2018 was another incredible travel year for me. In addition to going back to Boston and Connecticut three times to see family, my passion for travel and my career took me to some pretty amazing places. Here is a recap of my top trips from 2018.
February: Malta
My first trip of the year took me to Malta, where I had the pleasure of serving as a judge for MITA’s accelerator program. While I didn’t have much free time, I did get to explore a few parts of the island, including St. Julian, Valletta and Birgu. Pictured below was the beautiful sunset I was treated to upon arrival to my hotel in St. Julian.
Birgu was easily my favorite stop on my trip to Malta. Recommended to me by locals, it’s a small yet charming village with gorgeous water views and the most incredible, colorful doors I’ve seen in ages!
Valetta was also beautiful, but candidly, way more mobbed with tourists, even in late February! It’s a cruise ship stop, in addition to being a charming part of Malta, and it attracts the tourists in droves. Somehow, I still managed to snap photos that made it look uncrowded, like the one below!
March: Athens, Greece
In March, I experienced another travel first, visiting Athens as part of a speaking engagement with Delphi Economic Forum. I couldn’t resist a stop at the Acropolis, which was nice but mobbed with tourists even early on a Sunday morning. My favorite, however, was wandering around The Plaka, a little neighborhood with a village-like feel at the base of the Acropolis.
March: Paris, France
Paris is always a good idea! When an opportunity presented itself to take a quick trip to Paris, I jumped at the chance. While my trip to Paris was a bit of a tease, with one sunny day followed by pouring rain and snow, I instead focused on other elements that would make my little weekend getaway special – namely the food and drinks. Because, if there is ever a city to savor a leisurely meal in, it’s Paris. Here are a few of my favorites from the weekend: https://thesavvybostonian.com/2018/04/restaurant-cocktail-bars-paris/
May: Budapest and Siofok, Hungary
In early May, I returned to Budapest, Hungary for the third time for a speaking engagement at Media Hungary. I spent one blissfully sunny day in Budapest where I took a walk to many of the top sights on the Pest side of the river. My favorite sight? The Hungarian Parliament building, pictured below. On a previous trip, I took a tour of the Hungarian Parliament building and I highly recommend it.
Later in the trip, I ventured to Siofok for Media Hungary, where I spoke about my (then upcoming) book, The Laws of Brand Storytelling. I also enjoyed a beautiful sunset along Hungary’s famous Lake Balaton.
June: Sofia, Bulgaria
In late May / early June, I was invited to speak at DigitalK in Sofia, Bulgaria. I didn’t know what to expect about Sofia, but I was absolutely charmed by the city and its beautiful buildings. I had the good fortune of taking a long walk through the city on a Friday afternoon and loved seeing so many people out with friends in the parks, enjoying drinks or picnics. The atmosphere and energy was incredible!
Later in the trip, a group of speakers from the conference ventured to a beach club called Hotel Kamelot on Iskar Reservoir in Dolni Pasarel, Bulgaria for a fun day of sunbathing and water sports. We later ventured into the mountains to Sapareva Banya, where we enjoyed gorgeous scenery, hikes, a campfire and a really fun night with friends.
July: Helsinki, Finland
I first traveled to Helsinki in April for work and had the good fortune of coming back in July. Interestingly, Europe was experiencing a heatwave at the time. While London was unbearable, Helsinki was juuuust right. I felt so blessed to be strolling along the water and through the main sites of the city, like Helsinki Cathedral, on such a beautiful day.
Later in the trip, I had to the opportunity to spend the day at a remote island off the coast of Finland. I learned that most Finnish people have summer cottages. If you’re ever invited to one – go! It’s a really lovely experience to visit a Finnish summer cottage, from tromping through the woods to a sauna / hot tub / cold ocean plunge, to cooking delicious homemade meals together, it was truly the perfect day.
July: Bangalore, India
Once again, a work trip came calling – this time to Bangalore, India! My first time to India and I cannot tell you how excited I was! The trip truly exceeded my expectations and I wrote about it here on the blog: https://thesavvybostonian.com/2018/08/bangalore-india/
August: Porto, Portugal
Not every trip this year was for work! With the August Bank Holiday looming, I ventured to Porto in Portugal. I had heard great things about Porto and the thought of a long weekend sightseeing, taking long walks and port tasting sounded juuuuust right. And it was. I was absolutely charmed by this small city. It has a lot to offer for a long weekend – just be warned. The secret is also out here, with many tourists also flocking to this cool destination. This was so evident for me when walking through Ribeira, a Unesco World Heritage site. While Ribeira is charming, try to stay in another area, as you’ll be constantly be fighting your way through tourists. I stayed at Pestana Porto – A Brasileira and cannot recommend it enough.
If you do go to Porto, I highly recommend going to Graham’s and Taylor’s for port tastings. Do the tour at Graham’s – you must pre-book a time slot, but it’s worth it. There’s no cost up front, as you select the tasting you want to do after the tour upon arrival. However, you must pre-book because they do not take walk-ins. Then, skip the self-guided tour at Taylor’s (it’s similar) and head out to their beautiful rose garden for tastes of lovely port and sights of little kittens, roosters and more!
October: Portland, Oregon, USA
After a great visit to see family in Connecticut, I flew over to Portland, Oregon to record the audiobook for our book, The Laws of Brand Storytelling. I had never recorded an audiobook before and it was a really cool experience! Check out the behind-the-scenes video of my co-author Ekaterina and I recording our audiobook.
Later in the trip, I had the pleasure of celebrating Ekaterina’s birthday with her and visiting Multnomah Falls, a stunning waterfall and Fairsing Vineyard for some much-deserved wine!
November: Lisbon, Portugal
In November, an opportunity to attend WebSummit allowed me to return to Portugal, but this time to Lisbon. I had traveled to Lisbon for the conference the year before, but I was so busy at the event, that I did not have much time to sightsee. This year, I decided to stay for an entire week – the conference, plus Friday – Sunday for sightseeing. And sightsee I did! Unfortunately, the weekend was all pouring rain, but I made the most of it. Highlights included scoping out new scenic vistas, LX Factory and visiting the Jeronimos Monastery.
Be prepared for lots of hills and stairs if you come to Lisbon!
Jeronimos Monastery
LX Factory
LX Factory
December: Boston & Connecticut, USA
While I had been back to Boston and Connecticut a few times in 2018, I always look forward to coming back to celebrate Christmas. First, I spent a few fun days in Boston seeing friends, visiting some of my favorite spots and Christmas shopping.
With my dear friend and fellow Boston Blogger, Biana of B Loved Boston!
Then, it was off to Connecticut for some much-needed family time!
Cheers to an amazing 2018 of travels! I look forward to more exciting travels in 2019!