[2013: My Year in Travel]

What a year 2013 has been! Sometimes I forget just how much travel I have done, but this year really has been filled with breaks to here, there and everywhere. It’s been a year of firsts, of achieving goals, of celebrating and of learning, both in my travels and personally. As it’s the last day of 2013, I figured there was no better time to look back and be thankful for all that this year has brought my way. So without further ado, here’s what I got up to during 2013:

Tromsø, Norway (February 2013):

Seeing the Northern Lights had been on my bucket list for such a long time, but despite visiting both Alaska and Finland to try to see them, my efforts had been unsuccessful. Brendan and I planned our trip to the Norwegian town of Tromsø intentionally, as it’s meant to be one of the best places in the world to see the Aurora Borealis, and we weren’t disappointed:

The highlight was, of course, seeing the beautiful Aurora dancing over the cold Norwegian skies, but we also saw and did some amazing things in the quaint town of Tromsø. Nothing could have prepared us for how expensive everything is in Norway, but it was a truly memorable holiday, and a brand new country for both of us.

Porto, Portugal (April 2013):

An impromptu weekend away to Porto with two girlfriends ended up being one of my favourite trips of this year. We had amazing weather, ate incredible food and I celebrated my 28th birthday in style.

I was also surprised to enjoy staying in a hostel as much as I did. My weekend accommodation was Gallery Hostel, a luxury hostel that truly was luxurious, and which made me see hostels in a whole new light – something I didn’t think was possible!

Marrakech, Morocco (May 2013):

Marrakech was one of the most unusual places I’ve ever visited; it was the third new country I travelled to this year and it was the destination I fell in love with the most in 2013. Marrakech forced me out of my comfort zone; it was noisy, busy, hot, exotic and wonderful. We learned 10 things that any visitor to Marrakech should know, sampled delicious local food, stayed in an incredible riad and I generally loved our long weekend away in Africa. Brendan was less enamoured by the city, but he sure did enjoy our cooking class:

Antwerp, Belgium (June 2013):

My first ever blog trip! This was a momentous moment in my travel blogging life, as my three years’ work was being recognised by PR agencies and tourism boards, which is something I never thought would happen. I spent a busy 24 hours discovering the fashionable side of the Belgian city of Antwerp, which included being a guest at an impressive student fashion show. Antwerp is a city I’d really like to visit again, especially if I’m in the mood for some retail therapy.

Annecy, France (July 2013):

I’d been told how stunning the French town of Annecy was, but seriously, it’s nothing short of breathtaking. We spent a few days strolling through the picturesque town, and one hot day cheering on a number of friends and significant others who were participating in an amateur bike race replicating a stage of the Tour de France. This year’s Etape du Tour began and ended in Annecy, and featured some pretty epic mountain climbs in the middle. Brendan finished with a great time, although the baking heat and endless inclines proved to be significantly challenging. When he saw the photo below, he was shocked to see that he had smiled and waved, and couldn’t even remember mustering the strength on this climb to look so enthused. I was so proud of him for finishing an event that I’m pretty certain would have killed me. Oh, and another first I experienced on this trip: hitchhiking. Not one I plan on repeating, however.

Bristol, UK (Summer 2013):

Although this destination was a little closer to home than the others I visited this year, it was no less impressive. My Dad was living in Bristol for a few months over the summer, so Brendan and I went to visit him on a number of occasions, including a weekend that coincided with the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta. I love Bristol now; it’s a city with a great culture, amazing street art and food worth travelling for.

Florence, Italy (September 2013):

Ah, Florence. What a getaway that was! We met some friends in Italy and had an absolute blast checking out the Chianti wine region, discovering an unexpected memorial, eating our body weight in divine Italian food and strolling through the romantic streets of Florence. I hunted down some of the city’s most stylish places to shop, and took an hour for myself to marvel at the infamous statue of David. Looking back, we packed a lot into just a few days, but we enjoyed every second of it.

Another spectacular travel moment in Florence was my stay at the Four Seasons Hotel, where I was lucky enough to stay in the jaw-dropping Royal Suite. While I was in Florence I tested the Four Seasons’ Pin.Pack.Go service, which is a perfect mix of travel and social media (two of my favourite things!).

On our way home from Florence we had a very quick stop in Pisa, where we were able to see the infamous leaning tower against the backdrop of a gorgeous post-storm sunset:

Celebrity Cruise: Istanbul, Ephesus and Mykonos (November 2013):

The fourth new country I landed in this year was Turkey, where I joined Celebrity Cruises’ Reflection, a ship so wonderful it was practically a destination itself. Luckily I got to see a few destinations other than the ship: I spent six hurried hours in Istanbul but managed to experience more than just a taste of the city, I was taken around the fascinating ancient city of Ephesus and I wandered the winding streets of Mykonos.

Budapest, Hungary (December 2013):

My latest trip, and the final one for 2013, was a long weekend in Budapest with a group of friends, which was everything I had hoped for and more. We spent some time at the perfect little Christmas markets, discovered what ruin pubs are and ate till we could eat no more. Once again, Four Seasons Hotels proved that they can do luxury better than most when I stayed in their history-laden Gresham Palace property. It was a magical way to end a year of incredibly memorable travel, but of course every holiday I take gives me wanderlust for even more destinations…

What was your travel highlight of 2013?