So far this year we have been learning our balance with traveling and blogging – because we have been going a ton of places and still learning how to work! Combined this year we have visited: Frankfurt, Germany; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Miami and New Orleans USA; Madrid, Spain, as well as Galicia, Palma de Mallorca, Cordoba, Malaga,& Toledo; Fes, Chefchaouen, and Merzouga, Morocco; and last but not least Paris, France.
But for me so far the top three places we visited were as follows:
3. Amsterdam, Netherlands.
I fell in love with Amsterdam, it was my first trip there and although it was way too short for my liking, it was plenty of time to know I wanted to return. Despite the fact that it rains a million kinds of ways, is always windy and fairly cold – especially for a Miami girl like me, I adored it. Amsterdam was like walking around in a story book that you didn’t think was possible to exist in real life. The people were kind and helpful, the scenery and history was unreal, and honestly it was really easy to navigate around town. Our friends let us borrow a bike so we could truly experience Amsterdam but honestly we didn’t even use it. Walking was easy and I only used a uber a handful of times. We stayed at Ecomama. The property was quirky and trendy, the staff was awesome and helpful, pulling out a city map and directing us to the best coffeeshops and bars immediately. My husband and I stayed in one of the private rooms which was a little more pricy but if you choose to be a bit more on a budget there are still options for you. The most touristic attraction we saw while we were there was the Van Gogh Museum which was really just the best thing you could have shown me. I am a huge Van Gogh nerd and while it’s not every huge painting that everyone knows by him it was a great way to learn more about the progression of his life and work.
Ecomama Amsterdam
Ecomama Amsterdam
Ecomama Amsterdam
roaming around the canals in Amsterdam
roaming around the canals in Amsterdam
Find a street market and just eat everything. We went to Albert Cuyp to explore and try a little bit of everything before and find some souvenirs to bring back. We left with little trinkets and of course some dutch cheese.
Wandering through Amsterdam day or night proved to be gorgeous. I love the style of buildings you find in Nordic countries. If you walked down the right streets at night you could peer into the garden level apartments along the canals and see art work and decor lingering from decades before.
2. Paris, France
I know for me, Paris has always been a favorite city of mine. I studied french for around eight years while in school and my high school teacher just instilled such a deep love of the language and culture in France. This was my third trip to Paris. Christie hasn’t had the profound love I do for the city but this was our first trip together so, I was determined to show her the side of Paris I loved so much. Another reason Paris tops our list is because of the awesome places to take photos – check out our post on all the amazing instagram spots in Paris, right here.
the farmers market in Montmartre
1. Morocco (the entire trip!)
We got to spend a week in Morocco during Christie’s spring break from teaching. I flew into Madrid a few days early, and then we headed to Fes together and ventured to the Sahara Desert and back north to Chefchaouen. I had previously visited Marrakech but this trip was completely different for me. I fell in love with each city we visited, even though the first day started out a bit scary. Navigating a new country isn’t always easy but Morocco was like visiting another world. Here’s some of my favorite shots from the trip and basically a teaser on our upcoming guide to Morocco! If you want to read more about why we loved Fes so much – check out our ultimate guide to Fes!
So hands down Morocco wins. Whats your favorite trip from 2018? We’ll be back soon with a complete guide of where to stay, where to eat, where to explore, the right guide to use and more for all over Morocco. Is there anything you want to know about? Tell us so we can let you know!