The Year in Travel – 2013

Posted in Travel.

My one New Year’s Resolution for 2012 was to travel. I named it ‘The Year of Travel’ and in January 2013, I summed up an amazing year of exploration. I also promised to continue my Year of Travel in 2013. And if you’re keeping up with all these dates, you’ll know it’s now 2014 and it’s time for a recap!

I’ve tweaked the name a little bit – I don’t think every year can be The Year of Travel… if anything, 2013 was The Year of Getting Married and Almost Having a Minor Breakdown – so here’s my Year in Travel for 2013.

milan. 
visiting milan travel blog post

new york.
new york travel blogs

Way back in January 2013, I headed off to Milan to spend a few days covering Milan Men’s Fashion Week for my client. A couple of weeks later, I was in New York with the same client, this time covering womenswear at New York Fashion Week.

Having a job that allows me to travel is fantastic, but I rarely have time to do anything but work. These two trips are a little bittersweet as it was such a busy time, and the cities passed me by in a flash. Especially Milan – a beautiful place I’d never visited before. But on a more positive note, I now have a solid reason to go back!

barcelona. 
barcelona travel blog post

In April I headed off on a girls’ holiday to Barcelona. Another entirely new discovery for me, and a city that totally captured my heart. The architecture, the atmosphere, the food… the Sangria! It was a bloody brilliant trip with three of my favourite girls, and it kickstarted a new travel tradition for us. If you have any recommendations for where we should go this year, let me know in the comments!

See my post on Barcelona here.

yorkshire dales. 
travel bloggers uk

It was my lovely friend Laura’s birthday in July, and in keeping with another tradition, we went camping. Rather than struggling with tent poles and ground sheets, this year we upgraded to ‘glamping’ and stayed in adorable wooden huts at Hillcrest Park, right on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales.

As a self-professed high maintenance drama queen, I ADORED these pods – they’re heated, carpeted and have actual PLUGS inside so I could charge my phone and everything. I loved them so much, I took another group of friends for the weekend in September.

edinburgh.
uk travel blog

In August it was Jen Do (official title of my hen do) in Edinburgh. I celebrated New Year in Edinburgh last year and was captivated by the city, so it was top of my list for hen do destinations.

I stayed in a stunning city centre house with 11 of my best friends, danced ’til dawn, enjoyed afternoon tea and treasure hunted my way around this beautiful place. Edinburgh remains one of my favourite cities in the world and I hope to go back again in 2014.

See my post on Edinburgh here. 

santorini. 
santorini travel inspiration

After the massive excitement of the wedding, Rob and I were eternally grateful for our honeymoon in Santorini – it was relaxation, indulgence and pure decadence all in one. The white washed buildings, the endless blue of the ocean and those stunning sunsets.

We were so bowled over by the beauty of Greece that we made a pact to (try!) visit a different Greek Isle every year, to celebrate our wedding anniversary. This year I really fancy Kefalonia… fingers crossed!

See my post on Santorini here. 

lake district. 
uk travel inspiration

Oh, how I loved the Lake District! Rob and I stayed at the Gilpin Hotel in November, although sadly only for one night, so we didn’t get time to properly explore. But the Lake District is now top of my list for 2014 travel – I can’t wait for more country walks around those majestic lakes!

See my post on the Lake District here.

norfolk. 
top uk travel blogs

Norfolk was my travel surprise of 2013. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much but it’s such a lovely part of the UK, with tons of character and plenty to see. Seal spotting, windy walks on the beach, delicious food and lots of wine. It was the perfect place to spend a cosy weekend with family.

See my post on Norfolk here. 

richmond. 
travelling in the uk inspiration

My last trip of the year was to Richmond in the Yorkshire Dales. I stayed in a cottage in the absolute middle of nowhere with some excellent people and it. was. amazing. We cooked, we drank, we explored, we played games and sang songs. It was a brilliant way to kick off our Christmas and I can’t wait for this year’s festive trip!

And that’s it! 2013 was all about the short breaks – all of my visits were under a week long, mostly due to a crazy-hectic work schedule and wedding saving. But I’m a bit of a homebody anyway so love travelling in these short stints, and I’ve been able to visit lots of different places in just one year. 2013 was also the year I explored the UK more – something I want to continue in 2014. On my list of UK destinations to visit in 2014 are Liverpool and Cornwall… any others I should add?

Where did you travel in 2013?

19 Comments

Sarah Wood

Me and three of my friends go on a summer holiday together every year. We’ve also been to Barcelona. We’ve also been to Rome and Pisa and we’ve just started planning for Lisbon. I would definitely recommend Rome.

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Sophie

I made a pact to travel more in 2013 and did pretty well! I visited some amazing places- Berlin was a great highlight! I can’t wait to explore more of the world this year!
Sophie
X

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Computergirl

Loved this post. What a lovely year of travel you have had. I didnt get a holiday last year so Im determined to make up for it this year 🙂

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Kristina

I promised myself I will travel a bit more in 2014 and looking at your list, there are some stunning and inspirational places to visit. I’m definitely hoping to go to Yorkshire soon….it looks so beautiful

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hanne

this looks amazing, you’re so lucky to be able to travel as part of your job! travel is definitely up there on my list for 2014, but i’d not been clever enough to consider different parts of the uk as well! happy new year xo
hanne-xo.blogspot.com

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Lily Lipstick

Love these photos! I went to Edinburgh for the first time in 2013 and loved it. Definitely resolving to keep up with the travel this year. x

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Smitten

Very impressive year of travel for you, and Edinburgh has been on my list but I’ve not managed to get there yet. Lets hope 2014 is the year.
I can whole heartedly recommend the Wye Valley to add to your UK list. MrC and I went a couple of years ago and it’s just beautiful.
Make a note to visit Symonds Yat Rock the view is breathtaking.
We have some wonderful places in this beautiful country.

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Hannindrome

I’ve just done a round up looking back on 2013 and travel was a massive feature. It’s so great to look back and appreciate all over again how lucky I am to be in a position to do it. I can be negative about my life way too easily but I really did do some amazing stuff last year. Hannah x

Eve Wanted a Wardrobe

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Sarah Heslop

I like the look of the pods, I might have to try those out this year (I have made a vague resolution of more cheap UK breaks this year). I recommend Newcastle and Northumberland to visit (great city, lovely beaches and beautiful country side)!

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Ariana Louis

Hi, Jen! Very nice post! I wish I have the same job as you which makes you travel to so many places! I just don’t have enough funds to visit all the places you had been to 🙁 I’m just curious if you ever research for the best holiday deals you can get online before you make one of your trips.

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