AFRICA! WE DID IT!

Where do I even begin. Talk about a dream trip. Words can’t express how truly amazing this entire experience was. From start to finish, everything was perfect — transportation, weather, accommodations, food, our group and guides — it was complete perfection.

That being said, I’m happy to report WE SUCCESSFULLY SUMMITED MT. KILIMANJARO!!! What an insane accomplishment – A HUGE bucket list check.

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And WE’RE BACK!

I know it’s been a very long time since the last post — real life gets in the way, that’s for sure — but, the good news is, we’re back on the road, FINALLY!

The funny thing about life and all of its circumstances, a year ago now I was wrapping up my 9 month trip around the world, flying home October 14th (my dad’s birthday). And now, a year later, I’ll be in Africa. Life is crazy, and I’m so blessed to be soaking up every moment!

Tomorrow we jump on a 24 hour travel day to Africa to embark on one of our greatest bucket list quests yet… HIKING MT. KILIMANJARO!!!

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I blinked and a year has flown by.

How is this possible?

Did I even go on this trip?

It truly feels like I dreamt the entire thing.

Words can’t even begin to describe the experiences I had, the way I feel or the deep seeded travel bug that continues to grow within my soul. But one thing I know with certainty: This will not be my last Around the World trip. It may not be tomorrow, or next month, or even next year, but before I’m 100 years old, I know I’ll make it happen again.

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Because I truly believe sunsets and sunrises are the most special time of day, I tried to make it a point to capture and enjoy as many of them as possible. Here is a collage of all of the incredible colorful skies we were blessed enough to experience throughout our travels:

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Dubrovnik.

I was told that you either love Split and hate Dubrovnik, or love Dubrovnik and hate Split. They are as much similar as they are different. And personally, I prefer Dubrovnik. Perhaps that’s why I visited this fort town on three separate occasions!

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Krka National Park.

Schedule: 8:30am pick up — 10:30am arrival in Skradin — 11:00am start of the river cruise into the park — 5 hours free time — 4pm departure — arrive back in Split at 5:30pm. We booked with the Split Walking Tour Team through a hostel. Cost: 200 kuna for a private minibus transfer and boat ride. 90-110 kuna for the Park entrance depending on if it’s low or high season.

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The mountains in Croatia are like nothing I’ve seen before. Gray granite with small green shrubs scattered throughout. This is Croatia.

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Split.

I don’t know why some people hate Split. It’s Eastern Europe. Yes, there is graffiti and old buildings, but the alleys are interesting, tons of character with cute shops and restaurants. My favorite area is the small plaza on the interior walls of the palace where there’s live music every night; people sit around the outer steps, and enjoy drinks, music, and the ambiance. Couples even dance in the middle of the square!

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Budva.

The metropolis of Montenegrin tourism, thanks to the great number of beaches and hotels, make Budva a most desirable tourist destination.

Budva can be a day trip from either Kotor or Tivat, or as I would suggest, staying the night down there as it’s a huge city and I only dipped my toes into the Old Town.

A quick 30-minute drive to Budva from Tivat with stunning coastal views along the way will give you a wonderful sense of the landscape of beautiful Montenegro. 

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Tivat. Porto Montenegro.

Given the timing of this portion of my trip (mid-October), and how ‘dead’ it appeared to be in Croatia, I was a little concerned with Montenegro following the same seasonal ebb and flow. Unfortunately, I was right. Kotor and Tivat were both extremely quiet, with the majority of restaurants and shops being closed for the winter season. 

However, Tivat could not have been more drastically different from Kotor. Tivat, Porto Montenegro was named the ‘Superyacht Marina of the Year for 2015’.

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Picture this: A clear, crisp autumn morning with the sun rising over the Bay of Kotor, surrounded by stunning mountains, steam rising from the water, creating a mystical atmosphere. The perfect day to explore this hidden gem of a country.

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[Pictures courtesy of Google]

Unfortunately, I’m watching all of this from a bus, leaving Montenegro. My time here was spent dodging the rain and taking advantage of the few hours of sunshine I had in Budva. I hoped to stay here a while longer, but with my luck, the only bus back to Dubrovnik was at 8am. Losing in Montenegro…

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