I’m at the point in the year when I’m a little bored of my routine and dreaming of going away on holiday, luckily I do have some fun things planned for this summer but I though I’d make a wee list of the 5 most pressing travel desires of mine, some of which are actually being considered real soon! So here goes…

Paris
I know that Paris is one of my favourite places in the world despite the fact that I’ve never properly been there. I went to Disneyland at a child with my family a couple of times and had an extremely rushed school trip that was limited to a decidedly average lunch in a French chain, a boat trip down the Seine and a jaunt up the Eiffel Tower but otherwise there was no exploring. Paris is one of those places where there is so much to do and see that you just want to take your time and wander around and breathe it all in. I have vowed for a long time that I would go to Paris and take in all of its touristy and authentic glory. And finally this year, I’m actually going to do it!! My lovely friend, Hannah and I quite spontaneously booked our flights and accommodation in a frenzy of omg-now-we’re-adults-with-jobs-and-money-to-buy-things-with excitement. Of course we’re planning all the typical Paris fun but I’m so looking forward to taking in the Féerie Show at the Moulin Rouge, doing a tour of the Palais Garnier (the theatre that inspired The Phantom of the Opera) and wandering around the cuteness of the Marais. Heck, half of the fun has been in the planning of this, who knows how happy I’ll be when I’m casually drinking a glass of wine in the summer sun!

Venice
This is the plan for summer 2018… my favourite ladies and I have been talking about Italy for a few year now and we really want to take in the canals of Venice and once again, all the wine and food. It just looks so picturesque and beautiful and there is so much history to learn about. We also plan to make a day trip over to Verona while we’re near as the general Shakespearean fan pilgrimage to Juliet’s balcony. We did some Shakespeare together in school and have always loved stagey goodness so it would just be a lovely, chilled trip away in the sun with my favourite gals. The rest of Italy also needs to happen at some point but that can’t be until I’ve saved up actual money as an adult!

New York
Another place I know that I would absolutely love and thrive in, however I actually haven’t been here yet. As the theatrical capital of the world (aside from my one true love, London) I know it’s somewhere that I need to be. I genuinely neeeeed to take in Broadway thoroughly! My bestie Joanne is there just now and she’s been sending me pictures of everything that she’s getting up to which pushes me further and further into my hole of jealousy and longing for NYC (love you Jo x). Aside from my stagey obsession, I feel like NY would also just have an amazing vibe (cause I could pretend that I’m in West Side Story) and obviously has a lot of touristy fun to engage in. My plan is to take the trip in 2019 – the year of my 21st birthday and my graduation from university. That way I’ll have loads to celebrate and I’ll be legally allowed to have a wee drink when I’m over there. Aside from everything on Broadway, I’d really like to see the Rockettes show. I really hope I actually make this trip happen because it would be the best way to celebrate a changing phase in my life!

Reykjavik
My desire to go to Iceland comes from the jealousy that ensued when my parents went on holiday there last year. I was stuck at uni and work while they sent me the most beautiful pictures of natural landscapes that seem way too stunning to be real. I would love to experience the northern lights because it’s so amazingly baffling how that can occur. They also went to the natural hot spring blue lagoon which looks incredible. This one is a bit different to my other cosmopolitan destinations but sometimes you need to see the natural amazement of our planet that wasn’t created by ourselves.

Thailand
Another place that’s driven by natural beauty but also by the fact that it’s the home of my favourite cuisine style and has so much culture that I’d love to learn about. I haven’t given a specific area of Thailand because I would want to go to the cities and do some island hopping, in order to make the most of everything they have to offer and to get the most value out of that insanely long flight! I wanna learn to cook authentic Thai food, hike with elephants, maybe go scuba diving (if I can get over my fear of dangerous fish in the sea), visit the local temples, shop in the markets, experience the wildness of Bangkok and just learn about a totally new place. One day..

Here’s to lots of saving and hopefully lots more travelling!