Travel Year in Review 2016 and what’s next 2017

2016 Travel Year in Review

When 2016 began I was really excited for it. I had just finished six months in Africa and even though I had come back to NZ to work I was excited to have a routine and connect with family and friends. This was to be a tranisition year – how could I travel and work at the same time. I find my work fast paced and fulfilling but it is also stressful and I have a need to explore. I’m trying to find that balance between being stuck somewhere with zero travel and travelling for six months straight as that was just too long for me.

And I have to say I failed. I guess I didn’t fail completely because I have now learned that I need to travel more than I did in 2016 but less than I did in 2015. It’s a balance. A delicate one at that so I need to stay more attuned to how I’m feeling and be a bit more spontaneous and just book a one week trip somewhere instead of planning months in advance and then counting down to the trip.

My travel year in review was great along with a few amazing highlights. I visited 7 new countries on three trips – China in March, Tonga in August, Nauru, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands and Micronesia in December.

To start my travel year in review in March I went on a GAdventures tour to China where we visited Beijing, Xian, Suzhou and Shanghai.

In August I went to Tonga and then flew to the island of Haapai to swim with humpback whales. By far my most exciting and amazing trip of the year. This was a dream come true.

In December I went to Nauru and Micronesia with a stopover in Kiribati, Marshall and Solomon Islands. Wow this was eye opening. I didn’t know what to expect but each of these islands are amazing and so completely different. So many people have never even heard of these islands let alone visited them.

2017 What’s next?

So what does 2017 hold in store for Travelgal Nicole? Well I’ve already been on too many fligths – flying home from Micronesia took about 18 hours and 6 flights. I arrived home on the 2nd of January and was back to work on the 4th January. I only have 10 weeks until my next trip and I’ll be taking off work for six months. Here are my plans for the rest of the year.

March
Argentina
Chile
Uruguay
Paraguay

April
Brazil
Bolivia

May
Peru
Ecuador
Colombia

June
Venezuela
Suriname
Guyana

July
Trinadad and Tobago
USA

August
Scotland

September to October
Back to NZ

November
Vanuatu

December is always a busy month for us so I’ll be back in NZ planning out my next year of travel.  What are your travel plans for 2017?