As someone who loves to write, and loves to travel, it’s always surprised me that these two things don’t always go hand-in-hand.
I’ve been chasing travel since I was 15 and never could have imagined how much it would impact my life (both the actual traveling part and the thinking-about-traveling part). I love writing about my experiences, and helping connect with and support people all over the world who are doing the same thing (like you, maybe, since you’re reading this, after all!). I’ve loved experimenting with different ways to write about my travels, such as my letter to Vienna, my poem for Korčula, and my travel game, Imagine If I Lived Here. I especially enjoy reflecting on living abroad, such as how living abroad has changed my life, 30 lessons from 30 months abroad, expectations, thoughts on home, all about anxiety and traveling, and more lessons from living abroad.
Sometimes, though, I’ll start a draft of a post and when my fingers hit the keyboard, nothing comes out.
There is not one singular reason for this. Some of these travels happened years ago and the details are fuzzier. Sometimes the clearest moments from a trip don’t feel blog-worthy. Some of them don’t have any pictures. Some of them were such disasters, I don’t care to relive them. On the flip side, some trips were so perfect I can’t describe them by anything but “amazing, awesome, great, you gotta go” and how many times can I write that?
More times than I would care to admit.
Recently, I saw this post on the blog Daydreams of Summertime (inspired by this one from Paper Planes & Caramel Waffles) and it got me thinking of all the stories I’ve never written about.
So, in the same spirit, here are some travels that haven’t made the blog, also known as…
The Unpublished
Hvar, Croatia
This was one of those perfect stays at one of our favorite Airbnbs ever. We had a scooter and scooted around the island to our little heart’s content. Our host made us an amazing freshly caught fish dinner, and circled little coves all over the island for us to explore. We bought olive oil and lavender from the little stand right outside our tiny house, and watched sunsets and sunrises. And, I was so involved relaxing and enjoying the trip that I barely took any photos.
Edinburgh
Another one of those trips that is just long enough ago that I can’t remember much about it except that it was wonderful–and also kind of a hot mess. I remember E leaving his phone in the taxi, and tripping and scraping up my whole leg, and the fact that we stayed way far out-of-town accidentally, and throwing up on a night bus after my first taste of haggis (I’m not sure the two are necessarily related, although I just can’t get over the texture of haggis).
Ecuador
My brother and I traveled in Ecuador for a few weeks after I studied in Peru. My camera died early on in the trip (while I was taking pictures of monkeys, nooooooo) so that’s part of why I haven’t written much. It also happened before this blog, back in 2009 or something like that (ugh, I barely remember. I’m old).
Panama
We were only in Panama for three days, and truthfully I didn’t love it. I think I’ve avoided writing about it because I feel guilty, like I should have loved it. I wanted to love it!! And maybe I will when I make it back there.
Southeast Asia
I backpacked Southeast Asia with my cousin in 2010, and was keeping another blog at the time. That trip was so huge and full of so much, I barely know where to start.
Ha Long Bay
If you can’t tell, I have trouble writing about the really big, really famous sights. Ha Long Bay, to me, also represents my travel writing dilemma–so many moments are crystal clear, but are those the moments I want to write about for the world to read? The girl who threw a fit because we were promised jam on the trip, and didn’t get any? The karaoke on the ship? The rats we could hear on the boat? The weird cave with weird lights? The absolute breathlessness I felt when I woke up and saw the bay in the fog? The indescribable color of the water?
Slovakia
I’ve been to Bratislava and the High Tatras and have barely written about either of those. Why is that?
Booze cruise, Vietnam
Ah, yes, the time my cousin and I thought we were going on a snorkeling boat and got on a booze cruise instead.
Road trip with my parents
My parents came to visit when we lived in Prague and we took an epic road trip through the Czech Republic, Austria, and Germany! I can’t believe I haven’t written about it at all. It’s one of those Where do I even start??? types of things I think. Funny how some of my most favorite trips never even make it on here!
Switzerland
My first trip abroad! Over ten years ago. I didn’t even have a digital camera. I’ve scanned a few photos in, though! For posterity.
Harry Potter Studio Tour
We went there for my birthday a few years ago and I never wrote about it! Partly because I don’t want to spoil the tour for anyone, partly because I took exactly two photos, and partly because I always have trouble writing about things like that. Is it really interesting for me to take you along virtually in each room? I’m undecided.
Christmas markets in Germany
I get in my head about Christmas markets because I always want to post them at a festive time of year–not in say, March–but when said festive period hits, I get distracted by my life. Maybe next year!
Mikulov/Czech wine country
We’ve traveled so much since we moved to Europe that sometimes I forget the smaller, local trips we’ve taken. One of the best was to Czech wine country–such a gem! Of course, the thing I remember most about this is the hellish train ride on the way there. I don’t even remember the name of the towns we visited, just that I loved them!
Oktoberfest
Oh yeah, I went to Oktoberfest last year. It was so much fun–but how do you write about a drunken fest where I stumbled around from tent to tent, inadvertently finding seats and shelter, and forgetting to eat?
Dublin
Oh, Ireland in general always stresses me out to write about, because I love it so darn much and I’m so terrible at explaining why. However, Dublin is a little different–it’s a great city, but I didn’t find myself connecting with it as much as I hoped. Looking back, I can’t remember much that we did there except see the Book of Kells and eat a lot of good food. Which doesn’t really sound like a bad trip, no?
Santorini
Another one of those places that is so amazing and so well-known that I find myself at a loss for words–what can I say that hasn’t been said over and over? I really loved Santorini, although it wasn’t exactly what I expected. Truthfully, I think I might have liked Athens more!
Eger, Hungary
Another little local trip I’ve mentioned but have never really written about. The little Hungarian city known for its wine deserves its own post–I’ve gone there twice in one year!
Norway
The thing that gets in the way for this one is the photos. I took a rather obscene amount of photos there and I’m tired just thinking about organizing them all to find the good ones. Norway is so freaking beautiful that most of my pictures could be considered “good” (although I also took a lot of my hand, because I got so excited and just started snapping).
I guess I have a lot of blogging to do…
Tell me–do you find it easy to write/discuss travel? Why or why not?
yes, I get you completely. it’s so easy to write about some trips while for others I struggle to find the appropriate words even though I enjoyed those trips too:)
I’m glad I’m not the only one! It’s a mystery why some places are easier to write about, I guess.
Oh I do the same thing. I’ve not written anything about Barcelona, where we visited last July. It was kind of a weird trip, and I was suuuuper busy at the time so I didn’t have the headspace to work out how I wanted to write about what happened. Also every time I go and visit family in Australia I never write about it! I’m not sure why, maybe because I just spend the time with family and that’s hard to write about when everyone is anonymous 🙂
Yeah family time is always hard to write about, even though that is some of the best time!! My family time also involves a lot of just hanging out and seems not TOO interesting for a stranger to read about 😉
Oooh I want to read all of these – especially Eger and Czech wine country 😀 At least you know that you’ve always got lots of blog ideas. I find that I write about most things… although I’m currently six months behind!
Haha I’ll try to write about wine countries soon ;). Working on em! Six months behind is not so bad, I feel years behind, but mostly because I blog out of order.