Although I don’t consider myself an extremely active traveler, every year I try to fill my calendar with as much travel as possible, and 2024 was an exciting one. It was full of new sights and ticking off bucket-list sites, of solo, coupled and group unforgettable adventures. I’ve become a pro at squeezing travel into weekends and holidays.
I have to say that travel for me is not about counting cities and countries – it’s about learning, growing, and connecting with the world in a way that keeps my curiosity alive.
Here’s a look at how my 2024 unrolled and how each trip brought its own unique story and lessons, reminding me why I love exploring Europe and, my home, Croatia.
I had to split this post into 4 parts because when I started adding photos, I realized my plan wasn’t sustainable. Read more:
My Irish solo trip
I can take a week or more off only during summer, due to my work. I always tend to use every single day and spend at least 2 weeks traveling abroad, at least in recent years. And my problem with Croatian summer is the hot weather so I try to escape it either in the Croatian mountains or in Northern Europe. This time it was Ireland’s turn.
I planned a trip to Ireland for so long and finally decided on a combination of London, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, and Ireland. It was too much for 10 days, but my solo trips always ARE too much. I’m happy I combined all of this because I managed to visit many places I’d wanted to see for a long time.
And this trip was important because it was in Ireland that I finally decided to start writing this travel publication — my friends had been nudging me for years to blog, but I didn’t have time for that, although there had been some tries. My goal with the publication is to bring to attention some sites that are not necessarily on everyone’s travel wishlist.
What’s in the post?
1 day in London
Belfast and the Giant’s Causeway
Douglas, the Isle of Man
Dublin
Cliffs of Moher and Dark Hedges
Newgrange
Kilkenny and Wicklow Mountains
London
London is my favorite city. Ever. I would like to be able to revisit it at least twice a year (and this year I was lucky to do so), there’s always something that draws my attention. This time I visited the National Portrait Gallery, the Wallace Collection, and Soho. It was just one day, and I really enjoyed it. The only bad thing was my planning - it was a very busy Saturday and millions swarmed the city center.
Why the National Portrait Gallery? I wanted to see its first ever acquisition, the famous Chandos portrait, which is believed to be of the Bard.