2024 Travel roundup
Monday, 30 December 2024
From solo adventures to romantic getaways - and seeing much more of the UK, this year's travel looked a little different than it has done in the past. 
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Bali 2.0 - April
My adventures for the year started in April, a little later that usual when I realised I hadn't left the country since my last Bali trip, six months prior.
Promptly after I had this realisation, I was on my way back to Indonesia.
The last trip was a little chaotic, and that's how I like it sometimes! But this trip wasn’t about escaping or chasing something, it was about relaxing and truly enjoying the moment - and that felt like a bit of a turning point for me.
I realised that I finally felt at ease with my life on this trip. I was more free and easy with my money so I just had a really nice time.
Apart from the usual joys of solo travel I skipped the hostels and stayed in nice hotels, paid more for the fancy spas and pretty much bought myself whatever I wanted. That being said, I still enjoyed the usual indulgences of solo travel. I went to two different cafes for breakfast most days, booked motorbike Ubers to nowhere just for the experience of being on the back of a bike and cancelled hotels on a whim because I changed my mind at at check in.
There was no rush, no stress, nothing to achieve, just the luxury of time and space to savour it all. I also took my skates with because I missed them on my last visit so I managed to squeeze in a couple of skating sessions amongst the swims and massages.
Dubrovnik with friends - June
Last year, I vowed no more girls’ holidays because whilst I loved spending time with my friends at home, the trips themselves never quite did it for me. But when the boys decided they wanted to join, I took a chance - and it completely changed the experience. Strange, isn’t it?
I think that, and the length of this trip made all the difference. It was only a couple of nights and we all shared a three-storey air bnb in the centre of town. While holidays with friends still aren’t my style, I enjoyed this one more than the others, exploring within the city walls, sharing big group meals, and soaking up the amazing weather.
Spontaneous Mallorca - June
I remember waking up one sunny Saturday morning and booking this trip on a whim because I fancied a paella.
There are still so many places on my bucket list, but there are also a few that I will happily go back to again and again - because they are easy. I hadn't been to Magaluf since I was 18, but this was definitely one of those not needing to think about planning it trips.
It was quite comforting to be back as an adult. I knew where everything was but no longer cared for the party scene, just the beach day clubs that I couldn't afford before, the nice restaurants by the ocean and the serenity of an early night.
I took my skates again - and of course I managed to eat at least one paella a day! Mission accomplished.
Suffolk Countryside Retreat - June
As our relationship started to change, Dan took me on a couple of weekends away! The first, was a cute little countryside lodge, that we arrived at as the sun was going down on a warm Friday evening. With a Chinese takeaway & bottle of wine in hand, we lit the fire pit outside and ate by the flames.
Waking up the next day was very peaceful, looking out the window to we were surrounded by woodland grass, wildflowers and the sounds of birds chirping in the morning sun.
We took advantage of a slow, lazy start before going to the local town and the beach beside it. After that, Dan took me to Thorpeness Mere and rowed us around the lake on a boat. This was before I knew he'd spent a chunk of his childhood on a rowing boat so I was both surprised and impressed. It was all very romantic.
On the way home the next morning, stopped off in Cambridge for a private punt on the river Cam, complete with more wine - and pizza. 
Discovering Bath - July
A week later, Dan took me to Bath to show me around the city where he went to uni. We stayed in a very cool apartment for a couple of nights, drank cocktails in the sun & wandered around the campus. Bath is very cute.
East Coast Road trip - July
A three week, American road trip with my boyfriend - of just two weeks at the time.
It was a big risk, agreeing to that many hours in a car with someone I'd not spent a huge amount of time with but those long journeys on the road became my favourite part of the day and created the kind of connection that only comes when you have nowhere to be but together.
We spent two days driving through the blue ridge mountains, watched a space rocket launch, ate breakfasts in old school diners, got caught with the roof down in Storm Debbie and decided we'd like to live in Washington one day.
To top it all off, we were upgraded on the way back and flew home first class. What a dream.
Devon Seaside - August
I actually visited Devon multiple times after this trip, (I'm posting this blog from there after spending Christmas by the seaside) although this was the first and we stayed for a whole week so it felt more like a holiday!
We were there the Shaldon regatta - a lively week of traditional water activities in Dan's cute and very small hometown. It was a relaxing week by the water and a good chance for me to see where he grew up. I tried paddle boarding for the first time, went for lots of dog walks and got to spend my birthday on a boat!
Canal Barging in Rugby - September
My mum went a bit rouge this year and decided she wanted a family holiday on a canal barge. It was totally out of character but we all agreed and six of us spent three nights on the water in Rugby.
While it was an interesting experience, the weather really wasn't on our side. I did however still very much enjoy the family time and the many pub stops along the way!
SkateLove'24 in Barcelona - September
Barcelona holds a special charm for me after last years solo visit, and this year, I returned with Dan for a roller skating festival set up right by the beach.
We accidentally booked accommodation outside of the city so it was quite a long commute into the centre, but the plus side of that was that it had an awesome private beach which we spent both mornings on.
Once we were there, we enjoyed a skating, exploring and, of course, more paella.
As I said last year, I'd always avoided Barcelona but it has since become one of my favourite spots in Europe.
Tagging along in Brighton - September
We actually went to Brighton twice this year but in October, we stayed overnight. Dan had a meeting and I decided to join him. We arrived late and left after work the next day but I was able to get a table at The Burnt Orange, a restaurant we missed out on when we were there in August and it alone was worth the visit!
I also really enjoyed the drive there and back, it reminded us of road trip.
Bali 3.0 - November
My third Bali trip in a 12 month period but this time was different because I had company! Highlights include tree house villas, concrete bathtubs, late night discussions over exotic cocktails, hourly Gojek orders, lazy pool days & lots of steak.
Travel is one of my greatest joys in life and 2024 brought some very happy trips. Beyond that, this year was hugely transformative for me. Filled with personal growth & self development, big changes in who I spent my time with, a deep sense of connection and happiness that I've not really felt before.
I'm entering the year ahead feeling more positive and excited than ever!
