Over the course of the last few weeks, I’ve been looking back on 2024 with a sense of gratitude and gratefulness. I think for the majority of the year, I’ve been guilty of not speaking kindly to and of myself. I’ve come to understand that it can be easy to get stuck in negative headspaces. If you’re feeling or have felt that recently, I am here to remind you how beautiful you are and how great you’re doing. Even if you don’t see that right now.
As we head into to the autumn and ultimately my birthday in October, I am now in the head space where I want to start thinking about warmer climates and the types of experiences I can find through travel. In hopes of manifesting the types of trips and travel I have always wanted, I thought it would be beautiful to write them into existence together with you.
While I have been lucky enough to travel to some of the most beautiful places as a part of being a full time content creator, I haven’t often travelled to a destination for myself and by myself. I’m talking leaving the phone in the hotel room, and just sit with myself kind of travel.
For a long time, the idea of solo travel – just like solo dining in a restaurant – was completely out of the question. I have always love to share experiences and meals and opportunities, and for years I didn’t like the idea of doing those activities by myself.
In my forties I think the idea has become more enticing and I have been leaning into the idea of falling in love with myself again. I recently was taking a look at the idea of doing an affordable weekend / extended weekend away as an option that doesn’t eat up too much time or money. It’s actually fun when I need to take a mental break from a busy day to look at last minute deals and I think I may even entertain the idea of going somewhere hot on my birthday with myself.
On the note of somewhere hot, it’s also a topic I have been speaking with amid friends. While I want to tell you that I as a proud gay man can explore anywhere in the world, the fact is that in the back of my mind, I do have to always be cognizant of where it is safe for me to travel to, especially if traveling on my own.
If I had to pick my favourite country I’ve visited (multiple times) in the last decade that helped me learn about myself, it would have to be Mexico. Have you ever traveled to a city or country and felt like you were home or had been there before? That’s Mexico for me.
The above photo was taken at Teotihuacan and may be one of the most magical places in the world to me. Yes of course the beaches of the coastal regions are what many people think about when you say Mexico , but the country is vast and offers such incredibly diverse types of travel. Not to mention I think the peoples of Mexico may rival the peoples of Canada in terms of friendliness and warmth.
Some of the trips I would love to re-experience include going back to Mexico City to explore the city more. I’ve now been twice for Dia de Muertos and would do it every year if I could because there’s such an energy around the beautiful ceremony, history, culture and Indigneity of the celebrations. I love how it is celebrated with different variations depending on the province and region of Mexico, and this is something I think everyone should experience at least once.
I’ve recently been introduced to the idea of traveling to the state of Nayarit for the first time and it sounds incredible. Home to many historical cities, beach towns, and small villages, all of which are ready to welcome and host LGBTQ+ travelers. From gorgeous beachfront resorts and restaurants of Nuevo Nayarit, luxury hotspots of Punta Mita, bohemian beach towns like Sayulita, and the rugged nature and beautiful wildlife of San Blas, Nayarit has a vibe to fit every style of traveler.
I also LOVE to plan a trip to El Rosario in the state of Michoacán in southwestern Mexico to see and experience the biggest and most popular butterfly sanctuary during their annual migration. If you’re unfamiliar I encourage you to google it but every video I have seen online around the experience leaves me in awe. Not to mention I have come to appreciate the spiritual and energetic symbolism of the butterfly, so it would be quite the emotional experience for me for sure.
I am of course not only wanting to be on a beach in the sun and exploring new cities. I also want to explore more travel in Canada. Specifically with a focus on Indigenous tourism as I continue to learn more about my lineage and my Métis relatives. I would love to explore the Northern parts of this vast country. I’ve never been much further north than Whistler, and I feel as though something inside of me is pulling me there in the coming years.
I find myself craving the idea of stillness, and quiet, and great big skies, and majestic ice under the stars away from the things I live every day.
Those are of course the big trips that are on my wish list. But there is a sense of adventure and seeking out something new that I can find in roadtrips and train rides. I’ve wanted to ride the Rocky Mountaineer for years, and the idea of driving an RV across the country continues to be something I think I would love a lot.
In travel I have made some incredibly beautiful connections with humans I still consider friends. I have tasted food and walked atop mountains and found that the most beautiful things in life I can’t own but rather experience and taste and touch.
It’s time to do more of that with and for myself.
Maybe you do too. 💗
I hope you enjoyed reading and that if you’re not already, follow me on all platforms at @dothedaniel as I share life and everything in it in real time.
Photos by: Conde Nast Traveler, Daniel Reyes Cocka, and participating partners
Don’t forget to be kind & a little more honest with yourself this year
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