Let’s be honest, this post was just an excuse for me to relive past vacations.  I don’t know about you, but I love looking back at our photo books from our past travels. After every trip we make a little soft cover Artifact Uprising book, and it’s been the perfect way for us to not only print out our pictures but to have a fun way to relive it all. Mike and I love traveling and are already planning our next big vacation, but in the meantime, let’s take a look at our favorite places we’ve traveled to up to this point (in no particular order)…

Venice, Italy – It’s hard to do this little city justice in just a few sentences, but I fell in love with this place the moment we crossed the Via della Liberta bridge! We had planned a somewhat last minute trip to Europe with some of our best friends. I was 20 weeks pregnant when we went, and although it wasn’t the most ideal timing (I had to miss out on enjoying the delicious Italian wines), we are so thankful we made the trip happen before we officially had kids – not knowing when we’d be able to get back there. We had the best time walking all around Venice, eating way too much gelato, stopping in the adorable shops and just taking in all the beautiful architecture. I always thought I’d enjoy visiting Venice, but I had no idea how much I would fall in love with it! (For more images from our time in Venice check out THIS blog post)

Nairobi, Kenya – I’ve visited Nairobi, Kenya 3 times now on mission trips, and every time I went I connected more and more with the people we were serving! For years I stayed in touch with two girls (Grace and Ann) while they were in school at AIC Zion (the school and church we are involved with), but now they have moved on to high school and are no longer in the Mathare Slums – making it harder to stay in touch. But Praise God they passed their tests with high ratings, allowing them to go to some of the best “high schools” in Nairobi and getting them out of the slums. I miss those girls so much, and I miss all the people we were able to meet, love, and serve every time we visited! I am looking forward to the day we will be able to go back! (For more images from our trips to Kenya, visit THIS post or THIS post!)

Chicago – You’re probably thinking, “Okay, I can understand why Venice and Nairobi are on this list, but Chicago?” And to that I will say “Yes, Chicago!” Mike and I spent a long weekend in Chicago three summers ago and had the best time exploring. We took kayaks down the Chicago River in the middle of the city, rode a tandem bike all along the lakefront, saw a game at the historic Wrigley Field, and ate one of the best breakfasts we’ve ever had! It’s was a simple trip, nothing too extravagant, but it is probably our favorite city in the country, so far – I love NYC, but Chicago was just a smaller, cleaner, city with more outdoor activities! (For more images from our last trip to Chicago, check out THIS blog post!)

St. Lucia – Where we went on our honeymoon – such a beautiful little island! The food was delicious, the sights were unreal, and the zip-lining was epic! It was the first (and only) all-inclusive resort we’ve been to, and we still talk about how we need to get back there! (For more images from our honeymoon, check out THIS blog post!)

Rome, Italy – We visited Rome during the same trip that we went to Venice, and although we only spent a day in Rome, we absolutely fell in love and cannot wait to go back and really explore the city more. But during the short time we were in Italy’s capital city, we were able to see some of most spectacular sights in the world from the Colosseum to the top of St. Peter’s Basilica – it’s an experience we will never forget! (For more images from our time in Rome, check out THIS blog post!)

San Fran – Last but not least, we loved so much about San Francisco, and one of those things was how close it is to Napa Valley! We got to experience the quiet and beautiful wine country and the hustle and bustle of one of the most beautiful and trendy cities we’ve ever been to. Our favorite part of the trip was probably riding our bikes across the Golden Gate Bridge and through Sausalito! (For more images from our trip to San Francisco, check out THIS post and THIS post!)

Where is your favorite place you’ve ever visited?!