Came here in July '23 and it was a terrible decision. I enjoyed Istanbul's charming architecture and great food, but my god, the scorching heat was too much. And the never-ending traffic.
I returned to Sweden for a second time and lived there from October to January. Although I still think it's a beautiful, clean, and organized country, I found it to be extremely lonely and isolating, especially in winter. I wasn't fond of the constant darkness, and I didn't really connect well with the locals, no matter how many social events I went to. It's not a country I would choose to settle down in. FYI, we went in the winter to test ourselves with the darkness, because spring, summer, and fall are easy to get through. My advice: visit Scandinavia in the summer.
Beautiful country, but not for everyone, especially if you are prone to exhaustion from overstimulation from the complex train system, technology, and anime culture. It was fun learning Japanese history.
I was in Israel for a 12-hour layover in April 2023 and spent it in Jerusalem. It was educational, but too crowded with tourists to enjoy the religious sites.
I like Italy. Love the food, language, and Roman ruins. Would like to do another trip there someday to see Amalfi Coast, Venice, and Lake Como.
Cold, cold, cold! Went there in December 2017. Lots of unique scenery, but aurora activity was too weak to see the Northern Lights. Too crowded with tourists at Blue Lagoon. Everything is expensive. Was shocked initially by the sulfur smell of the drinking water.
Was only here for a weekend in December 2022 to experience the Christmas markets. Enjoyed the bratwursts and holiday scenery.
Went to Vancouver in 2019, and other than pretty mountains and a cool aquarium, I don't understand why people made such a big deal of the city.