Burano, like the rest of Venice, is also sinking/falling prey to rising water levels?–but it was wonderful to walk away from the canals into a less touristy part of town.

One strange thing I noticed about Burano is that it almost felt like a ghost town. Perhaps everyone was off fishing, or in March, the influx of tourists isn’t that strong? There were plenty of cats, though!

Now, tell me…which house is your favorite?

^^I love this subtle mint-green with pops of blue!

^^I accidentally took a picture of this woman (I was just focusing on the houses) but does it just scream Italy, or what?  ^^I wanted to choose one house…but instead I chose three.

^^can you see that tilt? The closer you get the bigger the angle.

Linking up with Travel Tuesday and Treat YoSelf Thursday.

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…get lost in the tiniest alleyways.

…savor some homemade pasta.

…climb a few of the many bridges.

…cruise the Grand Canal.

…eat gelato at least once a day.

…check out the famous Rialto Bridge.

…get high for some stellar views.

…drink wine at a sidewalk café.

…visit the surrounding islands.

…gaze at the Bridge of Sighs.

…chow down on pizza.

…spy a gondola or two.

…GET ENGAGED!!!

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