I decided to get a jump start writing this on August 12 because it is the longest post of the year. It is now eighty-one days before my scheduled time in London comes to an end, and there are so many feelings - gratitude, regret, fear, anxiety - I have been through it all this morning. One of the many bright spots of living in London has been the access and opportunity to travel. I have visited places in the last two years that were a distant dream three years ago, and there are still a lot of places yet to explore. While I am starting this post in London - it is unknown where I will be when I finish and publish it, and that is one of the things I love about my travel journey.
The year kicked off with this post sharing my bucket list for the year. It had been years since I shared a bucket list, and I decided to put one together on a whim, who knew I would get to visit three of the ten countries on my list. I am very grateful for that happening, and for every other Country, I got to explore this year. Total tally for the year - 38 cities in 19 countries, including 12 Countries I had not visited before. I also got to visit a Country on my home continent - something I have wanted to do for ages. I returned to the states a month ago and still (re)-settling in - it feels very new yet very familiar (if that makes any sense). I started my youtube channel in the summer - it is not where I want it to be, but after almost five years of talking about it, glad to finally it running albeit (very) slow.
Travel kicked off in Greece - a Country I wanted to visit for almost a decade. I found an incredible deal for Athens, Greece, at the start of the year and leaped at it. Greece had always been on my bucket list; I never imagined it would kick off with Athens, though, but Athens in January was perfect. The city was not crowded; the weather was spring-like, which makes Athens one of those places I recommend visiting in the winter. Athens was as you can imagine a dream; walking the ancient grounds; hiking lycatheus and eating Greek donuts. There is still a lot of Greece I want to explore and hoping for an opportunity to return in the future.
In February, I braved the low temperatures for a quick (unplanned) trip to Budapest, Hungary. It was one of those trips that came together in less than a week. I froze my tail off, but I had the best time doing it.
March kicked off with a return trip to Berlin for a work assignment. I did not get to explore any part of the city; but I did get to stay at a facility I have admired for years, and although I was sick most of the time, the hotel amenities (read: Sauna and spa) was what the doctor ordered to help me get through it.
I flew from Berlin to Vienna (another destination with freezing temptations). Vienna, Austria was a hard trip for me because of the weather and the aftermath of being ill in Berlin - I don’t think I fully experienced the city. While in Vienna, I took advantage of the proximity to Slovakia for a quick (and rewarding) day trip to Bratislava, Slovakia - did I mention it was freezing temps ?!? The Sacher torte at Hotel Sacher made up for the whole dreary weekend. That was the first weekend in March, and I stayed put in London until Easter.
I had some mobility issues in March/April (read: woke up with massively swollen feet a few times and had to limp about for a week); I stayed put in London for about six weeks. After a lot of thought and re-jigging my budget spreadsheet, I decided to spend Easter in Malta. My heart is still full of spending time in this city. From Valletta to Gozo - I loved every moment of my time in Malta. After Malta, it was off to the States.
The last week of April/first week of May was all about the work trips to Boston and Dallas - I did not do much in Boston besides work. Despite that, it was great to be back in Boston (the last time I was in the city was the snowstorm weekend of 2015). Dallas was for celebrations - birthdays and weddings. I loved celebrating my friends. Then it was back to London for the rest of May.
I had some time off the last week of May and decided it was time to visit Ireland. It was beyond everything I could imagine! If you are thinking of visiting, give it at least two weeks (if you can); I packed a lot into my short time in the city, but still felt like I left a lot on the table. The FOMO after that trip was real. My travel budget limited my time in Ireland, and I was trying to pack in several other countries, including return trips to Paris and Nice before yearend - it was not practical to spend a significant chunk of my budget in one Country. After my time in Ireland, I went off to the UK seaside town of Bournemouth - my primary purpose for the 2.5-hour bus ride from London was to visit Bournesmouth, Dorset and Durdle door - a place I have admired for almost a half-decade - I had an excellent time.
In June, it was time for the annual Mother/Daughter trip - something we started last year , we continued this year with a trip to Dubai. It was my third (maybe fourth) time in the city, and it never gets old or disappoints. From Dubai, I made a quick stops to Abu Dhabi and Maldives i before returning to London. A day trip to Abu Dhabi did not do it justice and the Maldives was more than I could ever put to words (now). I have so much to say and share about the Maldives - it is one of those places that left me speechless, and I have been plotting my return since I left. That brings us to the present - July 2019, and I am en route from Bucharest back to London. I had both the best of time (and the worst of times); I made some friends and spent a half-day at the famed spa in Bucharest. If you have never thought of Romania - put it on your list now. I took a few months off from this post because life happens.
It is now December, and I am finally picking up this recap on a Wednesday night. After Romania, I stayed put in London until August when I had a quick long weekend journey to Paris and Luxembourg. I have lost count of how many times I have been to Paris, so this visit was quite chill. I took the train to Luxembourg city for a quick day trip. It has been a few years since I added Lux to my list, glad to finally be able to visit. At the end of August, I flew back to states for a work project in San Francisco. I was able to squeeze in an afternoon with friends, which was the best part of the trip.
In September, I had a speedy trip to Brussel for work and decided to make my way to Warsaw from there. Oh, Warsaw so much joy to be here; I did not get to as much as I wanted, but I did have Pierogis, and that alone was worth the trip.
OCTOBER (Imagine me screaming this in a replica of Oprah's voice). Maldives was a delightful surprise, and while I loved my time there. The destinations in October were EVERYTHING. I spent almost two weeks exploring the South of France (Nice; Menton; Ville Franche Sur Mer, Saint Jean Cap Ferrat; Saint Paul de Vence); Monaco, and Morocco. It was my second visit to the South of France and Monaco, and it held as much wonder as the first time. I don't think I will ever tire of dining on the terrace of Cafe Paris. After Monaco and the South of France, I was off to Morocco for one of the most life changing travel experiences; I started in the North in Fes and Chefchouan and then South to Marrakech and Essaouira. What a country; cannot plan my return visit.
I did not do much in travel between the end of October when I returned from Morocco; mainly just stayed home nesting. Moved into a new place for now and getting to decorate and set that up has been a joy. I even put up a Christmas tree. My first one ever as an adult. I have been planning for my last trip of the year - I ahd Costa Rica in mind but finding decent accomodation in December is an uphill task; finally decided to save Costa Rica for 2020 (perphaps) and instead look to the Caribbean for my 2019 close out city. Last year, rounded off the year in Portugal, which was beyond. Hoping this year's closeout Country is just as soul-enriching.
