I landed back in England on the 25th of February after my last trip and, as all travellers do, the countdown to the next trip began. 153 days, 9,180 hours, 550,800 minutes ā shall I go on? No?
Thereās definitely a brat-like element to feeling ātrappedā in your own country for 5 months. Living comfortably with a roof over my head and a stable job in a first-world country ā you wouldnāt believe the āstruggleā these past few months have been as I count down to the second holiday of the year. Is that a violin I hear?
“Trapped” in this hell hole?
Joking aside, going so long between trips isnāt something Iām used to which is why I wrote a little post about managing wanderlust a while back (Ā Read me! ). Wanderlust is a dreaded disease with only one known cure, a temporary one at that, which is to book another trip!
As tempting as that has been Iāve been trying to save my pennies for the summer trip. One of my tips to help manage my wanderlust was to travel locally and Iāve been trying to make the most of that over the last 3 months. Iāve had weekends in Manchester, London and Kettering plus other daytrips to Lincoln and London (yes, again) which have helped a little.
Lincoln castle!
Iāve also been trying to appreciate Peterborough (home) a little more given the good recent weather. If you follow me on Instagram youāll have noticed Iāve been making the most of my lunch hours with visits to the cathedral and museum recently ā both are free and well worth a visit!
I feel like Iāve done a good job of managing my wanderlust over the past three months so I rewarded myself with a trip to France! Oops!
Going back to France!
Alright, let me explain! I figured I could squeeze in one more day trip somewhere before my summer adventure, I was adamant I wouldnāt do an overnight trip and I started contemplating all of the places within the UK that I could visit in a day. Thereās a lot to see in the UK but I donāt drive so Iām always a little restricted by the public transport and the extortionate fees that can come with train fares. Of course I didn’t have to go by train, I could have taken a bus journey but bus times are even more restrictive if you’re only looking at a daytrip and thatās when Eurostarās sale caught my eye!
I’ve used up all of my remaining annual leave for the summer so I couldnāt take any more time off work. As I didnāt want to stay overnight I wasnāt feeling too hopeful about finding suitable weekend tickets at a good price. You usually find that you can only find the cheapest fare one way or that itāll be at a stupid time that doesnāt work with a daytrip. Iād given up hope of being able to find an affordable weekend Paris daytrip, Amsterdam seemed too inconvenient in a day and I didn’t fancy another trip to Brussels but decided Iād have a quick look at trains to Lille and voila!
I found a Ā£29 morning train to Lille, a Ā£29 evening train back to London and had a Ā£5 Eurostar voucher still to use. Whilst Ā£53 isnāt the cheapest day-trip I suppose I see it as a substitute to a day out at the football. I’d easily spend Ā£50 on a game of football so thereās little difference here.
Exploring Manchester in March!
Could I have saved a little more on a UK based daytrip? Perhaps, although a Ā£50 return train journey isnāt anything out of the ordinary in this country. Iād sooner have a small taste of some foreign adventure and a return to France!
So come June 30th Iāll be waking up in my own bed, traveling to France for a day and then sleeping in my own bed that same night. It’s an incredible luxury and privilege as a European to be able to travel so freely! How lucky are we to be able to pop to another country for a day?
Perhaps remind me of that on July 1st when Iām moaning about the ālongā four week wait until the USA trip?
Iāve had an influx of new followers lately so first and foremost ā welcome to you all! It has been a little while since my last post as other things have taken priority but I hope youāre all doing well.
If youāve been following along for a while youāll recall that I posted about the early planning process for my summer plans. To recap; Iām attending a wedding on the 5th of August in Washington State and then turn 30 on the 7th of August. Two reasons to celebrate gave me two reasons to make this a summer to remember ā I wanted to make this a big trip and therefore Iāll be spending 30 days in the USA! Thirty bloody days! Crazy!
My previous post was speaking about what my early thoughts of planning such a big trip would be, so if youāre planning something similar you can give that a read here:Ā The big 3-0!
However Iām now closer to having a finalised itinerary and I wanted to provide you with an update on what the plan is looking like.
My dates have been relatively set for some time. The date of the wedding has changed a couple of times but all have overlapped with my original plan to fly to the US on July 28th and get home on August 27th (flying home overnight on the 26th).
These dates meant I could attend the wedding, celebrate my birthday and also make the most of August 27th being a public holiday in the UK ā i.e one less day of annual leave used. It meant I could get 30 days in the US with only 20 days taken off work which was pretty ideal!
So with the dates confirmed all I had to do was decide where Iād be spending them and who, if anyone, would accompany me. Easy right?
This plan has changed several times over for several reasons. Iāve considered visiting pretty much everywhere across the States and looked in to visiting parts of Canada too but nothing has been particularly set in stone. My only definitive plans were to visit Washington for the wedding and make my first visits to Portland and San Francisco. Iāve been pretty flexible beyond that. So here goes!
USA bound!
Chicago: July 28th ā July 30th
Iām starting the trip off solo in Chicago. This was somewhere Iād thought about visiting but then as the plan developed disappeared from my itinerary.
However flight prices were decent and Chicago OāHareās airport was a decent base to get around the country for some of the other places I was considering.
I was debating whether to spend two or three days here dependent on where Iād be going next. It now looks like it’ll be two days.
Minneapolis: July 30th ā August 1st
For a 30 day trip, perhaps surprisingly stop number 2 was one of the last pieces of my āājigsawā. Iāll be honest and say this wasnāt somewhere Iād given too much consideration in visiting. I knew I wanted to go to destination number 3 on August 1st but was having trouble deciding where to go between Chicago and stop number 3.
Iād considered Minneapolis but it wasnāt towards the top of my list and wasnāt a ābucketlistā city for me to visit. However this week my beloved Tottenham Hotspur announced theyād be returning to the US and playing in Minneapolis on July 31st.
I’d booked my flights to Chicago well before the announcement because I had no intention of planning my trip around Spurs. With that said I had kept this particular date open and it’s just happened to work out that I’m already in a neighbouring state. It’s not a long journey from Chicago so was a pretty logical second stop.
Potentially country number 8 watching Tottenham!
New Orleans: August 1st ā August 4th
Having friends in the US always gives me something extra to think about when planning a US trip. For this particular trip I was keen to try and visit two of my penpals, Crystal (Florida) and Sam (Alabama). I was fortunate to meet the latter in Nashville last year but weād yet to successfully meet up with all three of us!
Given their locations the easiest meeting point would be somewhere Southern and somehow we got on to the possibility of New Orleans. I still want to visit both in Alabama and Florida but I was sold on the idea of NOLA pretty instantly. I’m hoping I’ll get a nicer welcome in the South than I did in Georgia or Texas (you’ll have to wait for those stories).
This has been on my list pretty early on and the only thing left to decide was how long I wanted to stay here. I’ve opted for 3-ish days.
Me, Haleigh, Cassie & Maddie!
Seattle: August 4th ā August 6th
As mentioned abovve, the wedding is on the 5th so this was a no brainer. Itāll be my third time in Washington though so Iām happy flying in to Seattle on the 4th and leaving just after. Iāll definitely be back to Washington in the future anyway.
I’ll be watching Cassie and Maddie get married and meeting up with Haleigh too! From this point onwards I’ll have Haleigh joining me for the adventure!
Portland: August 6th ā August 9th
As soon as I knew I was traveling to the West coast for a wedding I knew I had to find some time to visit Portland. It looks like a great city and I have a few friends locally that Iām hoping Iāll catch up with. Iām a little gutted because my time here doesn’t overlap with a Timbers game but itās still somewhere Iām so excited to visit. It’ll be a cool place to celebrate my birthday too!
Moses Lake: August 9th ā August 10th
Me and Haleigh are driving down to Portland after the wedding and then weāll be driving back to Washington together before the weekend hits. I donāt know if weāre specifically going to Moses Lake but I figure weāll probably have a day at āhomeā to relax before the adventure continues!
Moses Lake, you’re so pretty!
Walla Walla: August 10th ā August 13th
A return to beautiful Walla Walla. I visited here in February and it was somewhere I grew quite fond of ā the mountain views certainly helped! Haleighās family are hosting their big annual BBQ on the 11th which means weāll end up spending the weekend here before getting back to the adventuring.
Oregon Coast: August 13th ā August 15th
Back to Oregon! San Francisco bound, we (Haleigh) will be driving down the coast and visiting places such as Lincoln City, Newport and wherever else along the way. It looks pretty and gives us a chance to see more of the state and a chance for Haleigh to revisit some places she hasnāt been to for a while.
Redwood National Park: August 15th ā August 16th
Itās still a long drive to San Francisco from Oregon so I was conscious of stopping somewhere and this seemed like a suitable choice on route. Whilst Iād love to see some of the bigger parks in the US I still think this will be pretty cool.
San Francisco: August 16th ā August 20th
This has been high up on my list of places to visit for a long time. Iām so excited to finally be making my first visit to San Fran this year. We have four nights here which should give us plenty of time to see a lot of what the city has to offer. After the wedding this was probably the part of the trip I was most excited about. Seeing that Golden Gate bridge in particular will definitely be a “pinch me” moment.
Bend: August 20th to August 22nd
A visit to Bend (Oregon) breaks up the return drive from California to Washington and gives us an opportunity to visit a friend too which we were both keen to try and squeeze in to the trip. I donāt know if weāll spend one or two days in Bend but itāll be nice to make a stop here.
Moses Lake: August 22nd to August 25th
Iām anticipating Haleigh might be back to work on the 23rd so weāre aiming to get back āhomeā the day before. After three and a half weeks of traveling itāll be nice to relax for a day or two. If Haleigh doesn’t have to work we might end up going elsewhere but we’ll see.
Spokane, Washington
Spokane: August 25th to August 26th
A necessary stop to start making my way home. I went to Spokane last September and it was a nice overnight stop, I’d be fine with a brief second visit. Spokaneās airport is small but meant I could directly reach my next and final stop.
Chicago: August 26th
Departure day. I looked at various flight options but in the end decided Iād fly to and from the same place, so back to Chicago I go! At the minute I’m suggesting I’ll arrive and fly home on the same day but this might change, we’ll see.
Anyway, there you have it!Ā Six states, several cities, one wedding and one 30th birthday spread across 30 days!
This isnāt the absolute final itinerary and there are probably still going to be some slight amendments but for the most-part this is a good glimpse at where Iāll be heading this summer, which is now exactly 100 days away!
If you have any recommendations for any of the above please give me a heads up. With the exception of Washington State, these are all new states that Iām visiting so any tips are much appreciated!
Rather than focus on a specific destination I thought I would switch the topic by looking at something a little more personal and perhaps more relatable for those who donāt travel as frequently as I do.
I initially planned to post this on āWorld Mental Health Dayā and the recent āTime To Talk Dayā was another opportunity to do so but whilst I recognise the good work campaigns like these do, you almost fall in to a trap which defeats the intention of said campaigns.
The message these campaigns want to get across is that itās important to talk about mental health/illness ā I completely agree. However in practice you find people raise the issue on World Mental Health Day for example and then it doesnāt get mentioned again until next yearās World Mental Health Day, where itās then mentioned again how important it is to talk about it.
Donāt get me wrong, I do applaud these campaigns for starting the conversation but itās easy to fall in to that trap. If mental health is something we want to see understood better within society then it needs to become more of an every-day conversation opposed to a once-a-year raise awareness day. So I scrapped my initial intention and figured posting this on a personal āanniversaryā for me was more appropriate.
I consider myself to have been fortunate with my mental health on the whole. Iām generally a positive person which helps the overall state of my mental health. Depression has always alluded me and whilst everyone has their bad days or difficult times it has never been more than that for me. Itās very different from those struggling and fighting depression on a daily basis.
My āachilles heelā however has always been anxiety.
Iāve never talked too much about my anxiety and thereās two reasons for that; first and foremost Iām a fairly independent person. My anxiety isnāt some big secret and some people are aware of it but it’s not something I drop into conversation too often. Iāve never been particularly good at talking about myself or sharing all of the aspects of my life.
I fully advocate talking about mental illness. I think it’s important to talk to someone if you’re struggling but that doesnāt necessarily mean you have to talk about it to everyone. The latter has been more my approach I suppose. I know there are people I can talk to as and when I need to but Iāve personally preferred dealing with mine on a smaller scale rather than making a big thing of it.
So similarly if youāre struggling then please just find someone to talk to, it doesnāt have to be a public SOS for everyone to see. Just one person can make a difference and I promise you there is someone that cares and is willing to listen if you need someone to talk to. If youāre doubtful that person exists please message me any time. Iām not much of a talker but listening Iām pretty good at!
The second reason Iāve never talked about my anxiety too much in the past is because for a long time I didnāt really understand it. I think by the time I realised it was anxiety that Iād suffered from the worst of it had gone. I still suffer from, what I consider to be, mild anxiety. Part of that overlaps in being an introvert, I donāt think Iāll ever be fully rid of anxiety because traits of my personality just make it impossible to avoid. Fortunately on a day-by-day basis Iāve found a way of managing the occasions where my anxiety is eating away at my brain.
However that wasnāt always the case. At the peak of my anxiety I was really struggling with it, both mentally and physically ā possibly more the latter. The mental side of the illness was easier to hide, the physical aspect I couldnāt escape from.
I’d love to be able to pinpoint an exact point in time where it switched because it certainly wasn’t with me through my childhood.
Life as a kid was easy-going!
I first remember it being an issue shortly after starting my first job when I’d start spending time with friends outside of work. I loved the people and it was great to be able to spend time together away from work but on one occasion I started to feel a little unwell, next thing I knew I was throwing up.
Did I eat something funny? Maybe I just needed a little fresh air? My friends were a little concerned but reassuring and helped make me feel comfortable.. Shortly after the feeling had passed and I got back to enjoying the company and the occasion. I couldnāt really explain why I’d been sick but you know, sometimes people just get sick. It was certainly uncomfortable for me but Iād just put it down as a one time thing.
Until the next time ā now a pattern has emerged. āSick again! Wonderful! I felt fine 20 minutes ago, where has this come from?ā
With the benefit of hindsight I can see it was anxiety but at the time I had no idea why this was happening. I didnāt really know anything about anxiety and that this was causing me to be sick, perhaps if Iād been more aware of it I could have managed it better but all I knew was āSickboyā had returned (the āsuperheroā name needs a little work) and wanted to spoil my day.
The pattern quickly became a habit and thatās when the mental illness really kicked in. Iād gone from thinking of it as a one time thing to pleading that it didnāt happen again ā the fact it was already playing on my mind didnāt help. The mental side of the anxiety had me reminiscing of being sick on previous catch-ups and all I could think about was what I could do to stop it. All I could think about was not being sick again and I think having it play on my mind so much meant there was only ever going to be one outcome = āBLEURGH!ā.
It was now a worry. Hope turned in to acceptance for future social situations. Wishing it away wasnāt working so letās plan around it ā āalright body, Iām meeting friends at 1 so if we could get the throwing up done by midday thatād be grandā.
Body: āI mean, that sounds reasonable but do you know what would be more fun..?ā āBleurghā.
I had no control over it and the more it happened the more it played on my mind. It had affected me socially and then started creeping in to other aspects of my life.
I remember going back to college, day one resulted in making numerous stops in what should have been a short walk to the college grounds from the city centre but another “first day” meeting new people was overwhelming.
Similarly Iād go to job interviews and my brain was over-thinking like crazy. Being nervous for a job interview is pretty common, I was certainly no different in that respect but the pre-interview period was just as difficult.
People wisely recommend that you aren’t late for a job interview, I hate being late for anything so that wasn’t an issue. My issue was I was too early! I’m here and I can’t even go in yet, I’d started questioning what is early and what is too early – finding the right balance between a good impression and a sad desperation. Being early can be a good trait but it just left me more time to think about every little thing, the anxiety came over me and then suddenly I knew what was coming.
I didn’t particularly want the first interview question to be “were you the guy throwing up outside?” so I was then pacing up and down the street searching for somewhere more suitable to embarrass myself publicly (“are you alright mate?”).
I couldn’t go anywhere without fear of another wave of anxiety accompanying me. Come the summer of 2011 I was heading to Ibiza, my first trip abroad without any adult supervision. It hit me like a tonne of bricks as I made my way up to Manchester to meet friends. Again, I donāt think I really appreciated it was anxiety at the time but looking back my arch-enemy ‘anxiety’ was commanding its close friend āSickboyā to return and get my trip off to the worst of starts.
It was my first unsupervised trip and I guess deep down I knew it. Despite having friends with me there was no real safety net for this trip and I guess I was aware of it to some degree. The āladsā holiday didnāt start how I’d hoped, I spent the night before being ill before getting an early night whilst the others enjoyed themselves ā the taunts of being āa lightweightā were inevitable but I knew Iād barely had more than a beer and this wasnāt alcohol-related.
Iād not even left the country and I was being sick, it didnāt bode well for the rest of the trip. Fortunately, like many occasions before it, the feeling passed. I woke up nervous and excited at going away āproperlyā for the first time. However I quickly found my feet, had a wonderful week and wanted more.
Take me back!
I grew up a little on that trip, Three months later I was starting a new job and from then on I started making progress in my battle with anxiety. The anxiety-related-sickness still reared its head on occasions but the instances were becoming far fewer. I was still pretty hopeless socially but at least āSickboyā wasnāt coming out to play every time I left the house.
The worst of my anxiety seemed to be over and that takes me up to my biggest test yet. February 9th 2013: Today marks my 5 year anniversary since traveling from London to Sydney ā solo! I was traveling to the other side of the planet and this time I didnāt even have the luxury of friends to fall back on.
On the second trip to Ibiza we (Iām looking at you Chris) managed to flood our hotel room which isnāt really what you want when on holiday. However we dealt with it ā no need to panic! Fortunately the hotel wasnāt fitted with carpets and we could simply sweep the water away without any damage done (except for a few wet personal items).
Much of my anxiety I’d had on the first trip had disappeared because it was familiar the second time round. A familiar location with familiar company and we even stayed at the same hotel as the first trip so I knew exactly what to expect when traveling the second time.
Traveling solo was completely different and it tested my anxiety and confidence. I had the idea to go to Sydney for months but I was reluctant to tell people too soon because I didnāt want to start telling people and then look foolish once I backtracked. I couldnāt possibly travel on my own, could I? I was this shy little kid who didn’t know anything about anything.
I floated the idea with a few people and soon enough I was booking the time off work, I had the money to book everything and yet still no concrete plans. Money and time off were one thing but mentally I just couldn’t bring myself to get it booked.
In a literal sense obviously it isnāt true but in some respects I think there were other people who knew I was going to Sydney before I did. I was probably the last to genuinely believe it. I had people congratulating me on how brave I was and inside I was shitting myself. Come January I still hadnāt even booked my February trip to Australia ā was I even going to go? Was anxiety going to ruin this for me too? I could wait, I can go another time, wait until someone comes with me.
āThat is NEVER happening!ā ā this was probably the thing I told myself to make it happen. Maybe I would still have made it to Sydney at some point in the future but convincing myself I wouldnāt was enough to overcome the anxiety to book it. So what if I was going alone? People do it all of the time. The only person stopping me from going to Australia was myself ā if anything thereād be more reasons/excuses in the future not to go. Relationships, responsibilities, financial commitments and so many other things. Stop making bloody excuses!
Alright! It’s booked! Wait, shit! It’s booked. There’s no going back now.
Looking so excited to be traveling alone, right?
Luckily I left it so late to book the trip I didnāt really give myself long to worry myself about the trip. The trip to the airport I was feeling the nerves and a little sickly but importantly I wasnāt sick! My dad dropped me off at the airport, took a pre-trip photo to share with the world (Facebook) and from then I was on my own!
London to Singapore, Singapore to Sydney, two weeks in Sydney, Sydney to Singapore, Singapore to London ā easy!
By the time my dad left my nerves had turned more in to excitement. I was going to fucking Australia! The journey wasnāt without its nervous moments. I boarded my flight in Singapore heading to Sydney and sat in the wrong seat for starters, which is a shame as I had friendly neighbours until realising and then having to move. I started getting comfy in my correct seat only for the plane to black out before take-off ā is that supposed to happen? I looked around but nobody else was panicking, I guess we’re okay.. the plane blacks out again! Okay, that’s now twice!
Iām not normally a nervous flyer but suddenly I felt uneasy. Check the phalange or whatever else you need to do but surely weāre not going to fly? I donāt want this bloody plane blacking out mid-air! Iām not religious but come take-off I was looking to the heavens for divine intervention to make sure everything went smoothly, itās the most nervous Iāve ever been for a flight and then the whirring noise started. āWhat the fuck is that? That canāt be good!ā
What was it? The bloody wings manoeuvring. I suppose Iād never sat that close to them before or never noticed the noise it makes in switching from take-off to flying mode because I had no idea and was a wreck for the first 20 minutes of the flight.
I soon calmed down and it wasnāt until landing that I started panicking again. Having made it a few hours panic-free that whirring noise had returned ā āoh come on.. weāre almost there! Please land safely..!ā . Unsurprisingly the wings were doing the reverse of take-off and getting ready for landing. It was knowledge I wish Iād had during the flight rather than trying to familiarise myself with the faces of my crash-buddies around me.
I landed in Sydney! Iād survived! I was relieved. I passed through customs without any problems and was soon arriving at Sydneyās Central train station. Blue skies and the sound of that beautiful accent ā I was actually here! I was in fucking Sydney! Time to enjoy it!
Iām not suggesting traveling cured my anxiety because it is something I still struggle with and if it was that easy to rid yourself of mental illness then nobody would struggle with it but for me personality it proved to be a big help.
I was eating out in restaurants by myself, having to interact with strangers, putting myself in unfamiliar scenarios and it built my confidence in a way that only traveling could do. I’d always thought of myself as some shy little kid whereas I think this trip taught me there’s a difference between being quiet and lacking confidence.
Asking strangers to take photos of me and my new friend!
I’m never going to be the life of the party but I’m okay with that, it doesn’t mean I don’t have the confidence to go out, enjoy the world and live my life.
Ibiza had given me a taste but this trip really kick-started my love affair with travel and rid me of some of the doubts holding me back. If I could travel to Sydney by myself I could do anything. A month later I was booking a solo weekend trip to Kƶln and the traveling has been non-stop since.
Anxiety still invites itself along for the ride of life on occasions and remains an unwelcome plus-one but Iām ecstatic to have wished farewell to āSickboyā who hasnāt (but for self-inflicted-hangovers) been seen since prior to that airport-journey 5 years ago!
Iām luckier than most in that my anxiety is pretty mild, manageable and without medication too. However I do wish Iād had the luxury of hindsight and perhaps if more people were talking about mental illness ten years ago Iād have understood my anxiety better before it really span out of control.
Whether youāre open about your mental illness or struggle with it quietly know that there are people you can turn to. Find loved ones you can talk to, feel free to message me any time or if youād prefer something a little more anonymous get in touch with the many organisations who have people specialised to help those struggling with their mental health.
Iāve linked to a few organisations below who can advise better than I can and hopefully help make some positive steps in either overcoming it or managing it better.
1988 ā a year of many historic moments. Phantom of the Opera opened on Broadway, Liverpool were the champions of English football, Celine Dion won the Eurovision song contest, George Bush won the 88 US presidential election but most importantly was the birth of an English baby boy on the 7thĀ of August. I was always a bit of an early riser as a kid so typically I was two hours early to deny myself the perfect birth date of 8/8/88.
Even as a baby I was thinking about holidays!
Fast forward 29 years and that little baby is quickly approaching his 30thĀ birthday! Thirty!
Those 30 years have taken me to some incredible places. For starters I was born and grew up in London so life began in one of the best cities in the world, certainly my favourite anyway. Iāve since been to the likes of New York City, Sydney, Berlin, Madrid, Amsterdam and manyĀ manyĀ more destinations. I canāt deny Iāve done a lot of traveling but it would be easy to forget I didnāt really start taking traveling seriously until 2013.
I was lucky growing up that I had been on family trips, the odd school trip and then had annual one week holidays of my own in 2011 and 2012 but going into 2013 Iād barely scratched the surface of all there is to see on this planet.
It wasnāt until 2013 that I really started focusing my efforts in to traveling more. So barely five years! People often suggest traveling is for your 20ās, if that was the case Iād arrived pretty late to the party! Iāll let you in on a little secret though ā you can keep traveling at 30 and beyond! I know itās hard to believe but itās true! Iāve seen it with my own eyes! Apparently they donāt confiscate your passport on your 30thĀ birthday!
So with that shocking revelation in mind, the planning for my own 30thĀ is underway. On the 3rdĀ of August Iām due to attend a wedding on the West coast of the USA, with a 30thĀ birthday four days later how could I not spend it in the US? The timing was perfect and thereās so much of the US I still want to see ā particularly down that West coast! A big adventure was on the cards.
I floated the idea with my boss at work about taking a longer trip and asked how much time Iād be able to take off in one go. I optimistically put forward the idea of four weeks and Iāve had the OK this week!
If it comes to fruition this will be the biggest trip Iāve ever taken and is therefore going to require a lot of planning! Iāve done a couple of multi city breaks before, including in the US, so Iām not a complete novice in this area but itās a little daunting nonetheless.
Hereās an insight in to the early stages of planning a trip like this.
Itinerary One of the most important decisions of a trip like this is obviously deciding where you want to go!Ā Ā You donāt necessarily need a finalised list but a draft list of destinations so you can start planning everything else out is helpful. The more flexible you can be the better but itās also always good to have some set destinations in mind to help map out a route.
So stick a little pin in Seattle. Thatās locked in to the itinerary for the wedding and gives me somewhere to either start my trip or aim to get to later on in the trip. Having other āmust visitsā will help plan out a route. Portland and San Francisco tick that box on the West coast and from there Iām pretty flexible. If everything goes to plan Iāll have 30 days in the country so the possible destinations can spread right across the country. Seeing more of California is certainly one option Iāll explore but similarly I have a number of friends in the US and I feel like that could dictate some of the destinations I choose to visit.
USA, I’m coming back for you!Ā
Getting around!Ā
Thirty days in the USA very much screams āROADTRIP!!!ā ā what a perfect opportunity for thatĀ bucketlistĀ item many people dream of. Road-tripping across the USA definitely has its temptations. Travel the famous Route 66? Maybe! Iāll just rent a car and see where the road takes me!
However there is one tiny little flaw to this almost perfect plan ā I canāt drive. Unlike in Europe, traveling the US without a car is a little more challenging but Iāll be making good use of what available transport there is. The AMTRAK train line, greyhound buses and potentially even domestic flights dependent on the distance should get me so far and will still help me reach some incredible destinations.
Personally I love this part of the planning process as you have to weigh up the cost and convenience of getting from destination to destination. Do I go from A to B or B to A? Bās actually too expensive so what if I go to D? Well if Iām going toĀ DĀ maybe stop at C on the way? Oh, flying toĀ DĀ is actually cheaper. Or you could get an overnight bus to E which would mean one less nightās accommodation to pay for. Decisions, decisions, decisions!
Flying might be an option to get around the US!
Accommodation This will likely play some factor in which destinations I visit too. Hotel prices in the US are quite expensive. Some cities are of course worse than others but it could be a factor between visiting one place rather than another. This is the area of the trip Iāll certainly be looking to cut costs. Aside from the occasional ātreatā Iāll probably be steering clear of hotels and exploring hostel andĀ AirBnBĀ options instead.
Iām also hopeful that I might have some US based friends I can stay with along the way, if Iāve got somewhere I can stay then the probability is Iām going to make more effort to visit!
I love New York City but accommodation prices are crazy!
Objective
Something else to think about is what I actually want from this trip. The USA is huge which also makes it incredibly diverse. On previous trips Iāve been to Disneyland, Iāve been to small college towns and Iāve been to crazy cities like New York City. They’re all completely different type of trips. The US is so diverse as a holiday destination and has so much to offer, just deciding what type of holiday you want is a dilemma in itself. Do I want to concentrate on visiting cities? Could I squeeze in some beach time or visit one of the USā many national parks? Is a Disney / Universal trip a possibility? Iām often attracted to big cities but with a much longer trip in mind perhaps mixing it up a bit is the better way to go!
Company
My last big thing to think about at this early stage is who is joining me on the adventure. I enjoy solo travel but Iām also thinking about who Iāll be spending time with whilst in the US. Would anyone come with me? Which US based friends do I try to visit? Do I see them in their hometown or might they meet me somewhere? Even if it only ends up being for a portion of the trip opposed to the entirety, itās an important aspect to think about and plan for.
On a related note – that road trip I joked about? If there are any willing drives / adventurers then step right up, Iām more than happy contributing towards āgasā costs.
At the baseball with my Washington favourites in September
Budget I didnāt want to completely omit a mention of this but at the same time itās a little early to accurately budget at this stage. Itās an important part of the trip but probably comes in the next part of the planning stage. You can budget an estimated amount based on accommodation per night, spending per day plus return flights to the US but really itās very much guesswork at this stage.
The budget really overlaps with some of the above stages once Iāve started āconnecting the dotsā.
At the minute my only definitive ādotā is Seattle with much more planning to do!
Anyway that rounds up the early planning stages of the big 3-0 celebrations. Stay tuned for updates on how the planning goes and hopefully Iāll soon have a final itinerary!
Iād love to hear your input. How did you celebrate your 30th? Where should I be looking to visit? If youāve planned a longer-term trip of your own Iād appreciate any tips you have.
Or maybe youāre just tempted to tag along? Get in touch!
So if you know me well youāll realise that in addition to travelling, one of my biggest passions is football. I regularly go to games and it can be both a help and burden to my travels. A burden because one of the first things I look at before planning a trip is what games is a trip away going to clash with?
However, for now, letās focus on how it helps.
I grew up on stories from my dad and his friends about travelling across England and Europe watching Spurs in their youth, I was so envious of it and it meant I had a fondness of European football from an early age. Iād heard so many stories of the āEuropean nights at the Laneā and trips to various cities.
My jealousy wasnāt helped by the fact that Tottenham were rubbish throughout my childhood ā European football was a rarity and I used to dream of seeing us play in Europe some day.
Fortunately itās now an annual opportunity and Tottenham regularly compete in European fixtures.
I witnessed my first European fixture (in England) back in 2006 and it only helped that love of European football grow. Iād finally seen a European game at our famous home in London under the lights. The European nights were great but Iād still restricted myself to home games, a European away trip was still a dream of mine and item to check off the bucketlist.
Every year I talked about finally doing it but there was always an excuse ā for the most part it was just a lack of confidence. Sydney (2013) changed all of that, it was then just a matter of the right opportunity coming along to make my first European away game.
Fast forward a year to a European night in London against Ukrainian opposition. The (probable) prize for the winners was a match against Benfica ā an excuse to go to Lisbon and Portugal for the first time!
As Spurs went behind my heart sank, I was so adamant Iād go to Lisbon if we won and things started badly. My dream was slipping away from me. We turned it around and the scenes when we scored our 3rd goal will live with me for a long time. The block I was stood in went crazy. Lisbon was a real possibility and given the celebrations it seemed many aligned with my way of thinking that it was a āmust-doā trip.
Trip to Lisbon for Benfica v Tottenham (Mar 14)
I got home from London at around 3am and booked my flights before going to bed. I was that excited at finally making a bucketlist item of mine actually happen. 30 years on (1984 ā 2014) from one of Tottenhamās most famous nights in European football I was about to have a European adventure of my own.
My dad and his friends to this day still speak of the two 1984 games (in Brussels & London) and of all the great things my dad has seen in football itās probably the one that makes me most envious.
Trip to Brussels for Anderlecht v Tottenham (Oct 15)
Lisbon was amazing and I knew it would be the first European away trip of many. Iāve since been to a few further European away games which has meant my love of football has been a source of more European adventure. Portugal, Italy, Belgium, Germany ā Iāve been fortunate to visit some wonderful places and cities because of football.
Trip to Florence for Fiorentina v Tottenham
In the traditional sense, most travellers choose their destination. The unique thing about travelling for football is the decision is completely out of your hands. Iām at the mercy of the luck of the draw to decide where Iām off to.
Iāve been counting down all summer to today because it dictates where I travel to for the rest of the year. Tottenhamās European fixtures for the rest of 2017 get confirmed today and it means I can finally plan another trip away. Hopefully two!
Thereās 18 potential cities on the list: Madrid, Barcelona, Porto, Lisbon, Seville, Munich, Leipzig, Monaco, Kiev, Paris, Maribor, Nicosia, Turin, Baku, Dortmund, Rotterdam, Glasgow, Moscow.
Of those 18, Tottenham will be visiting 3 of them before the end of the year. Itās such a wide range of cities and Iām incredibly excited to see where we end up.
Thereās some specific criteria, one of the key restrictions is you canāt visit the same country twice. So I wonāt be going to Madrid and Barcelona for example. I have my dream trio lined up already but play along with me.
Three cities left down to fate to decide your next adventure. Which three would you be hoping for?
Iāll be booking my next trip before the day is over, Iāll keep you posted on the outcome!
So one of the things you should know about me is that Iām a city person. Iām an introvert with a quiet personality so it often comes as a surprise to say that I love big cities. Thatās often reflected in the places I travel to.
I was born in London and lived there for the first nine years of my life so city life was with me from birth. I still hold a lot of pride in being London born and bred, itāll always be my favourite city and a place I think of as home.
In the last five years Iāve travelled to numerous cities spanned across 16 different countries including England. The emotional attachment I have to London means itās never likely to be displaced as my number one destination but some cities have pushed it close.
One city I was particularly excited to tick off my bucketlist last year was New York City. If anywhere could rival my love of London surely it was the Big Apple? I had high hopes for NYC and it didnāt disappoint, Iāll dedicate a post to that at some point but, almost inevitably, itās currently my favourite destination Iāve visited outside of England (London stays number 1).
Whilst NYC tops my travel list, one drawback to big cities is when do you find the time to relax? It was my first time visiting NYC with just a week to try and see as much as possible, including NYC based friends. Perhaps itās just me but I often come home more exhausted than I was before I left. It does make you question why itās often referred to as a city ābreakā. Where was the break? Iād have relaxed more at home!
So it got me thinking about the difference between travelling and having a holiday. Iāve travelled a lot in the last five years but how many would I consider an actual holiday? Itās certainly in the minority as far as my adventures go.
Thatās not to say I have any regrets in where Iāve visited. Iāve completely fallen in love with many of the cities that Iāve visited. New York City, Sydney, Berlin, Amsterdam, Edinburgh and many more. The list is endless and thereās many more cities still on the bucketlist.
However Iām pleased to say my next trip was motivated by a desire to relax! I wanted to go away the week of my birthday and Iāve booked a trip to Greece in August! Sunshine, sunsets and a hotel with an outdoor pool! Itāll be my first visit to Greece too! Now the countdown begins!
Tell me, whatās your ideal trip? How do you find time to relax when visiting a city?
I look forward to your thoughts! Also, any tips for Thessaloniki would be much appreciated.
My first solo trip was to Sydney, Australia. I was terrified. Iād planned everything, saved everything, booked the time off work and started telling people I was going. I only had one person left to convince: me!
You can do so much planning for any trip but I think the hardest part of planning your first solo trip is mentally. Can I do this? What if things go wrong? Will I get lonely? So many questions run through your head, so many reasons not to go, so many reasons to play safe.
It took some time, having planned it for months I only booked my flights and accommodation THREE WEEKS before going to Sydney! The thought of solo travel is scary.
Having been and done it I can tell you it is worth it. If you can travel alone then you can do anything and it gave me so much more confidence. I donāt even hesitate in taking a trip somewhere now. If youāre not coming along for the adventure, Iāll adventure on my own!
Youāll never go!
I was left with two choices for Sydney. Put it off and hope Iāll find the right company to go with someday in the future or go it alone.
I canāt possibly go alone so I guess.. Iāll probably never go.. damn.
Mentally I struggled and this is the thought that pushed me in to going. I convinced myself Iād never get to Sydney if I waited around.
Work commitments, family commitments, financial struggles, distance, arachnophobia, there were so many justifiable reasons for people to pass up the opportunity to go to Australia. These are always going to be there, arguably moreso as I get older.
If nobody else goes with me Iāll never experience that dream trip down under. Sod that!
Ā
More flexibility
I fancy steak but youāre a vegetarian. I want to see the Northern Lights but youāre planning on a sunny Winter break. You want to see the sunrise and Iām still hungover from the night before!
I love travelling with family and friends but sometimes you have to find a compromise when travelling with other people.
Solo travel means doing whatever you like, eating wherever you like and sleeping whenever you like. Youāre the boss! The added flexibility sometimes gives you opportunities you wouldnāt have when travelling with other people.
Making friends in Sydney.
Approachability
āHey, did you want to join us?ā.
Sometimes I find that travelling alone actually makes you more approachable to other people. As you donāt have to worry about anyone else youāve got no reason to turn down the invitation for a drink or to go explore your new destination together.
Never put yourself in a situation that makes you uncomfortable or feeling vulnerable but travelling alone does give you opportunities to make new friends along the way.
This can work the other way too as you find yourself more outgoing and more likely to speak to a stranger. Whether itās asking for that perfect photo opportunity, asking for directions or making small talk with the person next to you on a flight.
People are curious of the lone traveller and want to hear your story, why not hear theirs too?
Youāve got a story for those left behind!
Itās your experience, your recommendations, your story. If youāre travelling with someone itās one less people to share / brag about your adventure with. Guess who has some really great Sydney stories?! This guy!
Iāve had friends whoāve since been to some of the places Iāve travelled to and being able to share the knowledge and my recommendations is a great thing to be able to do.
Hopefully this has helped push you a little closer to solo travel. Having company for your travels is a truly wonderful thing and has made a lot of my trips even better having a friend or loved one with me but solo travel has its perks too. Why deny yourself more adventure?!
Iād love to hear what your thoughts are on solo travel.