It’s that time of year when we all reflect on the last 365 days and what we did with that time. Some of us regret things, some of us remake our new years resolutions in hope we will be able to full-fill them next year, others may have been lucky enough to reflect in happiness of the past year.
But is happiness just luck? We all know what truly makes us happy and so i believe we make our own happiness. You choose everyday what you are going to do. And if that doesn’t make you happy, change it!
I am lucky to have an amazing job that i love. But when i’m not working, traveling and new experiences is where my happiness lies. That was my aim for this year. To live life to the full, keeping my happiness a priority.
And so we begin...
Waking up on new years morning...i was in Ireland! After discovering i didn’t like the taste of Guinness, i was well and truly sober to remember the trip! Remembering the celebrations from the night before, the incredibly friendly Irish locals and my love for their accent!
The new year was soon well under way and it wasn’t long until i was jetting off to the magical lands of Iceland. With the desire to scuba dive between the tectonic plates I ended up ticking off more than just one thing on my Bucket List. After a tiring day of traveling i found myself relaxing in Blue Lagoon, Iceland’s natural hot springs! And if my day hadn’t been amazing already, that evening i was lucky enough to watch the Northern Lights dance across the skies. After completing my mission to scuba dive between the tectonic plates i finished my trip perfectly by climbing some of Iceland's glaziers!
With the adrenaline still pumping, i was itching to try more activities and experiences. I soon found myself flying a plane. Yes! Me! Flying a plane! - Incredible! Something i never thought i'd be able to experience. I'm thrilled i was given this experience and would reccommend it to anyone.
Of course, flying a plane was never going to be enough to satisfy my love for adrenaline and adventure. But what else could i do? I've already tried most sports, a 15,000 ft skydive and a 300ft bungee jump. Sooner or later i was introduced to indoor skydiving! Of course i have already completed a real skydive, so an indoor skydive was easy and so much fun! I even had chance to learn some moves whilst i was there!
The best thing happened! A drive in movie came to town! I was so excited - Another bucket list item! I had to go! With Mamma Mia being the film choice, i rounded up some of my favourite people and drove down! What a night! Everyone was out of their cars singing and dancing! The atmosphere was fantastic!
With the travel bug well and truly biting hard since my trip to Iceland, i decided to spend my birthday traveling around Europe. It couldn’t come quick enough. Before i knew it, i was in Germany! Looking over at incredible city skylines and beautiful vineyards.
Germany awoke my excitement for this trip. I soon travelled on to Czech Republic. Exploring the beautiful streets of Prague. With my camera in hand, adventure was calling!
Hungary was next on my list, but as i was travelling through Slovakia, it was the perfect opportunity to discover a new place, somewhere i had not thought about before. I am so glad i stopped in Bratislava. It was such an amazing place that really impressed me. Massive recommendation!
As i entered Hungary the sun was beaming and the temperatures rose. I dropped my bag off and went straight out to explore. I was not expecting much from Budapest, but how wrong i was! This ended up being my favourite place from the entire trip!
Austria was next. My fifth and final stop. I explored palaces and beautiful gardens before stopping off in Vienna. With my head exploding with history, i was discovering things they just don’t teach you at school!
After settling back at home and completing the chores of unpacking all my things, i found myself packing them all over again! - Canada was calling! Traveling around east Canada allowed me to experience some amazing things. The joys of being taken into Niagara Falls by boat, towering over Toronto in CN Tower, practicing my French in the province of Quebec and cruising round the 1000 Islands.
I was getting good at packing by now. I wasn’t over the thrill and jet leg of Canada before i found myself on a plane to the United Arab Emirates. Swimming with beautiful dolphins and experiencing the local culture in the Dubai desert. What more could i ask for!
Throughout this year i have found myself discovering most of England and Wales too. Staying in hotels up and down the country for work or a long weekened away to discover a new place to satisfy the travel bug!
I now find myself writing this post as i look over the beautiful city of Paris! As i reflect back on my year, I couldn’t ask for a more perfect ending!
And what a year it has been! I have explored 12 countries over 3 continents and stayed in over 20 hotels around the world!
I have met some amazing people along the way and learnt so much too! I have learnt so much about different countries, cultures and food. I have learnt about life, being independent and priorities. But most importantly, i have learnt so much about myself!
I look forward to sharing my journey with you over the next 365 days as i continue to fulfill my dreams and desire for adventure. I hope 2015 brings you all happiness and new experiences!
Happy New Year!
Niki x