My 2019 in travels
What a year to end the decade with! 2019 was full of positive things. I started to work on improving my mindset, I went back to university, strengthen the relationships with people around me and traveled more than ever. In 2019, I visited 14 different countries and for the first time, my number of road trips surpassed my number of flights (ten road trips versus six flights, plus dozens of domestic train rides). Here is a year overview of all the countries and cities I’ve traveled to in 2019, and their respective blogposts.
The Netherlands
This year I visited many different cities within my home country. Traveled to the east in January to visit some friends who moved to Deventer, and I enjoyed some snowfall in my hometown of Rotterdam.
In spring, I did some blog collaborations in the cities of Haarlem and Woerden. And of course, I also went to the Keukenhof and the flower fields!
Fast forward to summer, and I had a meet-up in The Hague with other travel bloggers. Also went to Utrecht a couple of times to hang out with friends.
In the fall I spent a lot of time in Amsterdam, which is my new student city. And I also went to Leiden for their floating Christmas market.
A guide to enjoy the gorgeous flower fields in The Netherlands
How to take photos at the Keukenhof gardens while keeping it fun
United States of America
My first international trip of 2019 was to Miami in February. No better way to beat to the winter blues than to tan them away! Which I did at the Venetian Pool in Coral Gables, the atoll pool in Homestead and the white sand of South Beach.
Curaçao
Miami is not the only warm destination that I went to last winter. From there, I flew straight to Curaçao, the island where I interned in 2015. My friend and former roommate moved to Curaçao permanently to start her own business with the love of her life. For years, she kept asking when I was going to visit her. So I finally did in 2019 – twice! I combined Curaçao with Miami for leisure, and I returned for a couple of days in September to attend her wedding.
A guide to discover the candy-colored island of Curaçao
Charter your own private yacht in Curaçao with Miramar Boat Trips
Explore the coast of Curaçao in high speed with Powerboat Caribbean
Belgium
Brussels is another place that I visited twice this year, once in spring and once in fall. Activities that I did in Brussels include a visit to Autoworld, going up the Atomium and strolling through Grote Markt.
Germany
Germany was my most visited country of 2019, I went there three times! My first German trip happened in May, which was a girls trip to Cochem. Chasing castles, crossing the longest pedestrian bridge, and all that jazz.
In August we celebrated Jaime’s birthday in Cologne, and in December we got into the Christmas spirit with the markets of Dortmund and Essen.
Denmark
My 26th country at the age of 26! I used a national bank holiday to drive up to Copenhagen with two of my best friends. We walked a lot, ate a lot, and most importantly, laughed a lot!
Slovenia
Slovenia was the first of three new countries for me. Jaime and I started our road trip through the Western Balkans in colorful Ljubljana, and also ended it there, with a stop at the magical Lake Bled.
The best photo spots in Ljubljana for your Instagram
The ups & downs of my trip through Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia
Croatia
This country was at the top of my European wish list for years, and I am really happy that I got the chance to visit in 2019. Croatia was just amazing as I had imagined! We stayed in Dubrovnik, Split, Hvar and Zadar. From Zadar, we did a daytrip to Sakarun Beach, which was my highlight of Croatia!
Bosnia and Herzegovina
When asked what my favorite destination of 2019 was, I immediately answer Bosnia. We had to drive through it to get to Dubrovnik, so why not visit the country as well? And so we did. Somewhere in between driving through the glorious mountains of Bosnia, wandering through the Old Town of Mostar and kayaking at the Kravica waterfalls, I fell deeply in love with this country.
Relax at the majestic Kravica waterfalls in Bosnia & Herzegovina
Spain
Just like the year before, 2019 included a summer girls trip to Ibiza. Going there is already a party in its own right, but this year was extra festive: it was my birthday! Spent that day swimming at the turquoise waters of Cala Saladeta, saw the sun go down at the Amare rooftop bar and closed the night at club Hï.
France
It doesn’t matter how often I go to Paris, it simply never gets old. So it was really nice to visit again after almost three years of absence! This trip was a nice mix of old and new activities, of which the latter included a visit to the Catacombs and a stroll through Rue Crémieux.
England
London is another city where the possibilities never end. My favorite memories of this trip was eating a delicious vegan brownie at Borough Market, spotting pastel houses in Notting Hill and seeing dinosaurs for the first time ever at Natural History Museum. But the best part was being hosted and spending time with an old friend!
Luxembourg
I traveled to Luxembourg to celebrate two special occasions with my mom: her birthday in the fall and the Christmas holidays. Went up the elevator of Pfaffenthal in Luxembourg-city and I really enjoyed to ice skate during Boxing Day.
Portugal
For New Year’s Eve I went to my native country Portugal, where I stayed at my dad’s house near Porto. I honestly could not have wished for a more beautiful ending of 2019. Saw my aunt, cousins and grandparents again, met up with friends in Porto and Aveiro, ate all the delicious Portuguese sweets and watched the last sunset of the year at the beach. It was simply perfect!
I want to thank you all for following and supporting me in 2019, I truly appreciate it! If you wish to see where I'm heading to in 2020, then don't forget to follow me on Instagram and Facebook as well 🙂
Hope you had an amazing NYE, and that it was the start of a year full of love, success and travels!
Much love, AR
