This place is special to me because it is emotionally connected to my childhood. My dad was born in this region and we took this trip several times by ourselves and with our extended family when my sisters and I were little, and we have many fond memories and funny anecdotes from these trips. The south of the Dominican Republic is beautiful and it is very rich in biodiversity.

I've moved around a lot but Graz is the town I call my home town, so it's my special place. The whole old town is gorgeous and the view from Schloßberg is spectacular. Alle of the view points can be seen from the top of this hill, which makes it the perfect place to visit. The Kunsthaus (also described as friendly alien) is definitely one of the stranger buildings I've ever seen.
[Mapping Special Places]

This place is special to me because it combines the beauty of the Ukrainian mountains and the sophistication of a European city. Here live the most talented people on planet Earth. Uzhhorod city champion of mini-sculptures!

Imagine what an ocean of fresh water would be like and this beautiful slice of Ontario comes to mind. Georgian Bay, (part of the (Great) Lake Huron, features more than 30,000 islands and 2,000 kilometres of shoreline. It is world renowned for incredible swimming and boating, boasting endless beaches and long smooth rocks, decorated with majestic pines. It has a rich marine heritage and is home to some of the most impressive waterfront properties in North America. I feel very lucky to have this gorgeous piece of nature an hour’s drive from my home.

This is a special place to me because I love an underdog and Eastern Oregon is often overlooked. There is loads of information about the west side of Oregon, and it is for good reason; they have amazing food, nature, and culture. Frankly, most of Eastern Oregon feels empty and intimidatingly vast. I wanted to highlight a few of the lesser known but majestic places to visit. You might not get a five star hotel or a life changing meal, but the stars are impossibly bright, the skies are huge and ever changing, and the sounds of nature reign supreme.

Northern Öland, an island and a county in the south of Sweden, is one of my happy places. My family and I have spent almost ten years in a row there now, it was love at first sight. It's the garden, the cottages, the barns, the beaches, the sea, the landscape ... Evening bike rides between corn fields, or getting fresh cranberry scones from the bakery in the mornings, our dog trying to "rescue" all of us as we swim and play in the sea. Whenever the gray northern weather strikes, I imagine myself walking on the beach, sun set and the sound of the waves.

The golden deer is the symbol of the flag of Öland, and nightingale is the county's animal. The small island just outside of Öland, called The Blue Maiden, is thought to be a magic place in Swedish folklore, it's where the witches were believed to meet up ...

This place is special to me because it perfectly connects past, present and future. Attracted by it‘s myth I visited Bad Gastein. Located absolutely idyllic, 1002 meters above sea level, surrounded by the Austrian alps of Salzburger Land, there is a lot to discover: charming Belle Époque buildings, it‘s iconic waterfall in the town centre and the alpine scenery. The thermal springs made it to an popular bathing resort in former days. There was an endless coming and going of famous artists, royals, novelists and composers. After it has been temporary forgotten it‘s been rediscovered by young creative people, who became aware of it’s great potential. Little boutique hotels and alpine lodges with new concepts opened. Bad Gastein is absolutely worth a journey to experience this unique historic atmosphere, the new established urban chic, combined with the stunning scenery which invites to ski and hike.

This place is special to me because I started living here a few years ago and it is so much different from my home town because of all the different cuisine. So far these are my favorite places to eat in Belgrade.

Supai is the most remote village in the United States, accessible by helicopter, horse or on foot. Despite it's tiny size, it packs in several of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world, surrounded by a lush desert oasis. Located in the Havasupai Indian Reservation in NW Arizona, Supai is a bucket list item!

This place is special to me because I have wanted to go to California since I was a kid, and I finally got the chance to visit this year. This map represents a few of my favorite places I discovered while there, from the Santa Monica Pier to Disneyland. I also loved seeing the ocean and palm trees along the way!