My Top Travel Memories of 2019

A Year in Review: 2019

2019 was one wild adventure. I started out the year on my way to Iceland where I watched the sunrise from it’s famous geothermal pool, the Blue Lagoon. Continuing on to Sweden, we explored Stockholm and took a train far North to go dog sledding in Ottsjö. Then suitcase in tow, we arrived in Poland to work as pub crawl guides. This led to trips to Auschwitz, Warsaw and even into Slovakia! After experiencing the great nightlife in Krakow, and eating more than my fair share of Polish pierogi, it was time to leave Poland for the beaches of Mexico. One month working as a spring break host in Cabo San Lucas had me swimming with wild whale sharks, dancing on sunset cruises and feeding wild sea lions.

Spring brought me back to Poland before heading out to explore the Holy Lands. I traveled through Israel to float in the Dead Sea, wandered the streets of Jerusalem and crossed the border into Palestine to visit Bethlehem.

Continuing on, I made my way across Cyprus and wound up staying a week in Athens. Flying all the way across the world, I went back to the USA to interview for a position with Topdeck Travel and landed the job! I began training to lead road trips. My new job led me all over my own country to places I had never been before like Yosemite National Park & Monument Valley.

I officially joined Topdeck Travel as a tour leader in 2019!

Throughout the summer I continue to go abroad- I took a solo trip to Paris. Then flew to Croatia to explore several different islands and cities. After that, I was off to Bosnia & Herzegovina for the most eye opening trip of my life. I became engrossed with the country’s history of war and genocide. After leading a few more month long road trips across North America, I went to India with a group of girls before spending two weeks in Thailand. I flew home back through the Philippines to lead another Topdeck trip. Now I sit in New York City, about to ring in the New Year at a rooftop party near Times Square!

Countries Traveled in 2019

Iceland
Sweden
Poland (x2)
Slovakia
Mexico
Denmark
Israel
Palestine
Cyprus
Greece
Spain (x2)
USA (leading 9 road trips!)
France
Croatia
Bosnia & Herzegovina
India
Thailand
Phillipines

Best Travel Memories of 2019

Sunrise at the Taj Mahal

This surreal moment will stay locked in my memory forever. We woke long before sunrise to make our way across Agra to reach the Taj Mahal while it was still dark. Waiting in line on a dirt road surrounded by several lazy cows, we patiently waited for the gates to open to this incredible Wonder of the World. We slipped inside quickly, hustled past the first vantage point and got to have this spectacular view completely unobstructed by crowds. It was very humbling. (Although mere minutes later, the crowds descended!)

Read: HOW TO GET A PHOTO ALONE AT THE TAJ MAHAL

Dog Sledding in Ottsjö, Sweden

Beautiful pristine snow and dozens of lovable huskies racing you over a frozen lake- what’s not to love?! This trip felt like something out of a winter wonderland!

Read: 25 PHOTOS TO INSPIRE YOU TO GO DOG SLEDDING

Riding ATV’s At Sunset On The Beach In Mexico

This epic shot makes me look like a pro ATV rider which couldn’t be further from the truth! I was easily the worst driver on our trip but it didn’t stop me from LOVING this sunset excursion in Mexico. Up hills, past wild donkeys, back down rocky cliff sides and finally- we ended on the beach right at sunset!

Read: 25 PHOTOS TO INSPIRE YOU TO VISIT CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO

Tiger Safari in Ranthambhore National Park, India

After my trip to Africa in 2018, I was inspired to see animals in the wild every chance I could! No more zoos or animals in captivity, I wanted to supported wildlife programs that allowed you to ethically visit/see animals in their natural habitat. And Ranthambhore National Park is home to a number of tigers!

Read: INDIA: 10 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Feeding Wild Sea Lions in Mexico

While working in Mexico, I would often bring groups down to the pier for sunset cruises. There I befriended a local fisherman who would always toss a fish to sea lions that hung out near his boat. While I don’t think it’s best to approach wildlife typically, these sea lions are constantly coming up to YOU! They are playful and would hop right on the back of the boats looking for fish. This big sea lion was used to being fed by the fisherman and came right up out of the water to say hello 🙂

Living and working in Poland as a Pub Crawl Guide

As a traveler and social butterfly, this was the perfect way to spend a month! We had never visited Poland before accepting jobs to live and work in Krakow as a pub crawl guide. With housing provided and a job at night, I had my days free to explore with my best friend Morgan. My month in Poland was one of my happiest months of 2019. Krakow is now one of my favorite European cities!

Read: 10 REASONS TO WORK AS A PUB CRAWL GUIDE WITH KRAWL THROUGH KRAKOW

Being caught in a rainstorm in Dubrovnik, Croatia

Our final day in Dubrovnik, we were supposed to go on a kayaking excursion. I was extremely disappointed when it was canceled due to bad weather. But instead, we got to watch a beautiful storm at sea! Standing outside as the warm rain came down, we watched the waves crash against a medieval fortress used in the filming of Game Of Thrones! It turned out to be a great day regardless!

Read: 15 PHOTOS TO PUT DUBROVNIK ON YOUR BUCKET LIST

Sunset from a mosque in Bosnia & Herzegovina

Mostar is now one of my favorite cities in the world! Truly a fairytale come to life. Just look at these views! If it weren’t for the city’s dark (and sadly recent past!) of war and genocide, you would think this idyllic town was as perfect as could be. Rich with history and culture, this wound up being one of my favorite trips of 2019.

Read: MOSTAR: YOUR 2020 BUCKET LIST DESTINATION

Swimming With Wild Whale Sharks

Again, as an animal lover, I’m on a mission to see animals in the wild where they belong! So when I saw a company in Cabo San Lucas offered ethical encounters with wild whale sharks, I knew I couldn’t miss out!

Couchsurfing in Paris

If you haven’t tried Couchsurfing yet, maybe 2020 is your year? It certainly is an awesome way to connect with locals 🙂

Read: COUCHSURFING IN PARIS

Floating in the Dead Sea

This had been on my bucket list from the moment I dreamed of traveling the world! And in the spring of 2019, I traveled around Israel and finally made that dream a reality.

Read: ISRAEL- 11 THINGS I WISH I KNEW BEFORE I WENT

Visiting Bethlehem

While in Israel, we crossed the border into Palestine so we could visit the town of Bethlehem. With so much Biblical history, I was fascinated and humbled to visit a place I’d heard so much about. It felt as though we had traveled back in time, as we visited the sites so famous in Christianity.

Read: VISITING BETHLEHEM- ONE DAY ITINERARY FROM JERUSALEM

Freediving in Thailand

As 2019 came to a close, I challenged my mind and body with a new skill: freediving. I have a new respect for freedivers because this sport is NOT easy! Equalising, relaxing and holding your breath while descending into the ocean without an air supply is as scary and awesome as it sounds!