2018 Travels: Five Places On My List

Positano, Amalfi, Italy

Travelling is the only thing I'm happy to admit I'm greedy about. Sure, pancakes and pizza make the list too, but there's something about travelling that makes me commit all the deadly sins. I lust after every place I read in Condé Nast Traveller, become greedy by booking more and more every year and take supreme pride in making each of my holidays the most perfect they can be. Yet, I'm still not ashamed. Travel enables us to escape, experience and learn so much. We can leave winter at home and arrive in the height of summer. We can learn a new language, swim in unknown waters, walk along untouched sand and learn about endangered wildlife.

And does anyone else ever get that feeling of impatience and restlessness when it comes to travel? Once one is over, we're thinking of the next, in a never-ending cycle of researching, booking or preparing for holidays. There's almost a frightened feeling that nestles itself within me that I will never be able to see all of what Earth has to offer, all of what I want to see, smell, touch and taste in the world.

So with the summer of 2017 wrapped up and London in full autumn swing, I'm fervently planning 2018 travels. Some of these that made the list have been on my 'must-visit' for years, but I finally think next year is the time to go.

Positano, Amalfi, Italy

Mykonos, Greece
I can't quite believe the amount of times I've seen Greece this year through my iPhone. It seems all my favourite Instagrammers took the plunge into the emerald green waters just to make me that bit more envious than usual.

I've wanted to visit Greece for a very long time but next year my sister and I are finally going to visit. There's something so other-worldy and paradisiacal about Greece with its white sandy beaches, whitewashed villages and glamourous and bohemian clientele. Not to mention it's up-and-coming foodie scene and its vibrant, cosmopolitan nightlife.

Zero research has been undertaken but I'm optimistic it won't take too much planning since it's an extremely popular holiday destination and so hotels, restaurants and things to do are plentiful.




Italy - Puglia, Sardinia (Porto Cervo), Rome, Florence, Sicily
All Sarah and I know so far about our 2018 adventure is that Italy is part of the itinerary. We're not entirely sure which part since Italy is so vast and there are so many beautiful cities, beaches and towns to see. We may even fly into a city for a couple of days before flying off elsewhere to see the beaches. Either way, Italy is so magical that wherever we decide to go, will be wonderful in all its rustic charm.

Côte D'Azur, France
Surprisingly, I've only ever visited Paris in France despite the country being our closest neighbour. But the rolling hills of Provence, glamour of Le Sud and quaint charm of Colmar or Annecy all look more than appealing. Next year, instead of our annual trip to Zermatt in Switzerland, we may be breaking routine with a trip to Provence.

Barcelona, Spain

Auschwitz, Poland
On a more serious note, Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial museum in Poland has been somewhere I've wanted to visit to pay my respect to those who died there for a long time. Upon seeing the Anne Frank museum in Amsterdam last month, I've become even more fascinated by those who were involved in the horrific Nazi regime and sent to concentration camps. Next year, I would find it terribly moving to visit Auschwitz and pay my respects.



United Kingdom
Erm, hello! I'm never usually a fan of stay-cations as the weather in the UK really is appalling. That said, there are some beautiful parts that are worth seeing come rain or sun. I'd love to take a day-trip to Cambridge this year, in addition to Gower Peninsula in Wales and the Cotswolds in Oxfordshire.

And if I'm feeling extra greedy and my bank account extra kind, Paris in the springtime would be a dream. It's the best time of year to see Paris and I'd love to just spend two or three days sipping coffee and nibbling on macarons in a Parisian courtyard. It is only a train ride away, after all.

Et voila! I'm grateful beyond words for where I've been able to travel to over the past few years, and even more so this year. But I hope that life will continue onwards and upwards as always, making 2018 the best year yet. It's not even the end of the year and I'm already starting a 'New Years' type speech...time to go!