Hannah was born in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, but now she lives all over the world.
Hannah's collection of postcards from each state and/or country that she has visited.
Four years ago, Hannah was traveling solo in Asia when she met Joe. They clicked and decided to travel together. Hannah tried to get a U.S. visa, but at that time, she couldn't show strong ties to her home country, so the visa was denied. Having no choice other than to petition a fiancé visa (K1) to be together, they waited for seven months for the paperwork to be finished.
Hannah's family was originally reluctant about their trip. To her family members, the U.S. had nothing to offer, and they thought Hannah's life would not improve and that she wouldn't be able to get a job. Her friends, on the other hand, were very supportive of her decision. Years passed, and Hannah's life on the road has only been getting better and better.
This summer, they will reach their goal of traveling to all 50 states. I asked Hannah to share some of her favorite photos and the stories behind them.
“Caught travel bug and now the sickest.”
Grand Canyon, Arizona
This is Joe. We have been travel buddies for almost three years now. He said his second trip across the country is the most meaningful now that he is seeing it with me. Next month will be my second anniversary living in the U.S., as well as our second wedding anniversary.
Central Park, New York City
Because I grew up in a tropical country that gets rain pretty much every other day, it is habit for me to carry an umbrella everywhere I go. This click-type umbrella has been my favorite. Just one click on the handle, and this umbrella will open. I also recommend good binoculars for spotting wildlife from the road and an iPhone charger so that you can always be connected to the Internet.
Charleston, South Carolina
This living Angel Oak Tree is 1,500 years old and supposedly the oldest living oak tree in the U.S. It's 20 meters tall and 57 meters wide, measured from the longest ends of its branches. There's no entrance fee to see the tree, but the signage you see around basically says you are expected to treat the tree nicely by not climbing on it or carving names in it.
Fire Wave, Las Vegas
When I first arrived in Las Vegas, I thought life would be so predictable. I was wrong. This simple backyard beauty is to die for. I accidentally discovered this place when I was zooming into places around Las Vegas on Google Maps.
Yosemite National Park, California
This was the day I was a little bit taller than Half Dome. This was my third time in Yosemite National Park. My first time there was in 2014, and it was the first of three national parks that I visited that year, after Joshua Tree and Death Valley.
Weeki Wachee River, Florida
Before I came to the U.S., I thought that Florida had nothing to offer other than Disney World. After I found out that it has some of the best hot springs, I didn't waste any time. This river is one of the most beautiful rivers I have ever seen in my life. It looks so untouched. This particular morning, we went on stand-up paddle board adventure for five miles from the head of the spring. We basically had the river to ourselves. I am a water baby. I love Florida for its crystal clear rivers and beaches.
White Sands National Monument, New Mexico
In 2014, I celebrated my 27th birthday (also my first birthday in the U.S.) at White Sands. I had never seen a sand field or sand dune before, let alone tried sledding on one. This has become my favorite place in New Mexico.
Jackson Hole, Wyoming
This was where I saw a white tree for the first time. I was born in a country that doesn't have snow, so seeing anything with snow on it is very exciting. It was -9.4 degrees Fahrenheit that morning when my husband took this photo of me.
Annapolis, the Capital of Maryland
This is my favorite fall photo. Other than trying to see all 50 states, we are also trying to see all 50 capitals. Although we have been to 48 states, we are currently at number 23 on the list of capitals that we have seen.
Porcupine Mountain, Michigan
This was my 45th state. Michigan is incredibly beautiful, with snow everywhere, as well as frozen lakes. This was on the road to the Lake of the Clouds Overlook near Lake Superior south shore on Porcupine Mountain. Sadly we couldn't reach that lookout point because of a road closure. So we took a couple of photos here and walked in shin-deep snow. I've never seen so much snow in my life until this extensive drive across Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
Big Island, Hawaii
This was my 47th state. The Big Island was amazing. I swam with sea turtles, drove on lava beds and saw many other beautiful sights.
Rainbow Ridge Road, Alaska
This is my 48th state and the one we are exploring currently. In this photo, we are at Mile 209 on the Alaska Route 2 South. This is one of the hot spots on Alaska Route 2 southbound. It is named "Rainbow Ridge" due to colorful pyroclastic rocks that can be seen on the mountain slope. We stopped several times on our drive because every spot looked fantastic. Whether you take Route 1, 2, 3, or 8, views along the way are pretty amazing. I always love to stand in the middle of the road to take photos like this. It is dangerous, so if you plan to do it too, look behind you every three seconds.
Follow Hannah and her travels around the U.S.
Produced by Kathleen Morton.
Edited by Kate MacDougall.
All photos credit to Hannah Felice.
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