Year in Review: My Top 10 Miss Adventures of 2017
I won’t lie, 2016 was a pretty tough year to follow-after all, I traveled to 15 countries and explored over 40 cities while living and working as a tour guide in Italy. That’s right, last year, I actually got paid to travel.
After such an unforgettable year, it is easy to see how 2017 got off to a bit of a rough start. Burnt out from my hectic tour guide lifestyle, I moved back home and began working at (irony of all ironies) an Italian restaurant while deciding what to do with my life.
It turned out that after just a few months at home, I decided the answer to that quandary was moving back to Europe. Within the first two weeks of 2017, I had applied to become an auxiliar de conversación (language and culture teaching assistant) in Spain. I spent the following months saving up and hoping that I would get accepted (Spoiler alert: I did, and am writing this post from Spain!).
While some of the year was filled with not-so-fun things (like saving up money), I still managed to squeeze in quite a few adventures! In 2017, I stepped foot in 6 countries (3 of which I’d never before visited), moved to Spain, started my new job teaching English, and crossed off some major bucket list items!
The following is a list of my favorite Miss Adventures from 2017! The list is in chronological order because I simply can’t choose a favorite. Here’s to another amazing year wandering!
1. Climbing Dunn’s River Falls and Visiting Jamaica’s Blue Hole
After a year away from home (and experiencing a Chicago winter for the first time in ages), a family trip to an all-inclusive resort in Jamaica was just what the doctor ordered! My family and I spent 1 week soaking up the sun, swimming, sipping coconuts, and simply relaxing in beautiful Jamaica.
Some of my favorite trip highlights were climbing up all 600 feet of Dunn’s River Falls and heading to the less touristy, but equally entertaining Blue Hole. I visited during February, and was not looking forward to going back to chilly Chicago!
2. California Dreamin’
I might be from Chicago, but I am a California girl at heart! Fun fact: I actually attended college in California, so after over a year away it was amazing to finally be able to visit and to catch up with old friends. I actually managed to make 3 trips out to Southern California before my big move, and I have to admit I went into full-on tourist mode!
Does it get much better than Disney? Follow me on Instagram @missadventuresabroad for more pictures from my favorite destinations!
During these visits, I spent a magical day at Disneyland, immersed myself in Universal Studio’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter, fulfilled all of my “La La Land” fantasies at Griffith Park, went on a wine tasting safari in Malibu, explored Santa Monica and Venice Beach, and consumed way too much In-N-Out for my own good. While I love living in Europe, visiting SoCal reminded me how much I miss the constant sun, palm trees, beaches, and, most of all, my friends.
3. Taking it Easy in The Big Easy: Falling for New Orleans
I spent 5 days taking it easy (just kidding I was actually doing a ton of sightseeing) in “The Big Easy,” and I left completely obsessed with New Orleans. The lively culture, beautiful and historic architecture, great food (and drink!), and variety of things to do has convinced me that Louisiana’s capital is the perfect place for a girl’s weekend! I stayed at the gorgeous Pontchartrain Hotel-whose rooftop bar is to die for! (And if you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know obsessed I am with rooftop bars.)
Some of my trip highlights were eating beignets at the famous Cafe du Monde, learning about NOLA’s haunted history on a ghost tour, heading outside of town to check out some of Louisiana’s historic plantations, and I even managed to hop on a swamp tour and see some alligators and wild hogs! New Orleans is definitely on my list of places to re-visit (can you say bachelorette party?…just kidding, that would require finding Mr. Adventures 😉 )
4. Livin’ la Vida Manini in Puerto Rico
Image: The Manini Experience
One of my most memorable adventures of 2017 was having the opportunity to spend 6 unforgettable days in Puerto Rico with The Manini Experience! I joined a great group of fellow travelers and adventure lovers for the Puerto Rico trip of a lifetime. We wandered around colorful Old San Juan, chased waterfalls in the El Yunque Rainforest, volunteered at Save a Sato animal shelter, kayaked in a bioluminescent bay surrounded by mangroves, went cave repelling, and of course swam in some of the island’s best beaches!
I especially enjoyed the trip because I was able to put down my camera for a change while Erica, one of the founders (and the professional photographer) behind The Manini Experience captured every epic moment.
5. Home Sweet Home…Chicago
You know what they say, home sweet home! I live about an hour North of Chicago (as any true Chicagoan would be quick to point out) but I did enjoy a few days being a tourist in my own backyard! It was great being back in the ‘burbs with family for a few months, and I even had a few friends from California come to visit the Windy City, which gave me the perfect excuse to re-visit some of my favorite Chicago spots like Millenium Park, the Sears (not Willis!) Tower, and I even went on another Chicago Architectural Boat tour! Maybe one of these days I’ll actually get around to writing a post about this city so close to home…
6. Road Trippin’ Out In Iceland
Another one of my absolute favorite trips of 2017 was my 6-day camping and road tripping adventure to Iceland! My best friend and I rented a car and camping equipment and set off for one of the most memorable trips I have taken to date. We swam in the famous Blue Lagoon, saw countless waterfalls, snorkeled in the Silfra fissure, visited some iconic Game of Thrones locations, visited stunning glaciers, had a blast camping, and even saw the Northern Lights!
Iceland jumped to the top of my bucket list in 2016, and I was so happy that I managed to fit a trip in (as a layover!) before moving to Spain. Which brings me to #7…
7. Moving to Spain
After my Iceland trip, I flew to Spain and spent the next few weeks settling into my new life in Sevilla. I found an apartment (complete with a rooftop terrace, pictured above!), sorted out my Spanish bank account, got a Spanish phone number, and did all of the other super “fun” tasks that come with moving abroad. After my first couple of weeks, I was settled in and began my new job working as an auxiliar de conversación (language and culture teaching assistant). While you can read more about life as an auxiliar here, I have truly been enjoying my life in Spain, the new friends I have made here, and the experiences I am having!
8. Hitting the Beach in Portugal
Upon arriving in Spain, I promptly took a weekend and headed back to Portugal on a weekend trip with We Love Spain. I spent the weekend before school started relaxing, getting a last-minute tan, enjoying the beautiful beaches of the Algarve, and even made some friends on the trip! It was the perfect way to de-stress after an international move and before starting my new job. I truly think the beaches of Portugal are some of the most beautiful in the world, and it was great to be back for a second time.
9. Exploring Spain
People often ask me what the best part of living in Spain is. For me, the answer is simple-getting to explore Spain! While I already visited quite a few Spanish cities in 2016 (Barcelona, Madrid, and some cities in Andalusia), there are so many places I have yet to visit! I kicked off my 2017 Spain adventures with a long weekend spent at my favorite place-the beach-in Cadiz, the oldest city in Spain. The weather was amazing, and it was the best place to spend a low-key weekend relaxing.
The next trip I took in Spain was to Valencia. I loved how this city truly “has it all”. There was never a dull moment, and I had the perfect amount of time to explore the historic center, the modern City of Arts and Sciences, extensive parks, and the beach.
I also managed to take a couple of day trips! I visited the Italica ruins just outside of Sevilla (also featured in Game of Thrones) and hiked in the nearby Parque Natural de la Sierra Norte de Sevilla.
10. Eating My Way Through Belgium
My last big adventure of 2017 was my visit to Belgium during a long weekend I had off in December. I managed to visit Brussels, Ghent, and Bruges all in one long weekend and had a blast doing it! I found Ghent and Bruges to be incredibly beautiful cities, and definitely wish I had more time to get to know Brussels better. Looks like I’ll just have to go back 😉 . It was a whirlwind weekend ful of beautiful sights, amazing art, new friends, and LOTS of food.
I have to admit that I consumed entirely too much beer, chocolate, waffles, and fries for any one person! You can read all about the epic beer and chocolate tour in went on in Belgium here.
There you have it! My favorite memories and moments from 2017, I can’t wait to see what Miss Adventures that 2018 has in store for me! What were some of your favorite travels in 2017? Do you have any fun trips coming up in 2018? I’d love to hear about them in the comments section below. 🙂
You might also enjoy:
- Exactly How I Lived In Europe + Got Paid To Travel (And You Can Too!)
- 16 Epic Adventures I Had In 2016
- Dear Italy, I Love You, But I’m Leaving You For Spain
- My First Month Teaching English In Spain As An Auxiliar de Conversación
- How I Afford To Travel: 1 Year, 15 Countries, And Just $2,000
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