The Places That Are Calling Me

Some places don’t just feel like destinations — they feel like invitations. The kind that linger in the back of your mind, showing up in quiet moments, travel photos, and “someday” conversations. These are the places I find myself coming back to, not because of a checklist or a trend, but because something about them feels meaningful.

ROME
Rome has been calling my name for years. The religious history alone feels almost overwhelming in the best way — the Vatican, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel — spaces filled with centuries of faith, art, and devotion. I want to wander through churches that have witnessed generations pass through, stand where history unfolded, and feel the quiet reminder of how small I am in the grand scheme of things. There’s something grounding about being surrounded by that much meaning.

SWITZERLAND
Switzerland calls to a completely different part of me. There’s something about the mountains, the stillness, and yes — the chocolate — that feels comforting and indulgent all at once. I imagine slow mornings, crisp air, scenery that forces you to pause, and the kind of peace that doesn’t ask anything of you. It feels like a place meant for being present, not rushing through.

SANTORINI
Santorini isn’t just a place — it’s a longstanding promise. Whitewashed buildings clinging to cliffs, blue domes against an endless sky, sunsets that feel like they were designed to be witnessed hand-in-hand. It’s slow mornings with sea air drifting through open windows, quiet laughter over shared plates, and watching the sun melt into the Aegean like time itself has softened. Santorini is our someday — a delayed honeymoon not forgotten, just waiting — a reminder that love doesn’t lose its magic when it waits. It deepens. It becomes intentional. And when we finally go, it won’t just be a trip… it will be the celebration of choosing each other again and again.

Honorable Mention - ALASKA

Alaska feels like the kind of place you go when you want the world to slow down enough to hear yourself think. Wide open skies, still water, mountains that don't ask for attention - they're just there. It's less about photos and more about presence. About standing somewhere so vast it humbles you, holding the hand of the person who makes even the silence feel full. Alaska is the reminder that not all love is loud or adorned...some of it is steady, grounding, and breathtaking in its own quiet way.

These places represent different versions of me — the reflective, the restful, and the hopeful. And while I don’t know when I’ll visit each of them, I know this: the desire to go isn’t about escaping my life. It’s about experiencing it more fully.