Looking Back at 2014!
I think it would be fairly safe to say that 2014 has been the most jam packed and exciting year of my life so far. I don't believe that anyone's life is perfect and often what we see online is a glorified view of a persons real life, however I thought the New Year would be a fun time to look back through my year on the blog and remember all the fun that's been had.
December 2013
This time last year Joe and I had just arrived back from our first trip to Italy. We went right up north to Turin and absolutely fell in love. I've never been so close to the Alps, having previously only seen them from aeroplane windows and they were just breathtaking. You could just turn a street and BAM! there they would be to greet you. I was amazed by the greenery, even in the depths of winter, we had the best meal we have ever eaten at Ritual Ristorante Brasiliano; the service was incredibly warm, the food was next level and a dear old lady really made our night with her twerking. We took the lift up the Tempietto and enjoyed the perfect Christmas views of the city.
February 2014
Then in February 2014 we had some sad goodbyes to say, or rather 'see you laters'. Joe's parents moved over here for a while but in February they decided their time in Malta was up. They sold their apartment in the UK, left Malta and headed to the seaside in England for a new adventure. It was so so sad to see them leave but we all knew that Malta just wasn't the right place for them any longer, and they're so happy in their new home, that I can't look back too sadly on the parting.
March 2014
In March, Joe and I, along with our great friends Andreas and Elaine headed to the sinkhole in Malta. Did you know there was a sinkhole? This phenomenon was huge in the UK news for a while in 2014, mainly with devastating effects, but this natural wonder occurred as far back as the 1300s and has since developed into a theatre of nature.
May 2014
In May my firework photography skills were put to the test when Malta held it's Annual International Fireworks Festival. I was lucky enough to go (again with Andreas and Elaine!) to Marsaxlokk to see the action up close. The whole show was absolutely incredible and I may be biased, but the UK entry just blew us away. The timing, the music, the fireworks themselves- spectacular! Elaine and I also nabbed a table in Sliema with a great view of Valletta to watch the show again but unfortunately it didn't start until we were about ready to head home. Still, we had a great meal, a catch up and we caught a bit of the show before we left.
Enjoying Malta
Fortina Hotel, Sliema
Throughout the year, I tried my best to see various parts of Malta that I don't see in my day to day dealings. Joe and I found a great deal online for a nights stay in Fortina 5* Hotel in Sliema- dinner, breakfast and use of the spa included. We couldn't miss out on a night of luxury and relaxation for a bargain price so snapped it up. The hotel surpassed my expectations, with a beautiful and comfortable room for the evening and a delicious dinner at Table One. We also made full use of the Spa Sante facilities and I discovered that saunas and steam rooms, which I'd never tried before and kind of assumed I'd hate, are HEAVEN.
Sunrises
I got up early one day to go for a power walk, which turned into more of a photoshoot. I got up especially to see the sunrise and picked the spot I knew it'd be most beautiful. From certain parts of Sliema you can see the sunrising directly from the Mediterranean Sea and it's just...indescribable. Along the way I thought I might have missed it as the sky looked really quite bright and pale pink already, but then I turned a corner and was stunned. The pictures don't do it justice at all, it's something you have to see with your own eyes to understand.
Smart City
Joe and I also decided it was high time we visited the Smart City in Kalkara. I'd been bugging him about it for long enough and I think even he was a little curious to have a look round and see the fountain. I wasn't overly impressed with the restaurants or cafes but the fountain was so pretty and the area was incredibly clean and modern. Definitely worth a visit whether you live in Malta or are just here on holiday. It's totally not the kind of place you'd expect to see in Malta and makes a nice change.
Wardija
Joe, Andreas, Elaine and I headed for a domestic trip to Wardija to get some time away from home, without going too far. Wardija has to be the best of Malta. More nature and greenery than you'd ever expect on this island, countryside and sea views and sunsets to blow your mind. We had BBQ dinners every single night, and sometimes for breakfast too; we seriously ate like Kings. This weekend was one of my best ever in Malta and I love going back and looking over the pictures.
Travel in 2014
Vienna, Austria
Travel was a huge part of mine and Joe's year in 2014, and I was on a plane probably more than the rest of my life combined! I was lucky enough to visit Vienna, Austria for a few days with work. Travelling with Antonia really made it much more enjoyable. When I've had to travel alone in the past I pretty much do my work, go to my meetings then spend the rest of the time in my hotel room. Antonia and I explored the city together, saw come sights, tried some top rated restaurants and thoroughly enjoyed our few days away!
Krakow, Poland
Almost immediately after returning home from the work trip to Vienna, Joe and I headed on over to Krakow, Poland. If we fell in love with Turin, then we became positively obsessed with Krakow. I had seriously low expectations- in the UK we have a quite distorted view of Poland and embarrassingly, I really didn't expect much at all, but it was one of my favourite cities I've ever visited. The people were warm, kind and helpful, the city was clean, safe and wonderful to look at. The food was good, everything was so cheap, the shopping was extensive and we were actually incredibly sad to come home. The Puro hotel was probably the best hotel we've ever stayed in. The room was small but incredibly functional and whilst not the best hotel in terms of the luxury, it had loads of plus points like a ceiling to floor window to outside in the shower, 5 free coffees per day, and a tablet in the room that controlled the electronics. Pretty cool!
Budapest, Hungary
Our travels didn't end there (lucky for us!) as we headed on over to Budapest in Hungary for a few days. We weren't as inthralled by Budapest as we were with Turin and Krakow, but the place is very, very beautiful. If you're into castles and architecture in general, then this is a place you need to see. I also took one of my favourite ever photos in Budapest, when we saw birds in the night flying above the parliament building, glowing like angels in the dark sky.
Italy
Our final travels began in December and saw us away over Christmas. This was the most exciting trip of the lot, I think. We headed on over to Italy, with no real plan and no return flight booked. We had the flight to Bologna and the first 2 nights hotel sorted, then we just booked as we went along. It was chaotic, unorganised and much more fun than I ever expected. I'm one for planning, booking, organising, listing, printing and generally doing things 'right' so this laid back way of travelling was unfamiliar to me, but exhilarating and actually calming- no timelines to meet, no worries about being behind schedule. We just did as we pleased. I've not blogged the trip yet (we only just got back!) but we visited Bologna, Venice, Verona, Milan and Pisa in the one trip. I enjoyed every town for different reasons, but I definitely had favourites but wont be going back to Italy for a lil while.
Going Home
In between all the jet setting, of course we managed some trips home to England to see friends and family. Somehow, there is never enough time though and we never manage to fit everyone in. I'm sad I didn't see more of certain people this year, but we'll make an extra effort with them in 2015.
I Quit my Job!
In other pretty big news, 2014 was the year I quit my job, with no idea what I was going to do next. Like the unplanned travelling, it was totally out of character for me but was the right decision and worked out perfectly for me. I will talk more about where I'm at now shortly, but in my Work History post I talked about the jobs I've done over the years and what made me leave my latest one before I knew what was next. 2014 was really the year I realised that it's OK to plan and organise, but it's OK to go a little off plan once in a while too. There is nothing really more important than happiness and we only live once, so why not do as much as we can to make happiness a reality.
Finally, in December, even with my travels, I ran Blogmas again, this time blogging every other day in December in the run up til Christmas. It was hugely popular in 2013, where I blogged every day in December, but this year I took it a little slower. My final post went over what Christmas means to me, someone who is not religious. It's not a celebration of God, or Jesus or anything for me, but a time to take stock and be thankful for everything that I have and make sure I reach out to everyone I care about, however long it's been since we spoke.
Looking back at my year like this is a little mind blowing- it doesn't seem real to me that I can have packed so much goodness into 12 short months and I think that's the great thing about this blog and about taking this time to look back over the good things- we really see just how good life is and remember how lucky we are, even if we don't feel like that every day.
I really hope you've enjoyed coming on this journey with me and will stick around to see what 2015 brings us all!