My love for travel started just after I graduated from High School. A friend of mine moved to Costa Rica and invited me to visit her. The first half of my trip was spent exploring San José alone before traveling to meet her on the Guanacaste Peninsula. Our trip spanned from the west coast to the east coast of the country, so we were able to explore several different cities, climates, and landscapes.
The trip was full of ups and downs but gave me the confidence to travel alone. From there, I made it a goal to visit one new country each year and except for the years of Covid, I have been able to keep up with that goal. Since making the goal, I have traveled to Belize, Barbados, Antigua, Peru, England, France, Italy, and Australia.
Q&A with Haley
Where would you love to travel next?
I’d love to go to South Africa or Egypt next. Visiting all seven continents is a bucket list item for me and I’ve visited four of them so far. Africa, Asia, and Antarctica are left, and I’ve always dreamed about going on a safari and seeing the pyramids.
Which book, film or artwork captures Australia the most?
This may sound a little silly, but I think Finding Nemo does a wonderful job of displaying the beauty of Sydney and the Great Barrier Reef. The colors of the reef in the movie aren’t that far off the actual reef colors and it does a great job of showcasing accurate reef life, systems, and potential hazards (think jellyfish/sharks).
Your best piece of travel advice?
Don’t look at too many photos of your destination prior to departure. Photos are never quite the same as in-person experiences and can set false expectations. I think the element of surprise makes the trip that much more enjoyable and allows you to create your own opinion of a place.