The end of the year is always a good time for reflection. In 2019, I visited 14 countries, 4 of which were new to me. I took 15 flights, and gained quite a few new passport stamps in my (brand new) passport. I managed to travel a lot with a full-time job. I achieved a major goal and have now visited every country in Eastern Europe. This is also the first year that I have visited all four countries that make up the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland) in one single year!

I love doing my yearly recap posts on the blog. Since I started blogging, I’ve had a lot of pretty amazing travel experiences! In 2016, it was all about eloping to Gibraltar, exploring the Balkans, and seeing Victoria Falls from a microlight. For 2017, I loved visiting the Hill of Crosses in Lithuania, discovering England’s Lake District, and enjoying White Nights in St. Petersburg. In 2018, some of my top moments were exploring the Baltics, eating my way through Georgia, and being stunned by the sheer beauty of Iceland.

I do these recap posts in no real order, and there’s no specific criteria as to what can constitute a top travel experience. I simply had to enjoy it and find those exact moments meaningful. So what were my top travel experiences in 2019? Here you go!

A Helicopter Flight Over The Canadian Rockies

One of the most amazing travel experiences not just of 2019, but of my life in general, was my helicopter flight over the Canadian Rockies. My work sent me on a trip to Canada for a week, to experience the Rocky Mountaineer train from Vancouver to Banff. As we left Banff and headed to Calgary, we got to do a 15-minute helicopter ride with Alpine Helicopters. WOW. Seeing the snow-covered mountains and the bright blue rivers below me and around me was something I’ll never forget. I even got to sit up front with the pilot! This was definitely a top highlight from my year.

Read More: All Aboard The Rocky Mountaineer: Vancouver To Banff, Highlights Of Banff And The Surrounding Canadian Rockies

A Crazy Daytrip To Lake Koman And Blini Park

Do you ever have those moments where you have no idea what’s happening, but you’re still having a great time?! During my time in Shkoder, Albania, we decided to do a daytrip to Lake Koman and Blini Park. After a stunning boat ride, everyone got off the boats and we waded for 35 minutes in the crystal clear water of the Shala River to get to Blini Park, a resort in (basically) the middle of nowhere. I spent all day swimming and relaxing in the sun, so impressed by the mountain gorges and natural beauty of it all. If you’re visiting Shkoder and you don’t have time to do any trekking in the Albanian Alps, definitely set aside a day to visit Lake Koman and Blini Park!

Read More: A Daytrip From Shkoder To Lake Koman And Blini Park: The Craziest Day In Albania!

Experiencing the Giant’s Causeway At Sunrise

I visited the Giant’s Causeway on my first independent trip abroad, way back in 2011. When I planned to go back to Northern Ireland, it was one of the top things I wanted to see. Mainly because when I visited before, I went as a day tour from Belfast and didn’t have very much time to explore! So we woke up before dawn and were some of the only people to wander around and enjoy this stunning geological formation (and the trails surrounding it) at sunrise. It was so quiet, so peaceful, and so beautiful. I’ll never forget it.

Read More: Exploring The Giant’s Causeway At Sunrise

Everything On The Isle of Skye

This year I went on a week-long camping road trip to Scotland. The main focus was the Isle of Skye, one of the most popular Scottish islands to visit. The scenery took my breath away. I felt like I was on a different planet, it was so unreal. I loved hiking out to Coral Beach for sunset, the ferry from Elgol out to quiet Loch Coruisk, and hiking the Quirang first thing in the morning. It was so magical and I genuinely can’t recommend visiting the Isle of Skye enough.

Read More: The Best Wild Camping Spots On The Isle Of Skye, Scotland, Alternative Isle Of Skye: 4 Ways To Avoid The Crowds, A Ferry Trip From Elgol To Loch Coruisk On The Isle Of Skye

Sleeping In Camasunary Bay Bothy

Okay, this was one of the most amazing things I did on the Isle of Skye—so amazing that it gets its own paragraph. One night we hiked about 1.5 hours out to Camasunary Bay, and stayed the night in the bothy. I haven’t been anywhere so remote in years—there were a few other guys camping, but besides that we had the bay (and the bothy) to ourselves). Seeing the sunset here was so beautiful. I just couldn’t believe how remote and beautiful it all was! It’s also converted me into a big bothy fan—I’d definitely stay in more!

Read More: Staying At The Camasunary Bay Bothy On The Isle Of Skye

Seeing So Many Friends And Family!

I’ve been really lucky this year since I’ve gotten to see so many friends and family. I got to see my friend Laura twice, in February when she came to visit York, and in July when I went to Nottingham. In May, one of my best friends from college came to visit us in York. He’s teaching in Bulgaria and I had visited him two years ago in Sofia! My friend Andrea came to visit York in November, and I had multiple days off work hanging out with her! I got to finally meet up with my best friend Kula in Finland—we hadn’t seen each other since my trip to Zambia 3.5 years ago!

But by far the highlight of the year was when my parents came to visit. They were here for 2.5 weeks, visiting York and Yorkshire, Scotland, the Lake District, and we even managed to squeeze in a visit to the Peak District too. One of the hardest things about living abroad is constantly missing people. I’m so grateful that I got to see so many of my friends and family this year!

Hiking Catbells In The Lake District With My Parents

I had so many wonderful memories from when my parents came to visit. But by far my favorite experience with them was our trip to the Lake District. We stayed in a gorgeous guesthouse, and hiked up Catbells on our first full day. I’d never done this walk, and it was so fun to experience something new with them! The weather and the views over the Lakes were amazing. It meant everything to me to get to share my favorite place with them. This photo of us is one of my favorite photos of all-time.

Read More: Hiking Catbells In The Lake District

Crossing The Arctic Circle In Finland

One of the main reasons I went to Finland was to visit my friend Kula. The other main reason was to cross the Arctic Circle at Santa Claus Village just outside Rovaniemi! This was definitely the furthest north I’ve been, and it was such a cool experience to do it in winter! Lapland really is beautiful and I love the fact that I got to do this in Finland! Such a cool 2019 travel experience.

A Breath Of Fresh Air In Malta

The beginning of 2019 was pretty rough—Adam was seriously injured in a car crash and things were pretty dark for a while. While we had to cancel our trip to Greece in February, luckily Adam was cleared to travel for our trip to Malta in April. Since we weren’t sure until about 4 weeks before if we would even be able to go, we went in with low expectations and were astounded. Malta is gorgeous, affordable, and has so much to offer visitors. It was a real breath of fresh air, and I felt like we were getting back to normal—back to being “us.” It was definitely a trip we both desperately needed.

Read More: How Much Does It Cost To Spend 5 Days In Malta?

Sunset At Calton Hill In Edinburgh

One of my favorite travel experiences of 2019 was heading up to Calton Hill to watch the sunset on my weekend trip to Edinburgh. The views over the city were phenomenal, and the colors of the sunset made it even better. I loved just sitting back and watching the city light up as evening fell. If you’re headed to Edinburgh, definitely make sure to time it right and get up to Calton Hill for sunset!

Read More: 15 Tips For A Weekend Trip To Edinburgh

Living My Best Life In The Balkans

I spent 2.5 weeks this summer returning to one of my favorite regions in the world, the Balkans. A lot of people say the phrase “living my best life,” but I truly felt like I was in the Balkans. I was the best version of myself on the road—making very few plans, jumping on moving coach buses on the highway, drinking cheap cocktails at cool cafes, going with the flow, and in general just loving life. It was truly a wonderful trip and being so happy and comfortable with myself and my life during that time was a real highlight of 2019.

Read More: How Much Does It Cost To Travel The Balkans For 2.5 Weeks?

Swimming In Lake Ohrid

I travelled from Pristina in Kosovo to Ohrid in North Macedonia. I got up at 6:30am to get a bus to the bus station, to catch an early bus from Pristina to Skopje, to find out there was a power cut in Skopje bus station and we couldn’t buy tickets or get cash from an ATM. Once the power came back on, we raced through to the bus to Ohrid, made it, and spent another 3 hours on a bus to get to Ohrid. All I wanted to do was go swimming—I was literally dying for it. We checked in and changed immediately, and raced off to a quieter part of the lake. I spent the entire afternoon swimming in water that was a perfect temperature for a hot summer day, relaxing in the sun, and enjoying the scenery. It was so perfect—and after spending most of the day on buses, I think it was well deserved!

Read More: A Guide To Exploring Lake Ohrid In North Macedonia

Finally Hiking Snowdon—And Completing My Three Peaks!

The Three Peaks are the three highest peaks in England, Scotland, and Wales. For England, the highest is Scafell Pike in the Lake District. The highest in Scotland is Ben Nevis. And the highest in Wales is Snowdon in Snowdonia. In February 2018, I made it most of the way up Snowdon before having to turn back due to snow and ice. I did Scafell Pike in May 2018 and Ben Nevis in September 2018. So I really, really, wanted to hike Snowdon this year. And I did! I had a wonderful day in August going up the Miner’s Trail and down the Pyg Trail with absolutely no views from the top. But the journey was more important, and I got to see some pretty amazing scenery (below the clouds) of Snowdonia. This was something I was so proud of and I’m so glad I’ve now done all Three Peaks!

Read More: Hiking Snowdon: The Highest Mountain In Wales

Returning To Durham

During my year studying abroad in Nottingham in 2013-2014, I took a daytrip to visit Durham. This was mainly inspired by Bill Bryson’s description in his book, Notes From A Small Island—and I was completely blown away by Durham. The cathedral was magnificent, and the town was so cute and charming. I’ve wanted to go back since moving to the UK in October 2016, but it just never worked out—it was expensive to do as a daytrip from York by train. (And to be honest, I wanted to wait until the scaffolding was down from the cathedral tower!) But one day in July, I finally made it back. I felt like Durham was waiting for me with open arms, ready to welcome me back. Unfortunately, I only had a few hours but I had the best time. I definitely won’t leave it as long next time!

Hiking The Hole Of Horcum

This is one of my favorite walks in Yorkshire, in England, in the UK, and in the world as a whole. And there’s no better time to do it than in August, when the heather blooms and covers the countryside in a purple carpet of flowers. I loved this walk. I love that I have a regular walk I do annually. And I love this part of Yorkshire. This walk makes me love getting to call Yorkshire home. If you’re in Yorkshire in August, head out to the Moors—you can’t miss it.

Read More: 16 Of The BEST Places To Visit In The North York Moors, Hiking The Hole Of Horcum In The North York Moors

Feeling Like An Official Blogger And Being Away With Maja

This year, more than ever, I have focused on growing my blog and turning it into a brand and a business. And this year, I’ve gone to my first events as a blogger: I was invited to review the Van Gogh Exhibition in York, to attend multiple events for the York Food Festival, to enjoy a travel-filled evening in Leeds for eShores, and to attend a gin and cheese tasting at Castle Howard. I’ve secured my first regular (paid!!!!) freelance writing gig, made money from affiliates and ads, and worked in collaboration with hostels.

This has been so huge for me. I was so shy about my blog for so long, and was so scared of self-promoting and marketing in case it wasn’t good enough. I feel like an official blogger now—I’ve started making a very small but regular income from it. I’ve more than doubled my page views from 2018 to 2019. I’m investing in myself and going to do everything I can to take it full-time soon. This year, I felt like I actually got to be Away With Maja, and I loved every second. I can’t wait to see what next year will bring!

I’ve had so many amazing travel experiences in 2019. I’m so grateful for how much I’ve gotten to travel, and how many amazing places I’ve got to go. I already can’t wait to see what next year will bring! 2020, here I come!

Thank you to every single person for following along on my adventures and supporting me and my blog this year! It wouldn’t have been possible without you! Here’s to 2020!

What were your top travel experiences of 2019? Do you have any plans yet for 2020?

Like this post? Pin it for later!