The year is almost over and it seems like a good time to reflect on what has been an epic year of travel for me. In no particular order here are my top 15 travel moments from 2015:

1- Riding Western

Having ridden horses in English saddles since I was 6, becoming a cowgirl and riding western was always on the bucket list for me. Through my summer of Workaway in both Illinois and Missouri in the USA, I achieved this dream and achieved it with 6 hours of riding every day! My riding style is now a strange mixture of both English and Western: English hat and gloves and Western boots!

2- Golden Gate Bridge

An absolute classic stop on a tour of the West coast of America, I cycled the bridge with a group from my hostel back in June. It was worth every aching muscle the next day!

 

 

 

3- Hollywood Sign

I don’t think it really hit me that I was in LA until I saw the sign.
Hollywood has always seemed so far away from real life that it was a surreal experience to be right there! I still have to pinch myself when I see the sign on TV: “I’ve been there!”

 

4- Space Needle

Top tip for visiting the Space Needle: Go at night! I went up at midnight with some friends from the hostel, there were no queues and the views of the city all lit up below were spectacular.

 

5- Disneyland!

My parents took me to Disneyland Paris for my 16th Birthday, so it felt only right that I took myself to Disneyland California for my 21st! Because you’re never too old to wear sparkly mouse ears…

 

6- Nashville

I can’t even pick just one aspect of this trip to add to this list, I could have 15 top moments from this weekend trip alone! As a country music fan, Nashville has been at the top of my travel list for a very long time. F
rom cowboy boots to line dancing to the Country Music Hall of Fame, it may be ticked off for now but I’ll be back some day!

 

7- Rollerblading on Venice Beach

I can’t even remember which TV show or movie gave me this idea but I just knew it had to be done! I borrowed skates from the family I was staying with and skated all the way from Venice Beach to Santa Monica pier. I could have kept skating all day but the bright lights of the Santa Monica fun fair were calling…

 

8- Snorkelling off Isla Mujeres

A year as a college student in the USA meant only one thing: Spring Break in Mexico! I did all the classic Spring Break activities that inevitably involved a lot of tequila but my hands down favorite day was the ‘Booze Cruise’ we took across from Cancun to Isla Mujeres. The cruise had an open bar but also offered Snorkelling and the chance to pet a shark included in the price: Yes please!

 

9- LA > San Francisco Amtrak

In a quest to try all different kinds of travel (also, I can’t drive!) I chose to go from LA to San Francisco on the Amtrak train. My research showed that it was the best non-car way to see the sights of the journey and they weren’t wrong! The train goes so close to the sea I could have opened the window and got my hand wet. Absolutely incredible.

10- The Epic Journey

This isn’t so much an enjoyable travel moment as it is a proud travel moment! I had a very difficult journey from home back to America after Christmas, it involved two slightly delayed flights, one 3 hour queue in passport control, 5 cities, one missed connection and one severely delayed flight, but I made it! And if I can survive that on no sleep, I can survive a lot.

11- American River Bike Trail

Despite being told several times to not bother going to Sacramento, I’m so glad I stuck to my original plans and spent a few days there. Hiring a bike in Old Sacramento and spending a day cycling the American River Bike Trail was a day I’ll never forget!

 

12- Nyhavn

After my big trip to America was over I still had itchy feet! These led me to Copenhagen, Denmark where the sight of famous and colourful Nyhavn greeted me. Such a beautiful city, it definitely inspired my love story with Scandinavia.

13- Tivoli Gardens

Maybe the only city with an amusement park literally in it’s centre, I can see why Copenhagen locals have season tickets for this place! My friend had to literally drag me from the bright lights and candyfloss.

 

14- Giant’s Causeway

A little closer to home, my day trip out to one of Northern Ireland’s most famous landmarks reminded me that we don’t always have to travel far to see the world’s beauty!

 

15- The Lake District

Even closer to home, I like this travel moment best because it was with family. Just became you’ve grown up somewhere, never forget that you’re probably living in someone’s dream travel destination!