So I know that the time for year in review posts has come and long gone, but, like your hoarder neighbors who leave the Christmas wreath up until Spring, I too have put off this seminal blogging event. Blah blah, working 50-60 hours a week, I won’t give you excuses so you don’t have to read them. Instead, let me jump right into a recap of what became my most eventful year in travel ever.
David and I started the year in Tbilisi, Georgia. We had spent the previous ten days gallivanting around Istanbul, taking red eye flights and inconvenient transportation to the Georgian Russian border at Kazbegi (and getting engaged, to boot), and traipsing around too many damn monasteries in Armenia. On January 2, Resolutions Day in Georgia (the day that is said to set the tone for your entire year), we trekked across Georgia to Katskhi and Chiatura to look at rusty cable cars and flagpole sitters with a Georgian driver whose zealotry that could rival televangelists of the 1980s. Having had a great, and extremely off the beaten path, kind of a trip, we traveled home with a hunger for more of what Eastern Europe had to offer us.
- Sevanavank, Armenia
Noravank, Armenia 
Inside Sanahin, Armenia
I am happy to say that after we got home we didn’t become obsessed with wedding planning. Instead it was more honeymoon planning than anything else. In March, David and I took a long weekend in Zion National Park, where we ran a half marathon that we had also run back in 2013 – our first trip together. Bentley, our senior Golden Retriever, came along as well. We were even able to take a detour through Idaho on our way back to Seattle in order to see an old friend from college. Did I mention that we drove 1600 miles each way to get there? And that we only had two full days in Zion? It was a trip at breakneck speed – moreso than our normal trips even. Next time, I think we’ll fly.
And just after most of our honeymoon had been booked – two weeks split between Tunisia and Malta – some sketchy events occurred that had us reconsidering our choices. We ended up changing destinations from the Tunisia to the relatively quiet Baltic states, because who doesn’t love a good road trip? We got hitched rather quietly, and then were off!
Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania were great, and we were eager to compare notes between there and the former Soviet Caucasian republics. Turns out they couldn’t be more different. And while we identified with the more reserved nature of some of the Baltic folks, the three nations didn’t require us to get much out of our comfort zones. That said, we loved every moment of our time in the three nations, with highlights being Riga’s Central Market, and the Soviet Ruins of Karosta, Lahemaa National Park (in Estonia), and Vilnius, Lithuania.
From Vilnius, we flew to Malta for what was to be the relaxing beach portion of our vacation. And while we didn’t really get that so much (turns out self-driving in Malta is the opposite of relaxing), we enjoyed some nice weather, a local summer festival, and some great beaches.
Right after we returned from our honeymoon, things took an interesting turn in my life. The short version being I was offered a posh new job with a leading company in my area. And left with ten days off, David and I jetted off to Kosovo, Macedonia, and Bulgaria for a spontaneous romp through the south Balkans. We had a great time there, particularly being thrown far outside of our comfort zones in Kosovo, exploring brutal concrete ruins in Macedonia, and going on a running tour of Sofia, Bulgaria.
Before much time had passed, though, it was time for our final trip of the year – a surprise for David that I had planned way back in June. We split a week and change between Serbia and Bosnia, and managed to see a great number of sights in Belgrade, Subotica, Sarajevo, and Mostar. I’ve only started to unpack my feelings about the trip on the blog, but am excited to write more in coming weeks about our time there.
And now, at the end of February, I’ve booked our plane tickets for our 2016 travel. I’m not going to give it all up here, but rather write another post in a bit about our plans. Needless to say I’m excited to return to some places I’ve been before, as well as to go to a region that I’ve been dreaming about for about as long as I can remember.
What was your favorite place in 2015? Where are you going this year?
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7 comments
Looks like you had a rad travel year last year! I’m glad things are starting to piece together well for your 2016 travels, too 🙂
And I think you’re my new hero by hiking in that dog t-shirt. My dog is super ill right now and I think I may miss my Romania trip as a result. I’m going to make him buy me a t-shirt with a dog on it if that happens (haha, not really… my poor little guy).
I am so sorry to hear about your puppy! I am sending you major good happy healthy dog vibes for a quick healing! I totally get missing a trip for a pup, and would do the same in a heartbeat if one of my kids were ill. But it would suck if it came to that.
And yeah, that dachshund shirt makes regular appearances at casual Fridays. I think they have a beagle one, too…
http://www.themountain.com/beagle-face-t-shirt/
Armenia looks awesome! Did you enjoy that trip? Was it easy to travel there? I’d love to visit.
Armenia was great – lots of amazing things to see, and really great food. We had a car and driver for most of our forays outside of Yerevan, but marshrutkas are readily available. It certainly helps to speak a little Russian or Armenian, but not a total necessity. I’d wholeheartedly recommend Armenia, especially if you are able to combine it with Georgia (which has a bit more developed tourist infrastructure) to the north as well.
Cheap flights on Air Baltic from Riga to Tbilisi! 🙂
oh my gosh i want this shirt so bad hahhahahah! this is amazing.
dog’s better by the way. apparently he had a bad case of malingering. goodness that pup.
So glad he’s better! Those little shits are the worst for making us constantly worry about them, am I right? (Also why I shouldn’t/won’t have real children)