In 2023 I have had the luxury of travelling to 10 countries, which I can't quite believe! Five of those 10 countries were places that I had never visited before, which means that I have officially completed my first mission of travelling to 30 countries before 30!! I am over the moon and am still struggling to process how fortunate I have been this year with my travel plans.
As we say goodbye to 2023 and approach 2024, it only seemed right to take a trip down memory lane to all the incredible countries that I have had the pleasure to visit this year.
1. Bulgaria (Sofia)
I visited Sofia in February to celebrate my 28th birthday. This visit to Bulgaria cemented my 28th visited country and at the time, my goal to complete 30 countries before 30 seemed somewhat achievable. Although I would never have been able to guess how quickly I would be achieving this goal. During our time in Sofia, we partook in a wine tour which was extremely informative and resulted in us drinking some of the best wine that we have ever had. I also ate some of the best food that I have ever eaten, during this visit as well as enjoying walking around the snowy centre and seeing some beautiful, historical sights.
2. Italy (Pisa and Florence)
In April, we took a weekend trip over the Easter break to Italy. Italy is one of my favourite countries that I have had the pleasure to visit so far and I really wanted to visit Italy with Chris to show him what makes Italy so special. During our time in Italy, we stayed in Pisa which was so much fun and had lots to see and do, not to mention the amount of delicious food and drink located around the city. We will never be able to have a coffee without longing for the incredible coffee that we had in Pisa. We also decided to take a day trip to Florence via train and thoroughly enjoyed our time exploring the beautiful and history filled city of Florence. We made some incredible memories during this trip, including swimming together in the Ligurian sea, which is why this trip will forever be one of my favourite trips.
3. Ireland (Dublin)
A week or so after returning from Italy, we decided to take a day trip to Dublin. We travelled to Dublin near the end of April, which meant that the weather was a little wet but this didn't dampen our spirits as we prepared for our journey to drink Guinness and listen to the best LIVE music that Dublin has to offer. It wouldn't have been a Dublin trip without a stop at the Temple Bar to listen to some live music, before making our way to the Guinness Storehouse. I have visited Dublin and the Guinness Storehouse before but I was keen to show Chris this staple treat of Dublin. Whilst Chris isn't an avid Guinness drinker, he could appreciate the smoothness of the Guinness in Dublin and we both thoroughly enjoyed our day trip to Ireland's vibrant capital city.
4. Germany (Berlin)
In June we took a weekend trip away to Berlin to explore some of Berlin's treasures and learn some more about the history of Berlin. We saw lots of historic and monumental sights including the holocaust memorial, East Side Gallery, Checkpoint Charlie and many many more. Berlin is a unique city that is rich in culture and a visit here was both educational and enjoyable. The public transport in Berlin is some of the best that I have experienced, which makes the whole city extremely accessible and easy to navigate around. This trip also included a last-minute trip to the zoo which was unexpected but extremely entertaining.
5. Greece (Corfu)
We visited Corfu in August to celebrate Chris' birthday and this stunning island did not disappoint. Due to it being August, the temperatures in Corfu were sizzling and the fact that we had a swim up room was very much appreciated and put to good use. This was a relaxing holiday for the both of us due to our busy work lives, so the opportunity to relax, sunbathe and eat and drink as much as we wanted, was one of pure bliss. We did a couple of excursions, including a BBQ boat trip that was one of my favourite ever excursions. We also took a day trip to Albania, which you can read more about below. Overall, Corfu was the perfect mix of adventure, relaxation and pampering. I hope to be back one day soon ☀
6. Albania (Sarandë)
We were in Corfu for just under a week and with my mission of visiting 30 countries before I turn 30 not too far in the distance, we decided to take a boat trip to the lovely city of Sarandë, which is situated in Albania. Sarandë is 1 hour ferry ride from Corfu so it would have been rude not to visit! We were pleasantly surprised with the beautiful beach views when we arrived in Sarandë and we spent the majority of our time here admiring the bright blue sea. We also discovered lots of incredible bars and restaurants with the most stunning views of mountains and beautiful green scenery. As we only had the day to explore, we didn't have enough time to see as much as I would have liked but I am very keen to return to Albania and see some more of its beautiful nature whilst talking with the extremely friendly locals.
7. Poland (Kraköw)
In October I took a weekend trip to Kraköw with my friends and we had so much fun exploring this beautiful city and drinking some of the most delicious vodka that we have ever tasted. I have had the pleasure of visiting Kraköw before and the city was just as fun as I remember it being the first time! Kraköw is extremely affordable which makes it a great weekend destination when you're in need of a getaway to a vibrant city with lots of activity, as well as delicious food and drink. We took a river cruise whilst in Kraköw, which was a fun and unique way to see all the main sights whilst learning about the city's history. Kraköw is one of my favourite cities and I'm sure that this will not be my last visit there.
8. Vatican City (Day trip from Rome)
What better way to welcome the festive month of December than by visiting some Christmas markets? We decided to take a day trip to Rome to explore some festive holiday markets but that was not my only plan for this trip to Italy. Rome is situated very close the smallest country in the world, Vatican city, so I of course had to take the opportunity to visit this unique treasure. Vatican City is special in its own right but something that made this trip particularly special was that I was lucky enough to class the smallest country in the world as my 30th visited country, which means that I have absolutely smashed my goal of visiting 30 countries before 30!! For this reason, Vatican City will always have a very special place in my heart and the country is a historic gem that is desperate to be explored.
9.) Finland (Helsinki)
We spent New years in the picturesque city of Helsinki and it is safe to say that Helsinki did not disappoint! Helsinki is an extremely clean and vibrant city and all the people who live here take pride in living in the happiest country in the world! We got stuck into Finnish culture by taking a trip to the local saunas and immersing ourselves in the cold, Baltic sea for the full Finnish experience. I can't think of a better city to see the New year in 🎆
10.) Estonia (Tallinn)
We took a day trip to the historical city of Tallinn from Helsinki and was amazed by the history of this rich cultured city. This is one of Europe's few medieval cities and every step we took, we were met by incredible medieval architecture and so much important history. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Tallinn and should recommend a trip for everybody who is interested in history. I can assure you that Tallinn will not disappoint.
I am over the moon with how much I have been able to travel this year and I will forever be grateful for all of the incredible memories that I have made.
2023, you have been a dream🥰✈️
I'm looking forward to seeing you all in 2024 for more adventures and to continue my pursuit of travelling to 40 countries before 40🌍
Happy travelling and a very happy New year ✨