Ten Best Travel Moments of 2016

Ah, my last post of the year. I’m getting a little choked up. I know this is cliché and every travel blogger does this, but I must Yes, we like to number things and make lists; it’s really more for me than you. Can I have this selfish moment? I had a crazy year with probably the most traveling I’ve ever done, all while having a full-time job.   I’ve seen many fairytale places this year and had some rugged adventures. I discovered my inner hiker and accomplished things I didn’t think were physically possible for me. Maybe you’ve been with me for these moments, maybe not. In case you missed it, here are Wandering Redhead’s best travel moments of 2016!

Ljubliana, Slovenia

 (Maybe the Most Beautiful City I’ve Ever Seen)

From the first few seconds walking through this idyllic city I was smitten. Pink churches, dragons and castle on the hill. What more could a princess ask for? Oh yes….don’t forget the nice people and delicious food. Ljubljana still seems like a dream.

Hiking Trolltunga, Norway

Trolltunga basically owned me the second I saw a picture on Instagram. I’m like…where the hell is that place and how do I get there? Well, a year or so later add a few pain killers and massages and I saw it.  Worth every knee throbbing second!

Seeing the Famous Old Bridge of Mostar, Bosnia

I decided to visit Mostar because of course I saw this magical bridge picture but little did I know that the entire town, not to mention all of Bosnia,  is astonishingly charming with old world influence, hospitable people and fabulous food! I am so glad I stayed a few days here and didn’t limit myself to a day trip from Dubrovnik.

Hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru

Machu Picchu is a world wonder and on everybody’s list. I was surprised by how much more special it was after hiking the grueling Inca Trail, which by itself, is an intriguing beautiful experience.

Swimming with Pigs

(And Sharks, And Stingrays, And Lizards)

The Exumas, an island chain in the Bahamas, is only one hour by plane from my home in Miami but I only recently had the pleasure of experiencing this unspoiled remote paradise.

Lake Bled in the Slovenian Alps

Is this even real? I thought this when I first saw pictures of Lake Bled. I also thought the same when I actually saw it in person. I’m still not sure.

Hiking Rainbow Mountain, Peru

This was another place you have to see to believe. It’s a challenging hike at crazy high altitudes and I did it while recovering from food poisoning and would not have missed Rainbow Mountain for the world.

Attending a Wedding in Dubrovnik, Croatia

Dubrovnik is such a sparkly gem…who couldn’t love this place. Coming here with a group of crazies and doing fun wedding related activated including a Game of Thrones tour gave a whole new meaning to the word fun.

Winter Magic in Iceland

Many people thought I was crazy going to Iceland in winter, but after living in Miami, the chance to wear winter clothes excited me just a tad. Just kidding…that’s not the only reason I went in the winter. Iceland intrigued me…and I wanted to see the Aurora. I’m actually still here as I write this and had the most incredible day ever. I think I’m going to ask this glacier lagoon to marry me.

Working with Refugees in Greece

This was a bittersweet moment. I was saying good bye to these sweet children, who I had spent the week with, and I was literally sobbing and continued crying for days, off and on for weeks. Volunteering with refugees was one of the most profound experiences of my life, and I’m proud to say that my blog post about it has been among my most popular posts with many readers contacting me because they want to go help. THIS is why I started blogging. This is my passion…bringing attention to people and places that need attention. I plan to do much more of this in 2017.

This was my first year of travel blogging, something I only started to take seriously in May. I unleashed my inner gypsy and she is out of control, so watch out 2017, this crazy redhead will literally be all over the globe. I hope to bring you even more exciting adventures, touching stories and inspiring photos.

Happy New Year!

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