I visited three locations on my trip to the U.S. in September 2024. I wanted to experience both city life and nature. Having been obsessed with the Free Willy movies as a kid, one of my main goals for this trip was to see wild orcas. And there’s allegedly no better place in the U.S. to see these creatures than Washington State and the archipelago outside of Seattle. No spoilers, but it didn’t disappoint.

Speaking of nature experiences, Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming has everything you could want—herds of bison roaming the plains below the mountain range, bears, moose, beautiful lakes, the list goes on. Unforgettable.

In contrast to the cabin life in the Grand Tetons, I also spent five days in San Francisco. Apart from exploring the different sights and landmarks throughout the city, I was especially curious about the food scene. I tried as many different kinds of foods as me and my wallet possibly could—everything from egg tarts in Chinatown to clam chowder and sourdough bread in the Marina District. Obviously, five days don’t do this city justice, but I’m definitely bound for a return.