Best travel moments of 2015

It would not be the end of the year if I did not look back and reminisce on places I was blessed enough to visit in 2015. This year, I was able to explore 8 countries, 5 US states and 16 cities. I enjoy every moment that I am fortunate to experience new cultures and food however there were moments this year that were the highlight of my travel year.

Ringing in the New Year in Paris, France

I have not spent the New years in another country in over 5 years so this was very special especially because I was not with my husband. We did not have any special plans for bringing in the New year while in Paris, we just happened to walk into the W hotel and had one of the best nights of our lives. Check out my blog on Paris to read about the adventures. I chose this as one of the best moments of this year because I did not particularly care for Paris until we walked into the W. I agreed to go to Paris with Chloe because she wanted to go buy some wine that is only sold in Paris. (I know...smh) I have always thought that Paris is overrated and my thoughts were immediately confirmed within the first day. I did not feel any special nor did I ever want to return. In fact, I could not wait for our 2 nights to be over but on our last night, I had a moment of "Maybe Paris isn't so bad afterall"...I was in the moment and had one too many drinks. lol We ended up at the W hotel after wandering the streets of Paris for a nice and affordable spot to bring in the New year. The first thing that made it all worth it was that my friend Jackson was able to negotiate with the host at the door to allow us in for free and give us each 2 free drinks. I don't know how or what she said but we were not complaining. Secondly, after our free drinks were done, we met 2 Brazilian girls who were totally gushing over us and ended up splurging on us the entire night. What can we say? Everybody loves us! We did not spend a dime. They say the best things in life are free and indeed it was true then. We ended up taking over the entire club with our new two friends. We danced, drank, and danced some more with no care in the world. All the people who would not even look our way in the beginning were now fighting to dance with us. We were the life of the party. It was soo much fun and the best moment of my time in Paris.

Night Cap with Renus in Amsterdam

Renus Renus Renus! I miss him so much. With the unpleasant experience we had with the front desk attendants at Movenpick, we thought the only other interaction we would have with the hotel staff was checking out. We never thought we would have any pleasantries with any of the other hotel staff until we met Renus, our room service attendant. We spent every night with him while in Amsterdam. Our time with him was filled with laughters, stories of hotel guests, history of Netherlands and often times free snacks. I speak of him like a friend and that is part of why I love meeting new people everywhere I go. Strangers become friends very fast while traveling. I am so glad I was able to meet Renus.

Entire time in Lisbon

I know this is supposed to be single best moments but I just could not choose just one best moment from Lisbon. I enjoyed every single moment even the experiences that one would consider "bad" or unpleasant. From the crazy tuk-tuk ride from the castle to our sexy fado night at Povo, to enjoying authentic pastel de nata to all the fresh tasty seafood and even the hidden fees for bread and assorted cheeses. Lisbon was the most fun I have ever had in a single place. It is by far one of the best travel experiences in my life. It would take a lot to top this experience. Click to read about my entire Lisbon adventure.

Submarine Ride in Kona

So I am sure you know by now that I had my wedding in Kona, Big Island of Hawaii. Due to the planning and making sure that our family and friends were taken care of, we missed out on a lot of activities that we would normally participate in on our trips. One highlight of that trip though was the Atlantis Submarine tour. First of all, I am not a swimmer so the idea of going under the ocean to see real marine life was something that was not worth missing. I mean, when am I ever going to get another opportunity to enter a submarine if not now? It was a magical experience and the moment that made it all worth it was seeing all those assorted colorful school of fishes. It was very surreal for me because this is the closest I would ever get to this besides seeing it on TV. It was amazing to be able to sit on the ocean floor (inside the submarine of course) at 100 feet deep and see shipwrecks under the ocean. I was like a kid in a candy store and appreciated every moment of God's creation. This is an experience that I will never forget. Definitely one for the books!

A moment of Admiration at Columbia River Gorge

This was our first full day in Portland and we had just finished visiting Multnomah waterfalls area. I was ready to return back to the hotel because I was feeling tired, relaxed, woozy, intense energy pulsing through my body and some other feelings that cannot be easily described. This is because we had some cannabis cookies that we purchased from Vancouver. Washington that morning and I was not used to this kind of feeling. Perhaps it was too strong or I had too much. Whatever it was, I was not amused but of course my husband wanted to go sit by the gorge and try out a joint that he bought. I reluctantly went with him. Boy was I glad I went. It was so peaceful. The water was perfectly still and serene. That moment of tranquility gave me a whole new admiration for God's creation and to think that I also missed this. That view was magnificent.

My birthday party at Atlantis Dubai

Hubby and I share a birthday weekend so every year since we started dating, we take a trip somewhere to celebrate by ourselves. This year we were in Dubai with 11other people. He decided to surprise me with a party at Indulge nightclub at the Atlantis hotel. I thought we were all just going out that night but it turned out he had a very special night planned for me with a hummer limo and possibly the largest Vodka bottle in the world. It was such a delightful time even though we were primarily the only ones in the club. I had so much fun I did not want to leave when the club closed. Let's see if he can top it next year.

Well I hope you enjoyed reading my top moments of 2015. 2016 is going to be even better. I have the year already planned out with my few vacation weeks. The corporate world sucks with vacation time. Stay tuned for those stories. Have a Happy new year and Happy traveling!