There are so many things I can’t believe about this year, from the fact it’s already July, to the fact that England managed to do so well in the World Cup?!? I don’t know what’s in the air at the moment but the summer of 2018 is shaping up to be a good one.
But first – a quick recap of this year so far. In the first 6 months, I’ve travelled to 4 countries already; none of which were new to me, but all 5 cities were so I had a lot of fun getting to grips with new destinations and new challenges!
My #1 highlight has got to be my trip to Tromso for Ian’s 30th birthday. Not only did we get to meet huskies, but we also saw the elusive Northern Lights TWICE! After that it was a quick press trip to Ghent to see their gorgeous Light Festival in full swing, and then it was a second press trip to Lanzarote with Jet2 Holidays for some winter sunshine, sangria and volcano hunting. Following a few months in the UK, I was back on the road again to Rotterdam for the annual Traverse travel conference – and on the way home I got to tick off Brussels, a city that’s always taunted me from afar with its chocolate, fries and higgledy-piggledy cobbled streets.
And that just about takes us up to July! Here’s what I’ve got coming up for the second half of this year…
July
This year I’m going to two one-day festivals in London and I can’t wait! First up it’s Citadel Festival this weekend (Tame Impala, Chvrches and The Horrors are some of the acts playing), and then next week I’m off to Kaleidoscope in Alexandra Park. That one looks like much more of an all-rounder festival, with music, comedy, theatrics and lots of food to sink our teeth into. There’s no one I’m really DYING to see, so it’ll be fun just to have a wander and soak up the summer vibes.
August
My next overseas adventure is to Lisbon next month. You may remember that I won a £500 citybreak with Holiday Pirates a few months back, and I decided to put it towards a few nights in Portugal’s capital. It’s going to be my first time in Portugal, which is pretty shocking when you think how much it’s got to offer. I know so many people who’ve been to Lisbon over the last few weeks, that I’ve got already got a pretty awesome list of things to see and do – eating custard tarts being right at the top of the list, obvs. Always open to more suggestions though!
September
Ooh, so I *am* doing something in September but it’s a huge secret! It’s my friend’s hen do and our mutual friends have got something awesome planned but I’m not allowed to say where or what we’re doing… Stay tuned to find out in a few months 😉
October
In October it’s time for my big birthday trip to Italy with my boyfriend! It’ll be my 5th visit to Italy, but I’m going to be ticking off some epic new cities. We’re flying into Venice, and then hitting up Milan, Genoa and Cinque Terre via the train. I’m equally excited for every stop, but I can’t wait to introduce Ian to Venice for his very first time. It’s one of my favourite European cities, although I haven’t been there for a good 10 years… It’ll be good to return with new travel blogger eyes!
December
I’m finishing up the year with a long weekend in Switzerland – Basel, to be exact. This is Ian’s birthday trip, and we’re planning on taking it easy with some Christmas markets and lots of Swiss cheese. What else should we see/do/visit though?!
Some exciting plans lovely! Especially the birthday trip 🙂
Ah so many exciting things!! I don’t have anything planned which is very annoying at the moment. I’m in the process of changing jobs so it’s really hard to plan anything at the moment until I get some dates sorted of what is happening when! Hopefully I’ll get something booked in soon 🙂