A look back at my adventures in 2015
Where has time gone? It feels as though it was only yesterday I was writing about looking forward to 2015 and now we are at the end! This year I’ve been fortunate enough to travel as frequently as possible and have had some great moments. So without further ado, here are some of my travel highlights:
Los Angeles
2015 saw me visit the city of Angels not once, nor twice, but three times spread out through the year. Each trip was memorable for its own reasons. January saw me attend an awards show at L.A. LIVE, hop on a sightseeing tour, try sushi for the very first time, brunch at the Beverly Hills Hotel and enjoy a movie at the El Capitan Theatre which was amazing.
In August, I attended the D23 Expo 2015 and experienced all the fun and excitement of the Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration, before staying in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles and venturing to Malibu where I think I could say that I enjoyed one of the best Fish and Chips I’ve had… And maybe a Dunkin Donut too.
In October when the weather was still surprisingly warm, I was fortunate enough to visit The Walt Disney Studios and walk around the lot, experience the spookiness of Mickey’s Halloween Party at Disneyland, catch up with some friends over drinks in Santa Monica, attend the We Can Survive concert at the Hollywood Bowl where I saw Maroon 5, Sam Smith, The Weekend, 5SoS and Demi Lovato perform. Believe it or not, it was only the second music concert I’ve ever been too! Finally, I ventured over to Catalina Island where I cycled along a winding road with the Pacific gently crashing on one side, and off-road terrain on the other. Beautiful.
Florida
In May, I flew out to Orlando for a week to re-visit the theme park mecca and stayed at the luxurious Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World before a few nights at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. The resorts are completely different from each other but I’d certainly consider returning to either for different reasons. It wasn’t all about Disney, I managed to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando and try some Butterbeer; although I don’t think even my sweet tastebuds could cope with that ever again!
I was only home for less than few weeks and then I flew out to Miami for 18 hours. Crazy? Yes. But I had a great time. It was my first time visiting the city and although I only saw a couple of sights, a Cheesecake Factory and the mall; I certainly plan to return in the future.
Adventures at home
As some of you may know, I live in the bustling seaside city of Brighton; and I know people say locals never appreciate where they live; but this year I have a newfound respect for my hometown. I feel lucky to be able to enjoy regular brisk walks along the beachfront and to meander through the quaint and quirkiness of The Lanes. Brighton is certainly a lovely place to live, even if I can’t stand the traffic or the never ending roadworks. But it’s the same in every city, isn’t it?!?
I’ve also been fortunate enough to meet so many fantastic people; both at work and through social events; which has been a sincere pleasure and whom I endeavour to stay in touch with – wherever the future takes me. Aside from meeting people, I think I have also learned a lot more about the travel industry and the issues which are faced by organisations on a daily basis. Needless to say I have a newfound respect for cabin crew as they really do a demanding but stellar job.
Flying
It’s no surprise that I love to fly and happen to hop on an aircraft whenever I can. This year I’ve flown an impressive 50,140 miles with Air New Zealand, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.
People often ask me which is the best airline to fly with. It’s actually very hard to give a straight answer as each airline has it’s own unique product and service offerings which may or may not appeal to someone. I’d quite happily recommend flying with all of them and hope to do so again next year; and take a look at the in-flight experience of some other carriers too.
What’s in store for 2016?
It’s not like me at all, but I have nothing planned as of yet. The thing is I am starting a new job, so will be focusing on getting settled in my role and going through the stages of meeting new colleagues. Sure my bucket list is getting longer all the time, but I’m hoping I’ll be able to cross a few things off a little later on. There is also the small matter that I will be turning the grand old age of 21… so I’ll most likely treat myself to a flight somewhere.
Whatever you have planned for 2016, I wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous new year. Just dont dwell on the fact that it’s a leap year and so the majority of us will be working the extra day for free… 😉
Happy New Year!
B.
