“Sometimes looking back on what you had motivates you to keep moving forward…there’s a reason why you left, keep going.”
— Unknown
The past week or so has brought a surge of year-in-review posts from fellow travel bloggers. While I did the same last year, I hesitated before reviewing 2011, not wanting to simply “add to the noise.” But the more thought I gave to it, the more I realized that no matter how much these posts may resemble each other, they’re all still unique. They all matter simply because we’re telling our stories and describing the paths we took throughout the world.
That being said, here’s where 2011 took me:
1. Alghero, Sardinia
“I’ve got itchy feet,” my flatmate Claire said to me one night in November of 2010. A few RyanAir searches later and I’d booked us a three-night getaway to the island of Sardinia, off Italy’s western coast. Although the weather didn’t improve much from London’s cold rain, we still revelled in a weekend of red wine, cobblestoned streets, and quiet villages.
2. Porto, Portugal
RyanAir and I got to know each other pretty well in January. The weekend after Claire’s and my Sardinian escape, I hopped back on a blue-and-yellow plane and headed to the northern Portuguese city of Porto. Bike rides along the Atlantic coast and sketching sessions by the Duoro River gave me a quick taste of Portugal before my master’s course started back up again.
3. Brighton, England
My six-month stay in London in 2008 was exactly thatโฆI literally never left London. When I returned to the UK two years later, I made a promise to myself to see more of England than its capital. Building on stints in Southwold and Liverpool in 2010, travel blogging meet-ups had me making two trips to the seaside town of Brighton this year, and I couldn’t have been happier breathing in the fresh salty air.
4. Zadar, Croatia
To celebrate the end of classes, I spun a globe and my finger landed on Croatia (okay, not literally but kind ofโฆ). I’d never heard of Zadar, but arrived to find a small coastal city easily covered by foot, where the Italian influence is still strongly felt, where nearby islands are easy to explore via ferry, and where Pepi the Potter was sat in the main square one day demonstrating his ancient trade.
5. Oxford, England
After meeting a group of MA students in my Zadar hostel, June found me on a train to Oxford to watch the acclaimed Summer VIIIs rowing regatta. While I’d been to the historic town once before during the winter, I found Oxford a different place in the bright June sunshine. Sipping on Pimm’s and cheering on teams was the perfect change of pace from life in London.
6. Shillong, India
Before heading to India in September for the Rickshaw Run, I’d heard of cities such as Delhi and Mumbai. What I hadn’t heard of was Shillong, an old hill station in the northeastern state of Meghalaya. With its name meaning “abode of the clouds,” Shillong greeted Citlalli and me with rolling clouds and the beautiful Wards Lake–a perfect place to launch out from on our journey across the country.
7. Chitwan, Nepal
Just like with Shillong, Nepal taught me that sometimes it’s the places we didn’t know about that surprise and delight us the most. After starting out in Pokhara and Kathmandu, my final stop in Sauraha, a small village outside Chitwan National Park, turned out to be my favorite, bringing safari rides, elephant baths, and inspiring scenery.
8. Chilika Lake, India
After returning to India from Nepal in October, I headed south to the eastern state of Orissa, where I’d arranged to volunteer with the UK-based charity Jeevika Trust. Our first village visit was to Chilika Lake, a wide brackish lagoon, and its island community of Mahinsa, where local village women led us through fields of ponds to their crab cultivation projects.
9. Kandy, Sri Lanka
After a month in Tamil Nadu, I left Tuticorin on a ferry bound for Sri Lanka. My ten days around the teardrop-shaped island were a race to soak in all I could of the country: spice gardens, ancient temples, white-water rafting, intriguing history, and the stunning flowers in Kandy’s Royal Botanic Gardens, such as the Pride of Burma pictured above.
10. Mumbai, India
A race to the finish line in India left me with only a weekend in Mumbai, but that didn’t stop me from falling in love with the country’s biggest city. From catching an afternoon cricket match and sailing the harbor to watching the gloaming sun hit the Gateway of India, I reluctantly left Mumbai with one thought on my mind: “I’ll be back.”
11. Suffolk, Virginia
This was the second year I returned home for the holidays after being on the road, and I love the sense of completion it gives to each year. On Christmas Eve, some of my family and I were down at a pier not too from our house and this sunset reminded me that beauty can be found anywhere in the world–even in your backyard.
…and now for a thank you!
As I look back on this last year of travel, I also want to thank all of you for taking the time to read Rare Travels.ย After winning Travel Blogger of the Year last month, my friend Jayne Gorman of 40 Before 30 tweeted “a blog is nothing withouts its readers,” and I couldn’t agree more. I love sharing my thoughts and experiences around the world with you, and am so grateful to have you along with me…Here’s to more adventures in 2012!
Beautiful photography Candace and what adventures 2011 has brought you! Can’t wait to hear about your plans for 2012.
My top places for 2012… well I didn’t do much travelling internationally this year (I don’t have the luxury of being so close to everything down in Oz :P) I did find the road trip I did down the Great Ocean Road amazing though. I’ve wanted to see London Bridge and the 12 Apostles for years and FINALLY did it. ๐
Thanks so much, Nicole! I’ve heard so many great things about the Great Ocean Road and definitely hope to do that one day myself ๐ And I completely understand about being a bit far away from the rest of the world in Oz. When I did my working holiday in New Zealand, I found I really had to change the way I thought about travel. I had to start thinking about New Zealand as a whole world in itself, and each city or region as a new country to explore…as other countries weren’t quite so accessible as they are from London! I hope you’re enjoying your time in NYC and can’t wait to catch up in London soon ๐
Nice…although we didn’t see any picture of Kingston :p
Hey, Esohe! Great to hear from you, I hope you had a lovely Christmas and are still enjoying Romford. I actually included Kingston on my top 10 list from 2010, so didn’t want to repeat any places this year ๐ Thanks for saying hi!
Well I have certainly enjoyed learning about your 2011 destinations. My traveling days are on hold right now, but not forever! I may need to call you in about 10 years for travel tips. Love you and your mama. Looking forward to 2012.
Hi, Dawn! Thanks so much for saying hi here. I can certainly imagine it would be a bit difficult to do too much travel with five children…but hopefully you all can go on adventures as a family once they get a bit older ๐ Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas together and here’s to more adventures in 2012, whatever they may look like!
I enjoyed your travels here at home at my desk or, like forbidden fruits, in my office. Thank you for sharing.
I wish you a wonderful New Year and many new adventures.
Thank you, Ellen! I’m so glad to hear you enjoy the stories…I’ll be back at a desk myself part-time in January, but am hoping the adventures won’t stop there ๐ I hope you had a lovely holiday season and wish you all the best for the new year!
Beautiful pictures! I just love them.. So perfectly put. ๐
I hope you enjoyed Christmas and have a plan for a celebration on the 1st of January with your family! ๐
Take care and enjoy! ๐
Hi, Nirmit! Thanks so much for the kind words, I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed them ๐ Christmas at home has been amazing–as always!–and filled with lots of family, much of whom I haven’t seen in a while. New Year’s should be a little different this year, as I’m attending an old friend’s wedding in the town where I went to university. I’m looking forward to it! Hope all is well with you and take care ๐
Oh awesome! This is such a nice thing. You should have a double blast then ๐ And yeah, everything is fine at my end. College is starting on the 1st of Jan, so, you see, I won’t have such a wonderful new year as yours. But still, happy new year and enjoy! Take care ๐
Aw, so sorry you had to start college on new year’s day…what’s all that about? ๐ We had lots of fun here–the wedding was great, and I loved getting to see some of my own old college friends. You must be getting excited about Zurich, only a few months to go! Take care and keep working hard ๐
April 2011 would top the charts for me: The London Tour with my very own Candace Rose. So much fun from start to finish. The Grand Canyon (my first trip to this magnificent place), Hoover Dam, Route 66, and driving through Arizona and Utah. Absolutely breathtaking. Where o where will 2012 take us? MY HOPE: Prague. Let’s do it!
Mine too! April was amazing, wasn’t it? I’m so thankful you were able to make it over, even for only a few days. And yes, I’m really hoping Prague will be on my “Top 12 for 2012” list next year ๐ Let’s make that happen! The trip you did with Dad out west is definitely on my travel bucket list…and don’t forget your skydiving! Two things I can’t wait to do myself ๐ Here’s to 2012!
Awesome there! Meeting old friends is always great. And yeah, I am pretty much excited about the Zurich intern. It shall be a good working experience, plus the University is a top notch one, so I guess that would help me decide my career pretty much! ๐ And why does this thing “work hard ” thing always come for me ๐
Anyways, take care ๐
What a wonderful year you have had and so much beautiful writing it has produced too. Look forward to seeing you and what you get up to in 2012. Thanks very much for the shout out xx
Thanks so much, Jayne, that means a lot! 2011 was definitely a great year for all of us, in so many different ways ๐ Here’s to 2012 and the new adventures we’ll have! Happy new year xx
Fine fine fine… I’ll do one as well! All my blogging friends are doing it, afterall!
Excellent! As you should ๐ Can’t wait to read it…see you very soon! [I think you’re leaving for Liverpool soon, too, so have a lovely time, my friend.]
You went to some pretty amazing places! I like that a lot of these are a bit off the beaten path. ๐
Thanks, Audrey! I feel very grateful for the places I was able to visit in 2011–and am looking forward to what 2012 might hold ๐