One year ago today I got on an airplane heading west, to San Francisco. Four months and fourteen countries later I arrived back in New York City from the other direction. My trip around the world changed my life, and I’m so grateful for every moment, every experience, and all the incredible people I met along the way.
To celebrate the one year anniversary of setting off around the world, here are my 10 favorite photos I took on the trip. I took over 10,000 photos, so it was a little difficult to narrow down, but I feel good about these 10.
(I decided to limit these 10 to the photos I took abroad, during my originally planned 4 months of travel. I will do another post later with my top 10 favorites from my 3 month road trip around America with Graham. It would have been way too hard to narrow both trips down to just 10 photos!)
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I saw many amazing sunrises and sunsets in Australia, but this sunrise near Uluru was the most spectacular. I felt a great sense of serenity from being on the completely opposite side of the world from home and in the middle of the outback – a sense of calm and distance from any possible troubles. (More photos from Uluru and the Australian outback.)
The Great Ocean Road in Australia is incredibly photogenic. My month in Australia was coming to an end by the time we drove this famous route, and the combination of the crashing waves and epic scenery made everything feel bittersweet and dramatic. I had to leave a country I’d grown quite fond of.
I took a lot of Buddha photos in Thailand and Laos, but this one is my favorite. I love the serene expression and the way the background brings out the little bit of remaining gold coating.
The Kuang Si waterfalls in Laos are beautiful, and also quite crowded during the New Year holiday. I enjoyed a quiet moment away from the crowds at the base of the waterfall, and was delighted to discover that a little butterfly was doing the same thing. (More photos of Songkran, the New Year’s water festival in Laos.)
I climbed the stairs to the top of a WWII flak tower in Vienna and found these two pigeons, just chillin’ and enjoying the view. (More photos of Vienna: Spring in Vienna.)
Prague constantly impressed me with its beauty, and my favorite way to appreciate it was from high above. This photo is from the top of the clocktower in the old town square.
I visited so many stunning libraries and bookstores during my travels. The Theological Hall at the Strahov Monastery in Prague was my favorite. It wasn’t the biggest or the grandest I saw, but it has its own majesty. I love the globes and the beautiful ceiling. It would be a dream to be able to work, read, and think in this glorious space every day.
Amsterdam was the European city that unexpectedly took my heart. In my opinion, it’s the most charming city in Europe. I spent a lot of time outside of the main downtown area, in the beautiful streets and canals in the Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht districts. One lovely afternoon I took a small open boat tour, and I loved seeing the city from one of its most important perspectives: by boat floating gently along the canals.
The amount of beauty Norway possesses seems nearly greedy. It’s just so ridiculously good looking. This photo is from the Lofoten archipelago. Like many places I visited, I had never heard of it before my trip, but left completely smitten.
Seeing the Norwegian Fjords was high on my list when I planned my four months of travel. I got to see them via a two week trip on the MS Expedition, one of the most incredible experiences of my life. This photo is from the top of a mountain overlooking Geirangerfjord – probably the most well-know and most beautiful fjord in Norway.
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When I look at the photos I selected, I now notice that they reflect a theme of calm – of peace and serenity. I didn’t plan this, but I think it’s appropriate. The trip held a lot of excitement and very lively places and experiences, but during the four months of traveling on my own I developed a strong sense of inner calm, or zen. Quitting your job and leaving your life and everyone you know behind is a very scary thing, but learning that you can thrive on your own in the world seems to provide a perspective on life that probably sounds cliche, but is still true. Our everyday lives get very full of things that make us feel so busy all of the time. But there is so much beauty in each moment if we can just be still and find it. If we can stop worrying about little things and also realize that our sense of security is largely false, we can find a place of calm and acceptance. We need so much less than we think we need to be happy.
What a fantastic thing to do. I can only imagine how much you learned and experienced. Thanks for sharing these gorgeous photos :D
Thank you! :D It was an incredible experience.
Enjoyed your photos very much. And your comments at the end (with the little travel I have done) – are all true. Each trip I have taken I have such wonderful memories from. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you!!
Amazing. What a wonderful journey!
Thanks Jeff! We need to hang out soon and catch up!
Your photos are stunning!
Thank you! :D
These photos are gorgeous, and I love the sentiment at the end of your post. A little perspective can go a long way in resetting expectations and what “enough” really is.
Thank you! I’m trying to stay very mindful about hanging onto that perspective, long after the experiences. :)
Prague is beautiful, isn’t it?! And Vienna is one of my favorite European cities. One day, I’ll make it to Australia… Your pictures are all beautiful.
Thank you! Oh how I love Prague and Vienna – I have many more photos from Prague to sort through – I’d like to do a full post with them sometime soon. :)
Going to Prague in a few months, hopefully I can get pictures half that pretty :)
If the sun is shining, I’m sure you will! It’s an extremely photogenic city. Have so much fun there! :D
My gosh, this is beautiful! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you! :)
What beautiful pictures, and what an amazing experience! I’ve been to Europe several times, but haven’t traveled elsewhere. Australia is definitely on my list. Prague is one of my all-time favorite cities, and your pictures are awesome. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you! And I agree – Prague is so wonderful – a very beautiful city and a lot of fun.
Wow, these photos are gorgeous! No wonder they’re your favorites. Of these locations, I’ve been to Vienna, Amsterdam (I spent five months there in 2004 on a semester abroad in college) and Prague (part of a 2-week European vacation back in May 2010). Did you get to Budapest? While Prague was gorgeous, I also found it crowded (at least during the time I was there). Budapest was amazing.
Thank you! I envy your time in Amsterdam – did you enjoy the city? I could picture living there someday, but I only spent 4 days there. I was in Prague in late April, and so it seemed a bit off season and less crowded. I also spent a lot of time outside the city center – especially in the large park across the river. I didn’t make it to Budapest unfortunately – it’s now at the top of my list of European cities I still need to visit!
I loved Amsterdam! It’s such a small city, I’d just head off in one direction and easily find my way back where I needed to go without consulting a map (it helps that they have a bunch of directional signs, too — if you know which direction Central Station is in, you’re golden). Gorgeous houses, canals, etc.
That sounds like a completely lovely 5 months!
These photos are so beautiful and I’m so inspired by your trip!! I’d love to talk to you sometime about how you made this dream a reality. I’m graduating soon and it might be a good time for me to do something unexpected.
Thank you! And I’d love to talk with you more about this – it’s a topic I’m incredibly passionate about. I’m home from South America in 2 weeks, let’s chat then!
Sounds good, talk to you then!
Hi! I’m home from South America and starting to think about upcoming travel posts. I’m going to reach out to you in an email! :)