gdansk - poland

Gdansk was a surprise. I booked my flight back to Edinburgh from there before I had any concrete plans, because it was only £18. We only had one night there, but it is the kind of place that looks like it would be an awesome summer getaway, because it is both beautiful and cheap.

Amazing buildings in Gdansk

berlin in winter - layers of history

Berlin is history on show. Despite the physical divides falling 25 years ago the city bares the scars of war and division, some of it on purpose so that we can remember and try and understand what has gone before.

At the East Side Gallery

seville - a brief note

I started a big ranty post about Seville while I was still travelling but then deleted it, deciding I should just focus on the positive. People describe the city as near perfect, the only thing wrong being that it has no beach. I found the city itself really nice, it was the kind of ridiculous hostel experience I had there that put me off.

Seville Cathedral

roma - really old things and carbs

I have to admit I wasn't entirely sure about Rome to begin with.

Looking out across Rome

mykonos in september

Mykonos surprised me. From what I had heard it is a party island, and I expected it to be that and not much else. Instead what Jess and I found was less party and my favourite town of all!

naxos - windsurfing and more sunsets

I was finally getting the hang of this relaxing holiday thing in Santorini when it was time to go. Jess and I got the afternoon ferry to Naxos and realised straight away it was beautiful and interesting in a different but good way. No huge cliffs with soaring views, but instead less crowded lanes, a beach to walk to and sunsets based around an ancient ruin.

santorini views

Prepare for a ton of photos of one of the most spectacular places I have ever been.

athens part one

Arriving in a new country at night is always a bit strange. Sometimes the airports and the transport to your destination all seem so familiar you could be almost anywhere, until you see something that firmly reminds you it's a whole new place and you can get excited about a new adventure.

In Paris it was spotting the Eiffel Tower, in Istanbul the ancient walls of Constantinople, and in Greece it was the Greek writing on buildings and signs. Kind of forgot about that...

one year on

- This is the part where you find out who you are -

Goodbye to the GC!

oh the places you'll go

- I haven't been everywhere, but it's on my list - Susan Sontag

 

 

Edinburgh sunset out my window

rewind to thailand

twenty twelve into two thousand thirteen

- If you really want to do something, you'll find a way; if you don't, you'll find an excuse - Jim Rohn

Last year I feel like I managed to get a lot of awesome things accomplished even though I didn't have actual goals, other than a vague plan to make it to the UK at some point!

Some of my successful highlights of the year included:

Visiting Tasmania with my Mum, a long term dream of ours

Richmond Bridge, the oldest in Australia

those yet to come

One of the best things about travelling is the anticipation before you leave.

Before you leave everything is still unknown. You might know your destination but I dont think you know much else. How you will feel when you get there, what it will look like through your own eyes, and most importantly, the people you will meet.

There is a quote I love, though I don't know the source:

- I'm in love with cities I've never been to and people I've never met -

Before I travel I like to think about how other people, right now, are going about their lives, unsuspecting that soon they will play a part in mine, and I in theirs. It might be a small part, a chance meeting for half an hour, or half a day. You might never meet them again, or even think of them. Or it might be the start of a friendship that will last long after the travel has ended.

There are people I have met on the travels that I will never forget whose names I do not even remember;

- the pilot who took me under his wing when I got stranded at St Louis airport for a night and they wouldnt give me a hotel room since I was only 17

- the tiny woman, who couldn't speak a word of english, who guided my dad, my brother and I for four hours through the rice terraces and hill villages of China

Then there are those who I still talk to and think of regularly, and hope to see again sometime soon.

So here I am, just over a week out from indulging my wanderlust once more. While I am excited about the places I will be going, I am most excited about the people I will meet, because it is the people who really make the journey.

After all (google does give an origin for this one, possibly dubious...):

- There are no strangers, only friends  you haven't met yet - William Butler Yeats