Trying to recall November seems harder than other months, perhaps because it’s almost mid-December and holiday chaos (and good tidings) are in full swing.
November always feels like a transitional month, trying to squeeze in as much fall as possible before letting the excitement of the holidays seep in.
Early in the month, I visited Geneva for a quick work trip and then flew to Porto for a belated birthday celebration.
I always assumed my first time in Portugal would be to visit Lisbon, but after reading a bit about Porto, Portugal’s second largest city, I was drawn to its charmingly traditional vibe. And, after spending 3.5 days in Porto and nearby Aveiro, I know I made the right choice visiting Porto before Lisbon.
Colorful, mismatched houses and winding streets. Sunsets over the Douro River. Beautiful blue tiles. Bright striped beach houses. Winding canals. And, plenty of port wine. It was the perfect belated birthday weekend getaway.
And, coming back to London mid-month, I spent the rest of the month exploring some of my favourite parts of the city, venturing to both Camden and Chiswick for the first time, and trip planning for a Christmas market trip in early December.
Favourite Moments from the Month
Geneva
Porto
Aveiro
London
With the year winding down, I’m starting to think about where I want to go in early 2018. As with this year, I’m planning on a low key January-March before travel plans ramp up in spring and early summer to coincide with the better weather throughout Europe.
- January: Likely staying in the UK, thinking about day trips to Canterbury or Bedford-on-Avon
- February: Either staying in the UK again, or taking a quick weekend trip to a small city on my list, like Hamburg
- March: Considering a long weekend in Belfast
Here’s where I headed for #Take12Trips in 2017:
- January: Moved to London (!!!), weekend trip to Edinburgh, Scotland
- February: Weekend in Orlando and Disney World for the Princess Half Marathon
- March: A brief return to Austin and couple of days in Marfa, Texas, day trip to Oxford, and weekend in Paris
- April: Weekend trips to Stockholm/Gothenburg, and Milan/Venice (praise hands for bank holidays)
- May: Week and a half in Hong Kong, Macau, Japan
- June: Stayed in the UK, visited Brighton and Hampton Court Palace
- July: Stayed in the UK, explored parts of London and visited lavender fields
- August: Amsterdam, Dublin, Paris, and Colchester, England
- September: Barcelona & Seville, day trips to Bath and Geneva, and a long weekend in Seattle for a wedding
- October: Weekend in Prague
- November: Long weekend in Porto, Portugal for a belated birthday celebration
- December: Long weekend in Munich, Nuremberg and Vienna, and headed Orlando to celebrate the holidays in the sunshine
WHAT IS #TAKE12TRIPS?
#Take12Trips in 2017 is a continuation of the only resolution I made in 2016- a promise to commit to doing something once a month. Anything counts- it can be dinner at a new place, visiting a new museum or spending the weekend at a cute B&B in the country. It doesn’t need to be an epic trip to a foreign country, just the chance to discover something new.
How about you? Are you planning any trips this year that you’re excited about?