In 2019, I am coming back to the UK after spending a solid few months in Toronto. I’ve absolutely loved my time here but I’ve got a lot of other things I want to get on with that I’m super excited for, so it makes perfect sense to come back on a high note. Having just moved to Canada for a few months, you would be right to assume that I am not rolling in money but that doesn’t mean I’m not hoping to manage a few budget friendly trips, if there is time for them. I have a couple of things in the works for next year already – visiting Bruges/Brussels in Belgium with my boyfriend, perhaps a wild camping trip in Scotland with a group of friends and the potential of a ski trip with family over a long weekend.

The inspiration for this post came from me updating ‘About Me’ page to include a list of the places I’ve been to and it’s nowhere near as long as I would like it to be, but it is getting there. I decided to write a list to highlight some of the places I would love to go and almost force me to consider them over some other places that I somehow keep returning to because I love them so much (Paris and Edinburgh, for example). I haven’t been able to get too carried away with planning things because everything is still a bit up in the air for me in terms of exactly where I’ll be living and when. Nonetheless, I do have a long list of new things/places that I would absolutely love to get to if I have the chance.

I’ve tried to keep each list below fairly concise to keep to things that might actually be fathomable – my dream destination list is also located on my ‘About Me’ page, in case you’re wondering about my pie in the sky ‘if only’ hopes. Of course, if there is any chance any of the OTT list happen to come about somehow, I wouldn’t say no…

—

WITHIN THE UK

York

An absolutely stunning city, with affordable tickets from London as long as you book in advance. I would really like to make a concerted effort this year to make the most of the amazing places my own country has to offer and this has been high up on the list for far too long. I’m not 100% sure of individual places you’re meant to visit but I’m attracted to the city as a whole and I think I can actually afford to make it happen.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bq2QD1lnFAq/

Leeds

We very nearly went to Leeds for the weekend last year but then Britain was hit with a mad snowstorm out of nowhere and we had to cancel. We were mostly excited for a weekend of eating and drinking but I think its still a nice city to wander round and have a look at, with some historic houses and nice art galleries.

Belfast

I’ve yet to go to Northern Ireland so that would be another country to add to my list, via a very short flight. Once there, the city has a lot to do and is only a short distance from beautiful countryside and natural attractions, including the Giant’s Causeway. It’s come up as an idea so many times within our friendship group but somehow we’ve never made it there.

—

EUROPE

Portugal

I’ve been to Spain a few times but somehow never Portugal. I’ve heard so much about it and it sounds like an absolute dream; great food, culture, beaches, cool bars – I’m not really sure what else I could want to be honest. Plus, my boyfriend and I are obsessed with custard tarts, so a land full of them sounds pretty similar to heaven.

Iceland

Need I even say anything? If anything it’s just embarrassing that I haven’t been there yet… I mean, ok I landed there for an hour once while on a layover to Washington DC with Wow Air but somehow I don’t think that counts. The scenery in Iceland is second to none, it almost looks like another planet. Picking a time to go is the tricky part because of daylight hours v seeing the Northern Lights, so that would be something to figure out but for sure my main aim is to hire a car and hit the ring road, stopping at every waterfall and magnificent natural attraction in existence.

Slovenia

Ok, so it’s namely because of Lake Bled that I want to go here but in general it is meant to be stunning. Plus, there’s the added bonus of their gorgeous capital city Llubljana.

—

ACTIVITIES

3 Peaks Challenge

In recent years if I’ve walked long distances, I’ve sometimes been plagued with a bit of a dodgy knee (I promise I’m only in my twenties, ok), but while in Canada I’ve been walking more and more, so I feel like my knee is a lot stronger. In that vain, I don’t think there’s any time like the present to attempt something like this. If you don’t know what it is, it’s basically the challenge of walking/running/crawling up and down the three highest peaks in Britain, in the space of 24 hours. Generally, you get a team together, bribe someone outside of the walking group to drive and hit the road. It’s a total of 23 miles walking which may not sound like that many but remember that is up mountains, not just flat paths and all within one day with very little sleep.

Hot Air Ballooning

This is something I’ve always wanted to do but I’ve never really had a reason to do it. I don’t know why anyone ‘needs’ to do a hot air balloon ride I guess, actually. Anyway, I’m writing it on here in the hope of sticking it in my brain and keeping my fingers crossed future me makes it happen. I would love to do one that is over somewhere stunning, maybe at either sunrise or sunset. If you’re gonna do it, may as well do it right.

 

Jacobite Steam Train

It’s taken a lot for me to accept this but as I get older, I realise how much I like trains. Well actually, how much my boyfriend likes trains and how open I am to liking them as a result. This rail line is famous for travelling through beautiful parts of Scotland and is considered one of the best train journeys in the world. The best part? It isn’t even ridiculous money. It’s just getting there that is a slight pain but then again, the train links in the UK are fantastic so you could make a real weekend of trains, if you were into it (that’s me talking to myself, there).

What are your plans for 2019?

Abi
X
@travelteatv