Traveling with younger kids — or honestly, just being a younger traveler yourself — has gotten complicated with all the influencer noise flying around. Everyone’s got a “top 100” list and half the places are sponsored hotels. So I figured I’d keep it simple: three places I’ve actually been to that genuinely blew my mind when I was starting out exploring.
Probably should have led with this, but I’m not some globe-trotting trust fund kid. I saved up for months to hit these spots, and every single one was worth the ramen-budget sacrifices.
1. The Grand Canyon, USA
I remember pulling up to the South Rim for the first time and just… standing there with my mouth open like an idiot. Photos don’t prepare you. They really don’t. The canyon is a mile deep — a full mile — and the colors shift depending on the time of day. Early morning it’s all purples and deep reds. By midday everything looks orange and dusty gold. I did a day hike down Bright Angel Trail and my legs were absolutely wrecked the next morning, but standing down inside that thing, looking up at the walls around you, it hits different than peering over the edge. You can also do mule rides if hiking isn’t your thing, or splurge on a helicopter tour. I didn’t do the helicopter (see: ramen budget) but a couple I met at the campground said it was unreal.
2. Paris, France
Okay so Paris. I’ll be honest, I almost didn’t include it because everyone and their mom recommends Paris. But then I thought about it more and — no, it genuinely earns the hype. That’s what makes Paris endearing, actually. It’s not trying to impress you. It just is what it is. I spent most of my time wandering without a plan. Grabbed a croissant from a bakery near my hostel that I still think about years later. Sat by the Seine and sketched terribly in a notebook, pretending I was some kind of artist. Stood under the Eiffel Tower at night when it does that sparkle thing every hour and felt like a little kid again. The museums are incredible too — the Louvre is overwhelming in the best way, though I’d say give yourself way more time than you think you need. I made the mistake of trying to rush through it in two hours. Don’t do that.
3. The Great Barrier Reef, Australia
This one’s special to me. I went snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef on a trip I almost canceled because the flights were so expensive. So glad I didn’t. The water is warm and so clear it barely feels real. You stick your face under the surface and suddenly you’re surrounded by fish in colors you didn’t know existed outside of cartoons. Bright blue, electric yellow, these wild striped patterns. The coral itself is like an alien landscape. I’m not a strong swimmer — actually that’s underselling it, I’m a mediocre swimmer at best — but the guides were great and I never felt unsafe. One thing I will say: be respectful out there. Don’t touch the coral, don’t chase the fish. We’re guests in their space and the reef is fragile. It’s already under a lot of stress from warming oceans, so the least we can do is tread lightly.
Look, travel doesn’t have to be some curated Instagram thing. Some of my best memories are the messy ones — getting lost in a Paris side street, being too sore to walk after the Grand Canyon, ugly-crying at how pretty the reef was. Go see stuff. Take it in. Tell weird stories about it later. That’s the whole point.
