Welcome travel fiends to my first travel post of 2024 and of course we need to reflect before we get on with new adventures. I’m sharing the places 2023 took me to and hope it inspires you to get out there and be adventurous. If you would like me to go more indepth with a specific place, please let me know in the comments.
The Places 2023 Took Me To
January
The struggle month! Post Christmas and we’re in the depths of winter so I of course needed a pick me up. I decided to hop on the Eurostar and go to Brussels. I’d never been to the other neighbour, Paris is the other one and decided now was the time. Was the weather any better? Nope! Matter fact, it rained alot! However, some of the sights, food and chocolate made up for it :).
March
Every year I like to travel somewhere for my birthday. It helps me to create memories on my birthday plus, the social anxiety around planning a birthday dinner can be a bit much. Instead I hop on a plane to somewhere my heart desires. This time around, I went to Madeira which is a Portuguese island. On my actual birthday, I went on a boat ride and saw 2 whales! Only the tops of them as we arrived after they breached the surface of the water. However, my little whale seeking heart was happy especially when they were blowing air and water. Did I take pictures? Nope! Did I get video? Absolutely! You can see it here.
April
Easter was upon us and I thought, why not visit Ibiza! I had never been and everyone talked about the party side of the island. No one spoke about the views, the food and history. It felt like I was further than Europe. It was also hilarious to spot the people who weren’t used to the topless sunbathing lol!
May
I kept it closer to home and went Scotland for the first time. Aberdeen to be exact. It was work/pleasure and I was the photographer for a friend’s wedding. I’m a Freelance Photographer in case you didn’t know ;). Keeping with the theme of spotting aquatic wildlife, I had a view of a seal swimming it’s best life. Of course I took video which you can view here.
June
I was on a roll thanks to the copious vouchers I had due to the little thing called the pandemic. So off to Sardinia I went and it looks exactly like the photos you see. Sea so blue and glorious! I flew into Olbia and did daily excursions to other parts which was easy to navigate. A little ‘grazie’ and ‘prego’ goes a long way. It was also the first time I missed my flight as Easyjet decided not to announce the gate/time. Fun times.
July
The start of summer which I generally tend not to travel abroad due to the chaos. However, it was the start and I wanted to celebrate my friend’s birthday with her. So off to Malaga we went. I was surprised by the history in this Spanish city. It gave me a mix of Barcelona and Seville. I highly recommend Malaga for a long weekend break.
September and October
These were spent celebrating weddings and birthdays with friends in Porto and Paris. What can I say, I ended 2023 on a double P note. I will say though, if you’re in Paris and looking for something to do, I suggest the Fragonard Museum and pay for the perfume making class. You get to play cosmetic scientist 🙂
I was incredibly fortunate the places 2023 took me to and I’m very grateful. I know it’s not like that for everyone so it’s not something I take for granted. Where did 2023 take you? Let me know in the comments below.
As always, thank you for reading and until next time, be well!x
