Five Travel Highlights of 2019…
As I write this, I’m sitting in bed in my pizza pyjamas (thanks Mum and Dad), nibbling on McDonalds hash browns and eyeing up the Galaxy selection box that I’m definitely at least half way through. Christmas has been pretty great, I’m off to do my annual Crisis volunteering shift later, and I’m taking a few moments to reflect on 2019 – in particular, some special travel moments.
First up? Some numbers. This year, I’ve visited eight countries (Finland, USA (x2), Slovakia, Ukraine, Portugal, Spain, Denmark, Scotland), five of which I hadn’t been to before. I’ve explored four US states (one new-to-me, hello Utah, you beauty). Vegas has somehow made it as my most-visited city of all time (even though the first time I visited, I didn’t like it – now I kinda love it). I’ve picked up one travel-related tattoo (yes, in Vegas) and eaten too many pizzas to count.
But it’s not all about numbers – it’s the feelings, moments, people and experiences that truly make trips special. Narrowing it down to just five, these are my travel highlights from 2019…
Husky Sledding in Finland
This year’s travels started off pretty spectacularly, as I dived into a winter wonderland on a trip to Finland. Dived both figuratively and literally, as I ended up face first in the snow once or twice…
A week of winter activities at the remote Basecamp Oulanka, surrounded by the beauty of Finnish Lapland, took snow days to a whole new level. I tried snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, bushcraft and even met some reindeer. But the very best part HAD to be having the chance to go husky sledding through the pure, white landscapes.
Kota Husky is home to around 78 gorgeous husky pups and grown up dogs, who all love nothing more than heading out for a run. The owners treat every dog like family, and the older dogs who are no longer able to pull the sleds are treated like royalty. Honestly, this is by far one of the greatest travel experiences I’ve *ever had*, as a dog lover I was truly in heaven and had a constant grin on my face all day.
Read More: Husky Dog Sledding in Finland
Visiting New York as an adult
Okay, so it wasn’t my first time in the Big Apple. That came when I was 16, on a college trip to visit Broadway’s bright lights and face a potential future at Julliard. Quite obviously, that didn’t quite pan out, as I’m a social media manager in London rather than a big-shot actor-turned-producer in Hollywood.
I’d always wanted to go back, but it wasn’t until some of my favourite people said they’d be off to Wrestlemania in New Jersey that I took the plunge. With five days to explore, I basically did ALL the tourist things, ate silly amounts of food (check out my favourite affordable places to eat in NYC), and generally had the best time falling in love with the city.
I liked it so much, we’re going back in April 2020…
Read more: The Little Things I Loved About New York City
Exploring Chernobyl’s Exclusion Zone
In November 2019, I took a two-day tour of Chernobyl’s Exclusion Zone, staying overnight and visiting some of the most iconic spots in Pripyat and the surrounding areas. My group even got to tour Chernobyl’s power plant, complete with protective gear and a beeping Geiger counter.
The whole experience is hard to put into words, if I’m honest. ‘Surreal’ and ‘Haunting’ are the two I’ve used most. The sheer scale of the city of Pripyat, completely abandoned and surrendered to nature, is astounding. Being able to witness the site of one of humankind’s most harrowing man-made disasters is something that will stick with me for a long, long time.
Driving abroad for the first time in Portugal
In September, Conor and I took a trip to Portugal, where I’d agreed to do something I’d never done before: driving abroad. Our road trip was planned from Porto to Albufeira, via Lisbon, and it was all down to me at the wheel of a little Fiat 500 hire car to get us there.
The truth is, the nights before we left, I was a little bit terrified. I thought I’d drive on the wrong side of the road, that I’d have some kind of horrendous accident, and that I’d make an absolute tit of myself parking in the cities.
But guess what? I did it. Yep. Me, Conor and Quentin 500 made it all the way without any major hitches. Okay, I stalled a couple of times and managed to drive halfway from the airport with the handbrake still on, but we made it to Faro airport for our flight home intact. Plus, we got to see some pretty cool places along the way that we wouldn’t have made it to if we’d relied on public transport.
Read more: Driving Abroad For The First Time
At the top of Angel’s Landing 
Tackling ‘the chains’
Conquering Angel’s Landing
If I’m being honest, a LOT of my TrekAmerica Canyon Adventure trip was a total highlight. Spending ten days camping out in the incredible landscapes of the desert southwest, doing things that I never thought I could. Think wild camping and canyoneering in Canyonlands National Park; and making it down to (and, most importantly, back up from) Skeleton Point in the Grand Canyon.
The one moment that truly stood out, though, was hiking up to Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park. Right at the end of our trip, it’s something I’d been looking forward to since I landed on American soil. Back at home in the office, I’d watched videos of hikers scrambling their way up ‘the chains’, and seen the view in hundreds of Instagram pictures.
Not one picture could compare to the feeling that hit me when I reached Angel’s Landing, though. After giving my legs a SERIOUS workout on the ‘Walter’s Wiggles’ switchbacks, and hauling myself up the final stretch, the only thing secondary to the incredible views was the overwhelming sense of achievement. It’s something I’d never thought I’d have been able to do even just a year before. A truly incredible moment.
Read more: Hiking Angel’s Landing
