Year in Review: 10 Epic Miss Adventures of 2018
10 countries. 36 flights. 54,066 miles. Countless memories.
It’s safe to say 2018 was one of my busiest travel years to date! I had so many adventures this year that it was tough to fit them all in one post. Living in Spain certainly has it’s perks! Here’s to another incredible year of travel and all of the Miss Adventures that lie ahead!
Without further ado, here are my top 10 most epic travel experiences of 2018! Which trip would you love to go on?
1. Living, traveling, and teaching in Spain
Teaching in Spain
When thinking about my biggest adventures of 2018, one thing is certain-living in Spain simply had to make the top of the list. If you are new to the blog, in the fall of 2017, I moved to Seville, Spain where I began working as an English language and culture assistant, or Auxiliar de Conversación. I finished my first school year teaching in May, and then decided to stay in Spain for a second year teaching, which started in October. You can read more about my experiences teaching, and read monthly updates here!
Traveling in Spain
While teaching in Spain had been an adventure all on its own, some of my favorite travel moments of 2018 occurred while exploring my new home! This year, I’ve wandered among Roman ruins in Merida, revisited the stunning town of Ronda, spent weekends on the beach in Cadiz, Nerja and Frigiliana, discovered the best tapas in Sevilla on a food tour, and even attended a famous flower festival in Córdoba (a personal favorite!). I’ve checked quite a few places off of my Andalusian bucket list, and am hoping to explore more of Northern Spain next year!
2. Returning to my beloved Italy…4 times!
If you’ve been reading this blog from the very beginning, then you will already know that before I lived in Spain, I spent 1 magical (and pasta filled!) year living and working as a student travel guide in Florence, Italy!
In 2018, I proved that it is impossible to forget your primo amore (first love) by visiting Italy not once, not twice, not three times, but four, yes FOUR times.
Rome
Photo: The Hostel Girl
In February, I had the opportunity to join an awesome group of travel bloggers and attend the opening of the RomeHello hostel. I had so much fun exploring Rome with such a passionate group of fellow bloggers and even managed to squeeze in a day trip to Tivoli to visit the Villa d’Este and Hadrian’s Villa.
Lake Como
On my next visit to Italy, I was finally able to visit Lake Como. I had always wanted to go, but somehow never managed to visit this gorgeous location during my year living in Florence. I visited in the spring, just as all of the flowers along the lake were beginning to bloom. I could not have been more enchanted by Lake Como, and would definitely recommend adding this picturesque paradise to any Italy itinerary!
Florence, Milan, and Bologna
Later, I returned to my favorite city in the world, Florence, finally climbed the Duomo in Milan, and spent a day strolling along the portico-covered streets of Bologna. It was so nice being able to catch up with old friends in Florence, and I loved having the opportunity to show the city off to some newer friends! While I typically try to avoid repeating destinations (the world is a big place!), returning to Firenze is always like coming home, and I am so happy I was able to make 2 trips out in 2018.
Sicily
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Check out more of my 2018 adventures on Instagram @missadventuresabroad !
My 4th and final trip to Italy in 2018 took me to Sicily. While I must confess that it wasn’t my favorite place I’ve been to in Italy, I’m so glad I was finally able to visit! I spent a week on the island and explored the cities of Palermo, Catania, and Taormina, and I also managed to check out the historic ruins of the Valle dei Templi (Valley of Temples), white cliffs of the Scala dei Turchi, and of course, spent plenty of time relaxing on the beach! Shout out to my friend Keith (and pup Bodi) who showed me around town and let me stay in his beautiful home (with a view that’s to die for!).
3. Fairytale Castles & Copenhagen
As a lover of history, another favorite adventure of 2018 was definitely my January solo trip to Denmark. I spent a long weekend wandering around Copenhagen, taking in the city’s famous sights light the colorful Nyhavn harbor, Little Mermaid statue, and historic castles.
I also took a day trip to the most magical and historic castle I’ve ever been to, Frederiksborg Castle, and stopped at Kronborg castle, the UNESCO Hertiage Site where Shakespeare’s Hamlet is set. Read all about my days in Denmark and find my Copenhagen itinerary here!
4. Spring Breaking in Poland
While Poland might not seem like the most obvious choice for a Spring Break destination, I couldn’t be happier with my decision to spend my week-long Easter holidays visiting Warsaw, Krakow, and Wroclaw with my roommate. Not only was the trip fascinating and history packed, but it was also quite easy on our English teacher budgets, as Poland is quite affordable!
Warsaw
A quick day and walking tour in Warsaw provided us with quite a bit of WWII knowledge that would come in handy later on during the trip. Much of the city was unfortunately destroyed during WWII, so it was fascinating to see how the city had been rebuilt to resemble the building which once stood in the historic city center.
Krakow
We then headed to Krakow where we visited historic churches and sights in the Old Town, enjoyed local Easter markets, went on a nighttime ghost tour, and took a half day trip to the UNESCO registered Wieliczka Salt Mine. We then spent a day remembering Holocaust victims at the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. Words can’t describe the immense sadness I felt in visiting the site of such tragic and horrific loss. The visit was the most emotional travel experience I’ve had to date.
Wroclaw
Our final stop in Poland was a day spent in Wroclaw, a delightful city with over 350 anti-communist (and quite adorable) dwarf statues scattered throughout. We had so much fun popping around town searching for statues, while also checking out the city’s important landmarks.
5. Country Number 30…Malta!
This year I reached an exciting travel milestone-I visited my 30th country! To celebrate the end of the school year and the start of summer, I planned a 5 day trip to Malta. I absolutely loved exploring this unique (and quite small) country, and the weather couldn’t have been better. The Maltese archipelago is surrounded by stunning blue water, and the uncommon architecture, ancient ruins, scenic cliffs, and striking Game of Thrones filming locations I discovered there certainly left a big impression on me! There was so much to explore, but I am happy to report I managed to carve out some time to relax and enjoy the crystal clear water at the Blue Lagoon.
6. California Dreaming & Home Sweet Home
At the end of summer I “hopped on a flight to LAX” (please forgive my Miley Cyrus reference) to head to yet another one of my second homes, California. I lived in California for 4 years while attending University, and was so excited to return. I spent 10 days in Orange County with my good friends Charlcie and Taylor, where I ate all the In-N-Out I could get my hands on, caught up with friends still living in the area, and attended Charlcie’s absolutely adorable succulent themed bridal shower.
Charlcie and I then headed on a mini road trip up the coast, stopping in the quaint Danish town of Solving before continuing to Paso Robles, where we spent the weekend doing what we do best-wine tasting! I then attended my sorority sister Jodi’s wedding before heading home to Chicago for a few days before my next big trip of 2018…which brings me to #7…
7. 2 Week Ireland and Northern Ireland Road Trip
My family and I have been desperately wanting to visit Ireland for years now, and 2018 was finally the year we were able to do so! The three of us packed up our bags, landed in Dublin, rented a car, and set off on the very windy Irish roads for the family trip of a lifetime. We poured our own pints at the Guinness Storehouse, kissed the Blarney Stone, walked along the cliffs of Moher, saw miles and miles of Irish coastline, visited quaint towns, and took wayyyy too many photos of sheep, and of course, stopped at every castle and ruin we could possibly find.
We then headed up to Northern Ireland, where we went whiskey tasting (I’m still not a fan!), visited Belfast and the Titanic museum, and stopped at as many Game of Thrones filming locations as we possibly could, like the Giant’s Causeway and Dark Hedges. We also picked up a Game of Thrones Journey of Doors “Passport” and managed to get a stamp from all 10 locations which house intricately carved Game of Thrones-themed doors. Along the journey, we were lucky enough to encounter 2 of the Game of Thrones Direwolves! I wish we had time to go on the official GOT Direwolves tour (it looked amazing) but the owners of the company were so sweet and stuck around to chat with me/let me take a photo with their beautiful dogs. I’m such a big fan of the show and have been to filming locations in 5 different countries, so it was such an unexpected surprise and trip highlight! Even my parents, who don’t watch GOT (yet) had a blast.
8. Celebrating my birthday at Oktoberfest in Munich (plus visits to Hamburg and Cologne!)
Munich
One of my favorite highlights of 2018 was celebrating my birthday at Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany! I’ve been to both Oktoberfest and Springfest before, so when I realized that the festival dates were going to fall on my birthday, I simply knew I had to plan a trip! I had such a fun weekend celebrating with friends, drinking stein after stein of German beer, and “prost”-ing the day away! It was also the perfect occasion to wear my dirndl, which I purchased at Springfest a few years ago. What can I say, Oktoberfest never disappoints! I’d even put it at the top of the list of my favorite travel experiences ever!
Hamburg
I also managed to squeeze in two other trips to Germany this year! In February I spent a weekend exploring Hamburg. I loved learning all about the city’s history, exploring the canals, port, and warehouse district, and especially enjoyed my visit to the world reknowned maritime museum there!
Cologne
In December, I made a trip to Cologne specifically to visit the Christmas markets there! I must admit that I am just a little (okay, very) obsessed with Christmas markets. While I have been to markets in Chicago, Italy, Hungary, Spain, and Belgium in the past, I was so excited to finally visit a German market for Christmas. It was just as festive and fun as I hoped it would be! I drank lots of yummy gluhwein and enjoyed shopping for gifts for friends and family.
9. Returning to Portugal
Fun fact: Seville, Spain is located just a few hours away from some of the most beautiful beaches in all of Portugal. While I have visited the Algarve twice before in years past, I had been dying to return all summer. While I didn’t make it back during the summer, I was able to spend a weekend there this fall meeting up with friends who were in town visiting from France. It was so fun catching up, and though it was a bit too chilly to swim, we enjoyed hiking along the gorgeous coastline!
10. Stockholm Syndrome
One of my final trips to 2018 was a visit to Stockholm. As I’d never been before, Sweden thus became the 32nd country I’ve visited during my lifetime. Stockholm made for a perfect city break, and I was able to take a walking tour of the Old Town, visit the Palace, City Hall, and Nobel museum all in one weekend! I also had to stop and check out the Christmas markets (which opened up that weekend) and visited the city’s Icebar. A visit highlight was the Vasa museum, where I got to see a ship that was sunk for over 333 years before they raised and preserved it. I also ate so much good food while in Stockholm and had my fair share of gløgg (Swedish mulled wine). I’d love to return during the summer to see the city and its waterways in all their glory!
Whew! Like I said, 2018 was a pretty epic travel year! What adventures did you find yourself on in 2018? Let me know in the comments-I’m already looking for 2019 inspiration!
Here’s to an unforgettable 2018 and to an incredible 2019! Cheers!
