Wanderlust: The desire to travel, see new sights, do new things. It is a feeling that people who love new experiences hold dear to themselves. Basically, wanderlust is the feeling you would get if you were on Aladdin’s magic carpet, seeing the world.

Our story today isn’t about Aladdin and Jasmine, but does take a similar tangent, where Mr. Riken Maharjan and his wife Ms. Barsha Shrestha chase their wanderlust for the West. They hop on a plane instead of a magic carpet, and fit their journey of the world into 35 days and hefty suitcases. This magical journey begins with sightseeing in Geneva, and goes on to shopping in Paris, photography in New York, and so on.

 

Known for its chocolate, watches, mountains and perfect weather, Geneva is a perfect city with a rich history. Sitting in a valley in Lac Léman and surrounded by the snowcapped Alps, the city is a gem that Switzerland loves to flaunt. Not only is it famous for its cheese, watches and chocolate, but also for a large number of tourists that visit Geneva for hiking, skiing, snowboarding, sailing, or any other activity that pumps adrenaline whilst letting them soak in the nature.  In the city, streets are lined with cafés, luxury boutiques, grand monuments, and museums. This beautiful setting was just the beginning of their trip. Of course, being the foodies, shoppers and art enthusiasts that Mr. Riken and Ms. Barsha are, they thoroughly enjoyed all of these aspects of the city. When asked about what they loved about the city, Ms. Barsha said, “Geneva is a beautiful city filled with nature, specially the Geneva Lake where the water is crystal clear. There were so many different parks to choose from. We were excited to see diverse group of people living in Geneva who were really relaxed and friendly. The city is very tourist friendly as almost all public transportation for tourists was free. You could travel through bus, boat or train for free in Geneva. As it was our first time in Switzerland we loved every Swiss dish we tried, especially cheese.”

 

Obviously, one stop in Europe is never enough. Going to just one place in Europe would be like only having one slice of your pizza- it’s impossible. The second stop of the trip was in the breathtaking Paris of France. Paris is a city soaked in passion. The entire community is always engaged, either in food or fashion or travel. Not only are the streets lined with aesthetic cobblestone, they are also filled with colorful canopies that display treats like butter scones and blueberry crepes. Paris has a way of romancing visitors with its elegant beauty and magical ambience. Nobody escapes the sultry charm of the streets of Paris and the riverside of Siene. So obviously, this part of the trip was the most romantic and heartwarming time for the pair. They visited monuments like the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, and the Champs-Elysées Boulevard, fell in love with the pink sunsets, and had a grand time overall. To quote them, “We loved Hôtel du Théâtre by Patrick Hayat in Paris. Every corner of the hotel represented Paris really well. We chose this small hotel because we knew the service was really good but the best part of the hotel was its location. It was easy to travel to any tourist spots even if it was late night. We enjoyed the hop-on and hop-off tour as we could sit back, relax on the double decker bus.” Aside from sightseeing, the couple also shopped a lot, seeing the fact that they were in the fashion capital of the world. They also tried French dishes such as Coq au vin, Gougère and baguettes. This was the last part of their serene Europe trip, followed by which was the bustling USA.

 

Next stop:  New York. New York is where the happy couple did most of their roaming around, exploring the city and general “touristing.” “As Alicia Keys would say about New York “Concrete jungle where dreams are made of, there’s nothing you can’t do, now you’re in New York!” The couple traveled all around the city, including all the mainstream tourist spots such as Times Square, the statue of liberty, the Empire State Building and the Metropolitan Museum of art. Although all of these places were a new and unique experience, the visit to the metropolitan museum of art was definitely the most moving one, with art pieces that dated decades back and provoked existential peace and turmoil simultaneously. It was a spiritual experience. Other than these mainstream spots, they also visited the aesthetic streets of SoHo, Brooklyn Bridge and the Bronx. Pictures were taken, a lot of shopping was done, and most importantly, tons of new food were eaten at delis.

 

After the hustle and bustle of New York City, the couple took the scenic route towards nature by visiting New Hampshire. New Hampshire is known largely for its large forests, hiking trails and wilderness. Unlike New York, it is full of quaint towns and a sparse population. White Mountain, National Forest and Mt. Washington, the region’s highest peak, are some of the most famous spots to hike or camp in the area. Also in the White Mountains are moose, black bears and part of the Appalachian Trail. “New Hampshire was an adventure,” Ms. Barsha said. “We went camping for 3 days in New Hampshire. We went hiking, fishing, boating and swimming. It felt really nice to connect with nature, and be in the wild with no work pressure.” As the couple stated, the hiking, camping and recreational activities were engaging and a new experience. Due to this, it might have been quite taxing to put in that much effort into being one with nature, but as they say, once you see the top of the hill and the air is clear and the view knocks the wind out of you, it is all worth it. Other than that, the fishing and boating activities were the most fun, and catching their first fish was definitely the highlight of the trip to New Hampshire.

 

Some of the other places that Mr. Riken and Ms. Barsha visited during their trip were Boston and Washington DC. Boston is Massachusetts’ capital in America. It’s one of the oldest cities in the U.S. While they were in Boston, the couple visited Freedom Trail, a 2.5-mile walking route of historic sites that tells the story of the USA’s Civil War and founding. Other attractions that they visited included Haymarket, Faneuil Hall Marketplace (the most popular market in Boston), Fenway Park, Historic Pubs & Taverns, Newbury Street Boutiques, New England Aquarium, and Boston Harbor Islands. Washington DC, the ultimate place to see the history of America through historical figures, was a fun and informative aspect of the trip. It is also home to various museums, opera houses, theaters and other performing arts centers such as the Kennedy Center.  While in DC, the couple went sightseeing at world renowned places such as the White House and Lincoln Memorial Statue.

 

All in all, the month long trip between Europe and America was layered with breathtaking sights, cherry skies, iconic museums, adventure, nature, good food and most importantly, great company. Undoubtedly, Mr. Riken and Ms. Barsha quenched their wanderlust for the West with vibrant days of experience and memorable moments as souvenirs.