101 Places Not To See Before You Die

As the author of a new book called 101 Places Not To See Before You Die, I feel like I should start this blog with a confession: despite the book's title, I love to travel. I love it so much that I am actually on the road right now, on a once-in-a-lifetime trip with my husband around the world. Having decided to move back east from California, we found ourselves with a unique opportunity: no jobs, no car, no children, no mortgage, some accumulated savings, and a desire to have an adventure before arthritic limbs got in the way. So after several months of hemming, hawing, questioning, and doubting, we finally committed ourselves for real and bought tickets to Iceland.

Two weeks later, the volcano exploded.

Luckily, Eyjafjallajokull took a break just long enough for our plane to touch down. But our experiences in Iceland (which ranged from blissfully soaking in a naturally heated stream to trying -- in vain -- to wash volcanic ash off our rental car) reminded me of one of the main points of the book, which I'm hoping to convey in this blog as well: sometimes the worst or most uncomfortable experiences in the moment make the best stories afterwards. I'm trying to hold on to that philosophy as we move forward with our travels -- which include biking our way through Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, and taking the Trans Siberian railroad from Moscow to Beijing. So please, join me -- either by following our mishaps and adventures or, even better, sending me some stories and suggestions of your own. Together, let's celebrate the idea that travel should be an adventure, not an assignment -- and if you arm yourself with too many checklists, you're missing the point of leaving home.

101 Places Not To See Before You Die from 101WorstPlaces on Vimeo.