I think we all know that in many ways, 2018 kinda sucked. It’s true. But in many, many ways, 2018 was also awesome. I certainly can’t complain about how the last 12 months went for me. 2018 was bookended by two amazing internships, with plenty of travel in between, not to mention the wonderful summer I spent at home in Ireland, my first full summer there in nearly ten years. I went to seven countries, three for the first time, visiting a total of 33 destinations. I was on the move a lot! So I wanted to share with you a brief roundup of my 2018, and my favourite destinations I visited this year.
January – March
Seville
My year started out with a three-month internship with a falcon monitoring programme in Seville, southern Spain. I completely fell in love with this city, more than I thought I would. It has some of the most beautiful buildings I’ve ever seen, the groves of orange trees filled the city air with the nicest scents, and the history and culture of the place is truly fascinating. While my work consisted mostly of watching video footage of nesting birds, I also had the chance to do some field work in nearby Doñana National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Y’all know how I love my UNESCO World Heritage Sites!
Read more: Stories From…Seville
The Most Beautiful Places in Seville
Córdoba
The internship in Seville also gave me the opportunity to see more of Andalucía and the southern region of Spain. I managed to fit in short trips to see Granada and the Alhambra, some of the Pueblos Blancos, Málaga and Carmona, as well as one of my all-time favourite destinations in Spain: Córdoba. The half-day I spent in this colourful town blew me away. Starting out in the tiny warren-like streets of the Jewish Quarter, we made our way to the busy Mezquita, that gorgeous mosque-turned-cathedral that still retains its pinstriped arches reminiscent of its Muslim beginnings.
Read more: 5 Amazing Day Trips From Seville
Caminito Del Rey
This 10km hike isn’t exactly strenuous, with its gentle slopes and hanging boardwalks, but there’s a reason it made my list of best hikes I’ve done around the world. The jaw-dropping scenery isn’t for the faint of heart, even after all the renovations that turned it from a deadly heart-stopping adventure for crazy adrenaline junkies into a safe and popular tourist attraction. As an easy day trip from Seville or Málaga, I highly recommend it to anyone staying in the area. It’s unlike any other hike I’ve ever done and is certainly a memory from 2018 that will stay with me.
Read more: My 10 Favourite Hikes In The World
April – August
Rila Monastery
When my internship in Seville came to an end, I decided not to return home to Ireland straight away. After all, it’s the scenic routes you remember, not the highways. Bulgaria and Romania were two countries I had always had a wish to see, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity. Hopping across from Spain, I landed in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. Once again, a UNESCO World Heritage Site was calling my name: Rila Monastery, two hours from Sofia. The public transport system means you spend longer getting there and back than you do exploring the monastery, but it’s totally worth the effort in my opinion. Deep in the snowy mountains, this ancient monastery is one of the few places I can say legitimately and literally stopped me in my tracks. It was everything I expected and more.
Read more: Sofia – Why It Shouldn’t Be Overlooked Or Underrated
Plovdiv
My next stop in Bulgaria was the ancient city of Plovdiv, one of the oldest cities in the world. From its tribal beginnings around 8000 years ago, it came to be one of the most important hubs of the Roman Empire, the remains of which can still be seen all over. From the underground ruins of the hippodrome to the recently unearthed amphitheatre, the people of Plovdiv are proud of their Roman history. But it’s a modern city too, with a burgeoning street art scene and neighbourhoods revamped to form cultural centres. I haven’t been to many places where almost every facet of its history is still on display.
Sighisoara
Without a doubt my favourite place in Romania and definitely one of my favourite destinations of 2018. I always knew I would adore Transylvania, having always had a fascination with the Dracula legend. And while Bran Castle claims to be Dracula’s Castle (it’s not), Sighisoara actually does have a real connection to the legend. Vlad the Impaler, the real-life Dracula, was born here. You can even visit the house he grew up in; yes, it’s still there! But I also loved Sighisoara for its own sake. I mean, look how colourful it is! And the views from the Clock Tower are to die for. Nothing in the tiny historic centre of the town has changed in hundreds of years, and you can feel the history all around you. There’s not a huge amount of activities to do here, but I could have spent days wandering the multicoloured streets.
Read more: Bran Castle – The Truth About Dracula’s Castle
Oxford
A city I had seen many times in movies and on tv, but had never been to in person until this year. I’m only sorry it took me so long to visit, especially considering one of my closest friends was living there! Walking around the famous Oxford University, I couldn’t help but feel as though I had been there before. Not surprising, considering how many films and shows have been filmed here, including the Harry Potter series. There’s always a worry in the back of my mind when I visit a really popular destination that it won’t live up to the hype. Nothing to worry about here, as Oxford most certainly did.
Read more: 48 Hours In Oxford – What To Do And See
Baltimore/Sherkin Island
Towards the end of my summer at home in Ireland, my parents surprised me with a trip to Cork for the three of us. Staying in a beautiful little cottage, we spent three days exploring the area around Baltimore, including a day on Sherkin Island. I’m always proud of how gorgeous Ireland can be, but even this place amazed me. The tall, stone structure of the Beacon, sitting proudly on the cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, together with the sun setting over the nearby islands, was the best possible way to say goodbye to Ireland for a couple of years.
September – December
St. John’s
September was the start of my next big adventure: moving to Canada. I had already lined up a job for the winter in Ontario, but as I said before, I don’t like taking the straight route anywhere. So instead I flew to Newfoundland, Canada’s easternmost province. And what a beginning to my Canadian adventure that was. St. John’s still remains my favourite place in Canada. Known as one of the most colourful cities in the world, it sits on the edge of the continent, meaning stunning ocean scenery and gorgeous sunrises. I’m pretty sure I didn’t stop smiling the whole time I was there.
Read more: How To Spend Four Days In St. John’s
Peggy’s Cove
Halifax was my next port of call after Newfoundland. While the city itself was nothing particularly special (barring the lovely waterfront walk and nearby Fisherman’s Cove), the best day I spent in Nova Scotia was the day I rented a car and did a mini roadtrip to Peggy’s Cove, Lunenburg and Kejimkujik National Park. Peggy’s Cove is one of those places you didn’t think existed anymore. Nothing appears to have changed in a hundred years, and that’s a good thing here. Brightly painted boats line the tiny harbour, surrounded by even tinier houses. But the real draw is the lighthouse – the most photographed lighthouse in Canada, as they like to tell you. It’s a busy place, with tourists filling the area no matter when you go, so it can be hard to get a good photo. But it’s worth the effort, as even just the drive there is spectacular.
Québec City
Where to even begin? From the moment you enter the province of Québec, it feels like you’ve entered an entirely different country. And nowhere is this more prominent than in the birthplace of French Canada – Québec City. Beautifully preserved, I genuinely felt like I had somehow arrived back in Europe. The narrow, cobbled streets, the cute bakeries, the imposing “castle” on the hill; I wouldn’t have been surprised to see Belle or the Beast strolling through the town. And while most of the buildings are made of the same grey stone, they still manage to make it a surprisingly colourful town. Is it any wonder this is one of my favourite destinations this year?
Read more: Québec – Why You Need To Visit Canada’s European City
Montréal
While still in the French part of Canada, Montréal feels a lot more cosmopolitan. This is a big city with a big city feel. There are definitely parts of the city that feel French, but there’s also the modern Downtown Area, Chinatown, and the colourful, hipster Gay Village neighbourhood that is bursting with street art and character. Climbing up the Mont Réal hill to look out over the city was a fun experience, even if it led to one of the most disappointing sunsets (three hours of waiting in the cold for absolutely nothing). The most memorable thing about Montréal for me was not the cathedral where Céline Dion got married, but the huge number of art installations dotted around the city. I’m not just talking about the storeys-tall murals (ten points if you can spot it in the image below). It’s the painted pianos in random places waiting to be played, the moving images projected onto the front of buildings, the weird, giant pipes creating music from the city noises around it. Those are the parts of Montréal I will forever remember.
Napanee
My final destination of 2018 and home to my second wildlife internship this year. Napanee is a small town a few hours from Toronto which has probably never seen a backpacker in its life. It will never make a top destinations of Ontario list, let alone of the world, but that hasn’t stopped me from loving its small town charms. I’ve learned so much from working at the wildlife rehabilitation centre here, and seen so many animals I’ve never worked with before go through the rehabilitation process. While my lack of transport has limited how much of the area I’ve been able to explore, I’m happy to spend my days off walking in the back fields with the eight dogs living here, cuddling the many, many cats on the couch, and spending time with the makeshift family the other staff members have become. I’ve one more month left here, and I’m determined to enjoy every minute of it.
So as you can see, I’ve had a pretty great 2018. But there have been less-than-wonderful moments too.
In February we said goodbye to my grandmother, the most inspiring woman I knew. She faced hardships, travelled solo, earned multiple degrees, raised eight children and loved her eleven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren fiercely, all with the warmest smile that never seemed to falter. I’ll miss her, but her passing has inspired me to pursue my dreams and goals with a greater determination and passion.
2018 was also a year of getting my shit together, sort of. What my social media and this blog don’t show are the challenges I’ve faced mentally in the last few years. This year I finally did something about that, and looked for help from a doctor. It’s the best decision I’ve made in a long time, and has made a huge difference in my life. I always try to be open about my mental health with the people around me and I encourage others to do the same. Don’t be afraid to open up, whether to your family, friends or a professional. Hell, you can even reach out to me if talking to a total stranger sounds easier.
How was your 2018? I’d love to hear all about it, whether it was good, bad, or completely fantastic. I need some new bucket list items for 2019, so tell me your favourite places you visited this year and maybe I’ll find my way there next year!
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