With the end of the year wrapping up, I thought but would be nice to do an annual recap of my 2024. Then I realised not much has happened in my daily life, nothing to write home about really, other than my travels.
March, Portugal
My first holiday of 2024 was a free holiday that didn't cost me anything 😄. You may or may not remember, in December 2023 I went to Cologne in Germany to visit the Christmas markets. On our return flight back, we were delayed for about 6 hours and according to European regulations we can claim compensation from the airline. I got €300 back, that's €600 for the two of us, so we decided to use the money to go on another holiday. The €600 was enough to cover our flights and accommodation for 5 days in Porto in Portugal. What a great way to start my 2024 travels.
I made a couple posts about this trip, going to a fishing village and a beautiful train ride, but nothing about Porto city yet. So many travels that I still need to share.
May, USA
This is my main holiday of the year, a 20 day road trip in USA with my family, 10 of us. We started at Denver in Colorado, drove north to South Dakota, then west to Wyoming to Yellowstone Park, that was the highlight of our trip, south to Utah, crossed the border to Arizona before finishing at Denver. Overall we drove through 8 states and did over 3000 miles which is considered quite a lot for us Brits. I've posted about 80% of my trip, just got Yellowstone, Badlands National Park, plus a couple of Capitol state building that I haven't done yet.
This trip has opened my eyes to another side of America that I've never seen before. The vast area of land that seems to goes on and on forever, driving for hours with nothing on either side of the road, the natural beauty in the many national parks. It was a long road trip but definitely a very enjoyable one, and nothing that we could ever experience in the UK.
July, Sweden
In July I went to Sweden to my friend's belated wedding party. I met my friend when I was living in Taiwan previously, and last year she got married to a Swedish guy in Taiwan. They didn't get to celebrate their wedding with their friends when they moved back to the Sweden, so decided to throw a midsummer party after they had settled down. Apart from a day trip to Malmo which is about half an hour away from the Danish border, I've never been to Sweden before. Having local friends meant I got to visit places outside the main tourist destinations, plus of course I had to go to Stockholm. I've posted about the midsummer party at my friend's parent's beautiful place and going to the Abba Museum. Still got a few places I haven't posted about yet.
September, Croatia
This year's Hivefest was at Split in Croatia. It's my fourth HiveFest, and each one gets better than the last. Needless to say I had a great time at HiveFest and made quite a lot of posts about it, but not yet about the actual travels. One highlight at HF was the lovely Worldmappin team gave me a coveted Worldmappin hoodie, aren't you all jealous!! This is the prize that you can win in the #winterchallenge which will end in a day's time.
After Split, I went to Dubrovnik, and posted about a viewpoint and a craft beer place, but not yet about the famous Dubrovnik Wall. That will follow soon.
October, Greece
My final holiday of the year was a cruise, starting from Athens ending in Barcelona. Those who follow my travel posts may know that I'm not a big fan of cruises. I went on this one because it's a Virgin cruise which is operated quite different from the traditional cruise companies. Plus it called at some places that I haven't been before like Greece and Cinque Terra in Italy. Most important of all, it stopped at Nice in France and I went to visit my friend whom I haven't seen for 10 years
I've only made one post about this trip, it was my first stop in Athens. I still have more on Athens and Mykonos in Greece, a couple of places in Italy and Nice in France from this trip to share.
2025 travels
Next year I have my biggest trip coming up, it will trump all other places I've been so far.The trip will take me to a place not many have been. No, it's not the moon 🌙 😉. There are pins on Worldmappin already, I won't be the first to go, but I will be part of a small handful of people to go there. You can be sure I'm going to post about that trip. I shall keep the destination under wraps for the time being, don't want to jinx it.
Other than that, nothing else is planned yet. I normally prefer to organize trips on the whim, so let's see where 2025 will take me. You can be sure anywhere I go, you will see it on Worldmappin first!
You can check out all my travel posts on the Worldmappin here or click below
Oh well this would be a very interesting initiative within the @worldmappin community hahaha you always being a pioneer! I love this!
Such hype with your plan for 2025, I hope everything turns out great and you enjoy it a lot! My head is already sorting through a handful of possibilities hahaha.
I love to know that we have shared part of this year traveling ☺️ also I will always have in my heart the fact that you came across one of my post in Portugal just because of that trip that you got for free hahahaha
Cheers for the trips to come!
The tart post!!! I remember when I read that, I was thinking this girl is crazy, she wrote a whole post on Portuguese tart!!!
You're back in Colombia for Christmas and New year? Have a great time and all the best for 2025!
That's what I call an excellent year! For some might seem little, but for me, who had literally zero trips this year.. sounds like a beautiful dream! Curious to see what 2025 brings to you in terms of trips :)
2024 has been a good year for me, hopefully will continue into 2025.
I hope you can get around more next year Gabby, maybe even to a Hivefest? 😀. All the best!!
So many great travels @livinguktaiwan! - that means many new pins to come haha!
Great to hear you are enjoying your vacation from the project. - The hoodie looks awesome on you! 😍😍 We are glad that you like it.
Happy New years to you and your hubby 🥂
We wish you health, happiness and many great adventures for 2025! ☀️😎
Thanks so much Worldmappin for carrying the baton forward for Hive, and the lovely hoodie, it's awesomely cool (and keeps my bum nice and warm as well 😂)
Onwards and upwards for 2025!!!
Our pleasure @livinguktaiwan 😘 To many new adventures.
You got to visit many interesting place in 2024 and I´m really curious to see where 2025 will take you, the big trip that you are planning sounds exciting, I have some tips where it might be and I cannot wait to see if one of them was correct :) Happy New Year and safe travels Pauline!
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2024 was a good year and I hope 2025 will be even more exciting, looking forward to it. Wishing you and your family the best for 2025!!
Happy New Year to you. You certainly enjoyed a lot of traveling this past year. I can't wait to see your grand upcoming trip. ♥
All the best @sunscape!! Health, prosperity and happiness to you
It sounded like a great year for you. Mykonos was just on TV here in Japan last night. It's a show about Japanese carpenters that go all over the world and help repair and upgrade wooden structures.
As for your USA trip, you really did get to see and experience an amazing area savaged by glacial & geologic forces. Driving on those lonely highways is so fun sometimes. You just take in the landscape and think about things, like the treasures hidden away for me to go dig up!
Here's to a wonderful and hopefully peaceful 2025! Happy New Year!
I can imagine by you driving around in those remote places in the middle of nowhere actually. Our whole American trip was such an eye opener, and the best thing was that the ten of us got through 20 days squabble free😀
Happy 2025 to you as well, I hope you have a lovely celebration. Are you back in Japan now?
Wow, 20 days without squabbling. Now that is an achievement!
Ya, been back since mid November. Have to be back in the States next month for the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, massive event. Equal to Germany's Munich show. Plus, those deserts still have some gems waiting to be be dug! God the 11hr flights are getting to me though.... 🍻
Your 2024 year was awesome travel-wise! Looking forward to finding out in 2025 where that mysterious destination is 🤔
We were tempted to start our year (2025) with Porto, mostly because we didn't see much of it last time (bad weather) and the train ride... but we couldn't do it in the end, time passed while we were thinking 😂
You got a whole 12 months to go to Porto, it will be nice to revisit, and do the train ride, I enjoyed that very much.
You certainly had a year full of travel adventures and I hope the next one will also take you to many wonderful destinations. And I'm already curious to know which place you plan to go to that few have visited, hehe
I wish you a 2025 full of good things, travel adventures, lots of health, joy, peace and prosperity. A big hug!
Hopefully 2025 will be an exciting year to travel, not sure where yet, apart from my big holiday.
Thank you for your good wishes, and I wish you all the best for 2025!!!
Getting to know places around the world must be very exciting. I think the words that describe the sensations it provokes fall short compared to the reality. I read the posts about your trip around the USA and it was like traveling with you, grateful for those moments that I lived somehow and for the fact that you share them with us. I wish next year will bring you unexpected destinations and unforgettable journeys. What secret place will your feet take you to....? 🤔😁 We'll find out!!!! Happy 2025!!! A hug 🌞🤗
I love the planning process, finding new countries to visit, hopefully I will find some interesting places to go in 2025.
Best wishes for your 2025!!
Nice!! That looks like a decent travel recap and good places you have visited!
Maybe I will go for one of these as well :) Thanks for the inspiration
Very curious about the upcoming trip of years. For some reason it sounds.....arctic? :)
Look forward to your recap to see where you've been by this year
Wow it's amazing how much you traveled this year, lots of reunions with friends and family, a free trip plus the coveted sweatshirt, I want one, but I guess I'll have to travel more.
You should put a pin on the map of this magical country Venezuela, I would be happy to take you on a tour, Happy New Year my friend @livinguktaiwan , I send you a big hug.
I don't have many pins in south America, Venezuela would certainly be a good addition, hopefully I can get their one day
Yeah 😉😅
Wow! So many places so many experiences! Congratulations on travelling the world! And thank you for posting them, it feels like I've travelled too.
I'm glad I could take people on a virtual tour, and glad you enjoyed it
It's definitely been a busy year for you! I am glad that you were able to make it over to the US and see what the majority of us see beyond the big cities and traditional tourist areas. I hope one day you are able to make it to the Great Lakes Region. We don't have the mountains, but we have a lot of other awesome things to see.
The lakes sounds good. Truth to be told, I wasn't a massive fan of driving through the mountains and bendy roads. Despite the beautiful views, the ascend made me panic. I would never dare to drive 😰. Lakes sounds a lot safer.
Michigan and the surrounding area is pretty tame compared to all of that. Even in the western part of the upper peninsula it gets a little squirrely, but still not too bad.
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5 locations in 12 months. That's some impressive travel feat.
I have a secret desire to travel the world, but being a doctor makes it the hardest thing to do.
I heard being a doctor is pretty tough in the UK, you're lucky if you get a weekend off. How is your trust treating you?
Working with a GP surgery at the moment... Don't know which one is worse.
Wow, you are really great at being able to visit such extraordinary places.
It's been a good year, fortunately
Wow,😮😮You have traveled to a very beautiful place. And the photographs are wonderful. Have a wonderful time here
Any particular place that caught your eye?
You have travelled some beautiful places. Have a good travel!
Thanks
Loved the post :) Thanks for sharing. 🙏
You're welcome!
Look at some very beautiful pictures my friend
You're welcome
!PIZZA
Feliz año 2025, bendiciones y que viva hive ..
Happy new year to you!!!
I think travelling is one of the very best experiences we can give ourselves, even if it's just close to home. Seeing the rest of the world is the ultimate though! You've taken us to many places already, 2024 certainly was a fabulous year for you.
I'm dying to know the destination, you're certainly the adventurer Pauline!
Happy travels for 2025💕