Looking back at Travelling Minion’s 2018

It feels like 2018 has flown by!

While I didn’t go on as many trips this year, they were still pretty memorable and special ones! As the year draws to a close, I thought it’d be great to look back at some of the awesome adventures I was able to have this year!

Korea and the Olympics

I took my first trip of 2018 in February to South Korea. My main reason for the trip, was to visit the 2018 Winter Olympics, but spending time in a place like Korea is just as amazing! Thanks to Suzy, we were able to secure tickets to the team figure skating medal event, snowboarding and a Canadian woman’s hockey game. There were some awesome performances and memorable moments in every event we went to.

In addition to enjoying the Olympics, we got to spend a lot of time exploring Korean culture and history. From going to a Kpop concert, to making a visit to the DMZ and North Korea, there wasn’t a dull moment during our time in Korea. The whole trip was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I enjoyed every moment of it. The blog for the whole trip can be found here. Or for just my wrap up, here.

Portland

My sister and I planned a small multi-day trip to Portland to continue our annual sibling trip tradition. Portland is a place that I’ve been to multiple times and somewhere that feels pretty familiar. However, its also a city that’s pretty dynamic and tends to change quite often. New restaurants and shops seem to pop up quite frequently, so there is always something new to discover! This trip was no different, and a majority of the places we visited were new for the both of us. We didn’t have much of a plan for the trip. We primarily wanted to eat, relax and simply spend time together. So there was a lot of eating, a lot of sampling of different craft beverages and even some patio scrabble to pass the afternoon. All in all, its always a treat to be able to spend some time with the sister!

Turkey and Croatia

I didn’t have many trips planned for 2018. This was because Gimpy and I had a pretty long adventure in the works for the fall. In September and October, we spent the better part of a month exploring Turkey and Croatia. While the pairing of the two countries isn’t a common one. It was the result of another check on my travel wish list, which is to make a business class rewards redemption on a flight itinerary. In the end I am super glad I got to go to these two places. Both are so very unique in their own rights and I’m so happy that I had a chance to experience both. Turkey is such a complex and diverse place. In all aspects, including culture, history, nationality and ethnicity, it truly is an amalgamation of so many different things.

Croatia on the other hand seems to be very distinct, and unique. They have their own culture, food and even Klapa music! I loved this entire trip, not just for all the things we got to see and experience. But for all the wonderful people I got to meet along the way. You can find the whole trip blog here, or the wrap up here.

2019

While I only got to go to three places in 2018, my calendar for 2019 is wide open, and I’m hoping to take trips a little more frequently. The only trip I have confirmed so far is a week long trip to Hawaii with a few friends. Surprisingly, I’ve never been and am looking forward to visiting this popular vacation spot. I’m already eagerly anticipating a shot at possibly sky diving there! Plus I’m told there is some amazing food to be had so there is a lot of excitement for this trip!

Beyond Hawaii, I have nothing else that is concrete and I kind of like it that way. One of the things with planning in advance is not having the ability to take advantage of last minute travel deals. My hope for this upcoming year is to be a bit more spontaneous with my travels and see where the opportunities may lie!

That being said, I’ve already started talking to Gimpy about possibly visiting South East Asia in the fall, so who knows what else might transpire! With so much potential, 2019 is looking to be another outstanding year of exploration and adventure! Hopefully you’ll be able to tag along for the ride!