Maine’s rocky coast

I often hear people say things like, “oh I loved such-and-such a place. Can’t wait to go back!”  While I’ve loved nearly every trip we’ve taken, I don’t have much of a desire to return to most places I’ve visited. The list is quite small for me.

New York. I would go back to NYC because it’s a city that’s always changing and there are always new opportunities for theater, shopping, and dining there. I don’t feel a need to go back to the touristy spots there that we’ve seen. There is so much to do in the city that a visit can be quite full without seeing any of it again.

Maine. After spending summer vacations there as a kid, Maine feels like home to me, so I would be happy to go back and spend some time by the ocean, eating lobster and shellfish. I could just park myself there for a few days without running around and seeing much, since I’ve been to so many towns and areas of the state already.

Ireland and Scotland. These places spoke to my roots in a very deep way and I felt very comfortable and at home here. I could see myself spending time there, just living there for a month or two.

Naples, Florida. We’ve been to Florida every year for the past 17, so there’s no doubt we will keep returning since my parents spend the winters there. Naples is a nice mix of perfect beaches and decent shopping and dining so it’s great for a winter getaway. It’s also relaxing to go someplace where you know where everything is.

I can’t think of any other place I want to go back to. Instead of trying to recreate wonderful trips from the past, I’m more interested in seeing something new and experiencing a new place. Although I’ve been to quite a few Caribbean islands, I haven’t yet found one that is completely perfect. I’ll keep trying new ones. I’m more inclined to use the destinations I’ve loved as inspiration for other places to go. We loved Japan so maybe we should go to China. Italy and France were fantastic, so Spain, Portugal, and Switzerland would likely make us happy.  Hawaii was amazing, so Fiji would be too. Yellowstone was stunning, so Yosemite would be wonderful to visit.

Are there destinations you’ve been to that you are hot to return to? What are they?