Journeys With Jani

When I was little, I’d flip through my grandparents’ photo albums for hours. Snapshots of them standing in front of cathedrals, castles, canyons, and coastlines — they went everywhere. They had the kind of adventures that made the world feel both massive and reachable, and even though I didn’t have the full-blown travel bug back then, those albums definitely planted the seed
I’ve always been drawn to a few things:
🏝️ The beaches up the Northern coastline
🏕️ The Pocono Mountains (summer camp memories, anyone?)
⛰️ The hazy beauty of the Smokies
✈️ And let’s not forget FLIGHT. Lord have mercy, I love to fly. Still do. My Grandpa had stock in Eastern Airlines, so I flew before I could even talk. First solo flight? Age 6, baby — Georgia to Pennsylvania like a little boss in Buster Browns. And true story? I swapped those Buster Browns for my pink plastic Barbie heels* before we landed because fashion waits for no runway.
Even now, 50 years later, I have to watch takeoff and landing, clouds brushing under the wings, and the endless patchwork quilt of America fly by below. It’s magic. It just is.

The Grand Must-See List

• Italy – The whole dang boot. Rome, Tuscany, Amalfi, Sicily. And yes, I will cry at the Trevi Fountain.
• Paris in the Fall – I want to sip wine in Montmartre and pretend I’m in a 1950s black-and-white film. Yes, I have been, but I want to go again!
• Greece – Santorini sunsets and feta everything.
• Switzerland – Those alpine towns, that chocolate, and a train ride through the Alps that looks like a Hallmark movie.
• Yellowstone National Park – Geysers, wildlife, wide open skies. I visited when I was young but remember very little.
• Alaska – A summer cruise with glaciers, whales, and no cell signal. Sign me up. Oh wait! I did that. And I’m doing it again in 2026!
• The Scottish Highlands – Castles, coos, and misty moors? I’m there.
• Northern Lights in Norway or Iceland – God’s light show. Period.
• The Holy Land – To walk where Jesus walked? That’s not just travel — that’s spiritual.
• Bali or Thailand – Jungle luxury, ocean vibes, and a little zen with my umbrella drink.

For the Beach-Loving, Margarita-Sipping Side of Me

• Maui or Kaua‘i – I want to go back and do it my way. Hawaiian dress and all.
• Bermuda – Again and again. Because that pink sand is my love language.
• The Florida Keys – I want to toast the sunset at Isla Bella Resort then head into Key West for cold drink and zero worries.
• Turks & Caicos – That water. That beach. That peace.
• The Amalfi Coast – Yes, it’s already listed under Italy, but it deserves its own dang bullet.

Road Trip Royalty

• A New England Fall Road Trip – Covered bridges, apple cider, and leaves that crunch just right. Yes. I’ve been, but does get it old?
• Castles of Upstate New York – I’m already planning this one, and y’all… it’s going to be chef’s kiss.
• Route 66 (well, parts of it) – From quirky diners to wide open roads, gimme all the Americana.
• Montana & Wyoming – Big skies, slow drives, and fresh air for days. Yes please.

Personal Pilgrimages & Meaningful Moments

• Eastern Airlines Museum – If it exists, I want in. I’ll be the one sobbing over a flight schedule from 1982.
• The Pocono Mountains, again – Just to stand there and see if the air still smells the same as it did at camp.
• My “watch the world” window seat – Somewhere high above, flying over the flyover states, still in awe of how beautiful this world is from up here.

So, what’s the takeaway?
The world is big, beautiful, and waiting — and I don’t plan to leave this Earth with a passport that still has blank pages. My grandparents showed me the wonder of it all, and now it’s my turn.

And in true Jani fashion, I’ll do it with some sass, a carry-on that probably needs to be checked, and a whole lot of joy.

XOXO, Jani
Now, tell me—what’s on your list?