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{Travel} #Take12Trips Travel Challenge ~ Month Six

Time sure does fly when you’re having fun, can you actually believe I am at the mid-point of the #Take12Trips Travel Challenge? It’s only month six and I have done more traveling thank I have ever done in my entire life, yet there is much more traveling to be done with so many plans already in motion.

When I started this travel challenge back in December 2015, I was both excited and scared at the same time. Excited because I would be exploring new lands, experiencing life in a different light and exposing myself to what’s out there. Scared because I would be leaving my comfort zone (where is that fun in that), I would be trying new things and faced with fears like what if it doesn’t happen and if it does and I don’t like it? Despite all of these feelings I embarked on my first solo trips abroad to Ljubljana, Slovenia. Yes I hear you, not exactly choice numero #1 that most choose to visit as a tourist nor a solo backpacker but it was a choice I made. Getting the tickets was easy, I had signed up to the Wizz Air discount club so I paid £40 return in December (talk about a bargain). Getting to the airport, boarding the plane, landing in Ljubljana, being picked up by private taxis and getting dropped off at the hotel door, all of these felt like a dream. I was contacting calling MOH, updating my personal Facebook status (location location) and just being overly happy and concerned. Little did I know that this would trigger the bug that is #addicted #solotraveler and it really kicked off from there.

Ljubljana

Read more on month one in Ljubljana, Slovenia

Before I could even buy Christmas presents for my family, I had booked my next destination PRAGUE in the middle of January. People thought I was nuts but others wanted to join and one did, I had always dreamed of going to Prague, I had never thought about when until that moment I had purchased the tickets which were also quick cheap with my Wizz Air discount card. Seeing Prague in January with all the snow was the best start to a year I have ever had. The snow did not stop us from exploring the famous Charles Bridge or other touristy places, with the help of the Red city tour bus service we were able to see more than we could have alone in the cold.

Prague
View from the Charles Bridge

Read more on month two in Prague, Czech Republic

Whilst enjoying the warmth of our room in Prague after a long day, we embarked on booking another girls weekend getaway which would make month 4 of the travel challenge as I had already booked month 3 to Brno, Czech Republic. I have a confession to make, I didn’t know Brno was in Czech Republic and since I had booked Prague which is also in the Czech Republic I thought I had booked two cities, two countries until MOH corrected me. Anyway, knowing I would be heading out to the same country I knew some things would be the same (money) if not familiar (food). But being the kind of person I was, I decided not to limit my visit to just Brno. I had arrived early in morning on Friday in Brno so I used this time to explore Brno itself then booked a ticket to go to Vienna, Austria via bus the next day (Saturday) since they are so close (approx. 2 hrs on bus) and share the Danube river. Whilst there I learnt Bratislava, Slovakia was not too far so when I returned to Brno Saturday night I booked a train to Bratislava for Sunday. I managed to explore 3 cities in 3 days and the money morning came and I left to return home.

#take12trips
Brno-Vienna-Bratislava

Read more on month three in Brno (Czech Republic), Vienna (Austria) and Bratislava (Slovakia)

As mentioned above month 4 was booked whilst enjoying month 2, the girls and I embarked on a 10+ hour bus ride to Amsterdam. We slept on the bus on Friday night (saved on hotel), arrived early morning in Amsterdam, The Netherlands where we caught up with my dear friend I met at university in 2009. Spent all day in Amsterdam before we caught another bus but this time it was only a few hours to Brussels and we slept in Brussels, Belgium Saturday night. Come Sunday morning, we went about and explored the city firstly just the three of us then took the city tour bus to see more places before boarding a flight back to London that Sunday evening.

brussels
Brussels, Belgium
I had told my other university friend who lives in Warsaw that I would visit him one day and since January & February were busy months for him we agreed on March as it was the best time for him. It was my first time in Warsaw and it rained/snowed and had some gusty winds the entire time I was there but I would change it for the world. Seeing my friend again thriving was a great feeling and catching up on old times was made even better with a lovely cuppa.

weekend getaway to warsaw

Read more on month four in Warsaw, Poland

After I returned from Warsaw, I had enough town on my hands to think about places I wanted to visit for month five. I checked with my friends if they would be interested in visiting Oslo, Norway since I had found a bargain on the flight tickets (£14.98 each return) and they said yes. Like most of our weekend getaways, we don’t always look at the hotel prices more flights and we wing the hotels but when I am alone I check everything together so I can make a budget. Norway is an expensive country if you don’t live or work in Norway, for the Norwegians it’s not that expensive because their wages match up to the living costs. We on the other hand don’t live there so we booked Hotel Fredrikstad which is 2 hours on bus from Oslo but 30 minutes to Moss airport. Booking a taxis is ridiculously expensive so public transport if your best friend, food is no better on price either so pack some snacks. It was an enjoyable time and one I was to relive again.

Oslo, Norway
Road leading straight to the Palace

Read more on month five in Oslo, Norway

This now brings us nicely into month six, which though I had not done any weekend getaways I was in Korea for the first nine (9) days of this month and I had the best of time. I was having too much fun that I disconnected from my phone and just took everything in so I don’t have many pictures to show. I have come to realise that though this challenge was to do something one weekend a month and not necessary abroad. It has made me want to travel abroad every month. I have mummy bloggers and mummy friends telling me how they wish they had done this before kids because with kids it’s hard and requires more planning so I am doing it now so I don’t have to think to do the ‘I wish I had’ myself.

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Comments

  8. Sally Akins says

    I love this idea, wish I’d been able to do it pre-kids. It’s definitely something that I would love to do when they have grown up and flown the nest 😉

    Reply

  10. Fi Ni Neachtain says

    This is such a great challenge to do, you’re seeing so many beautiful places and that’s amazing. I can’t believe you got tickets to Slovenia for just £40!

    Reply

  11. Laura H says

    This is such a great challenge and I’ve read about other people doing it too. It seems like a great way to dedicate yourself to a bit of travelling and Prague in the snow looks lovely to me 🙂 Korea is high on my bucket list so I bet that was a dream!

    Reply

  14. Kira C says

    I’d love to travel to 12 different places across the year. I’d probably struggle with getting time off work and money, although you seem to have managed to get some amazing bargains! I’d love to try this one day, definitely need to read more about your trips!

    Reply

  15. Grant R says

    I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. This challenge you’ve set yourself is inspirational. You’re doing a great job and documenting it in a really interesting way. Here’s to the rest of it!

    Reply

  24. Liz Mays says

    I was just browsing Google images, looking at pictures of Prague the other day. It’s so cool that you’ve been able to see so many great places at such a young age.

    Reply

  30. Kara Guppy says

    What an amazing project, you have been to some amazing places so far. I would love to do something like this but sadly work and family commitments won’t allow it

    Reply

  31. Rhian Westbury says

    I’ve been doing this challenge myself since January to go outside of England every month and it’s been great to explore places. Sounds like a busy year for you x

    Reply

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