Happy Holidays everybody! 2010 has been quite a year for me, having visited nine countries in a whirlwind of travel. I made this short video as a summary of my “this was 2010” travel adventures and βe-Christmas Cardβ of sorts!
This post was originally published in 2010. It has since been updated for accuracy of links and content.
Enjoy:
Please click here to watch the video if you canβt see it in your browser or email.
For those of you who would rather read about my year, hereβs the βcoles notesβ version of my 2010:
I started out in Australia celebrating the New Year with friends in Victoria, before heading to Sydney to see the sights and stay with some friends I met in Lightning Ridge.
Next, I visited a Canadian friend who moved to Canberra, Australiaβs capital city. Our visit to the Aboriginal Tent Embassy will be counted as a memory I wonβt soon forget.
Then it was off to New Zealand to shoot a tv show, where in 11 days, I experienced more thrilling adventures than you could probably get through in a month.
After that I got some down-time in Wellington, before checking out more nooks and crannies on the North Island; places like the Tongariro Crossing and Mount Tarawera.
I also discovered one of my favourite places in the world: Mana Retreat, where I volunteered in trade for my accommodation.
Then it was a very long business class flight to Spain, where I checked out the Tapas culture, volunteered in trade for my accommodation by speaking English, visited the walled city of Toledo, stayed with a family near Madrid where I had an interesting encounter, and sampled the cuisine and grandeur of Segovia – another walled city with quite a spectacular aqueduct.
With just a week to spare, I popped over to southern Germany to visit a friend I had met in New Zealand, who showed me her home town of Ulm and the surrounding countryside.
Next, I had a date to meet my family in Paris, where we saw some sights before heading south to stay with friends on the Mediterranean. We ate amazing food, checked out the markets, and took long drives along the coast. We also saw world heritage sights like Pont de Neuf and Carcassonne β the city that looks like a castle.
After some welcome beach time, it was off to England with Mum, where we house-sat for a few weeks. We also got around a bit, seeing sights like London, Avebury, and Winchester.
See also: How to Land House-Sitting Gigs, and Other Forms of Free Accommodation
Mum and I parted company and I went to York to stay with a fellow travel writer, sample high tea, and visit the coast at Whitby.
Next, I hopped on a train to Edinburgh to check out the Fringe Festival, gawk at random foods the Scottish are willing to deep fry, and drive into the Scottish highlands. The scenery was beautiful, the weather was surprisingly cooperative, and the hiking was fabulous.
Ireland was a ferry ride away, where I reveled in the gorgeous green countryside, saw the Giantβs Causeway with its strange rock formations, and admired the sights of Dublin – sampling the local brew too of course.
France wasnβt done with me yet, as I returned to Paris to film the pilot episode for a travel tv show.
With the crew, we headed to Nepal to continue filming. I absolutely fell in love with Nepal, and hope to return there soon to further explore this amazing country.
By the end of September, I was back in Australia, on a quest to ride the rails. I rode The Ghan from Darwin on a three day journey down through the red centre and eventually through to Adelaide.
Next, I took the Indian Pacific from Sydney on a four day journey to from Pacific to Indian Oceans; Through Broken Hill and the outback, down to Adelaide with its bustling central market, through Cook (the ghost town with a bustling population of 5), and all the way across the Nullarbor desert to Perth.
After enjoying 24 hours in the incredibly isolated city of Perth, it was back on the train another four days all the way back to Sydney. All in all, I rode 16,000kms of Australiaβs rails in about a month, and I didnβt even cover it all.
Iβm back in New Zealand now, spending Christmas and New Yearβs at Mana Retreat. Iβm very excited for 2011, which promises to hold many more travel adventures.
Wherever you are in the world, I hope you have a wonderful holiday season, full of good food, good friends, and lasting memories.
Cheers, from The Professional Hobo. This was 2010!
I loved this! What a great adventure and a great year! Thanks for sharing! Cheers to 2011!
Hey Nora, looks like you had a great year of travel. Nice work on the slideshow too!
Have a nice Christmas over there in NZ. Looking forward to the live action TV series in 2011!
Seems like you were quite the active gal this past year, hopping around the globe – and then back again. I enjoyed the slideshow and the music! Clearly I have to get to New Zealand one day!
What an amazing year you’ve had! Can’t wait to see what you’ve got in store for 2011!
Thank you all for your well-wishes, and I’m glad you enjoyed the video! I too, am excited for 2011, whatever it brings….and I hope yours is also full of adventure, growth, and most importantly – FUN! π
This is to wish you the very best of this festive season, happy holidays and a 2011 filled with peace, prosperity, good health and lots of adventure!!
Cheers,
DB
Seems like 2010 was a great year! I wish the same for you in 2011!
@Dee & Matt – Thank you, and to both of you the greatest of adventures in 2011 yet! Merry Christmas.
Hi Nora, Merry christmas for you and a another great travel year for you, yours, Joost
You’ve seen quite a few places in 2010, wow! Hope your 2011 will be just as exciting, if not even better. Merry Christmas to you!
Thanks, Joost & Globetrottergirls! Although I’m not entirely sure what 2011 will be, I’m sure it will be fun! Stay tuned… π
this is a perfect recap for your many journeys this year. i was so inspired by this post that i even did a review of the many travels that i did in 2010.
May you have more journeys in 2011!
@Prime – Your christmas reflections are awesome! Isn’t it amazing how we can learn so much from our travel experiences on reflection? To a wonderful and adventurous (and food-filled) 2011!
Truly it was a pleasure to meet you this year, Nora. π
@Mikeachim – Thanks for your awesome hospitality and tour-guide-ness! I can’t wait to see when – and where – we meet again! π
Wow, how much you can pack into a year! I’m impressed. That is a lifetime worth for some of us. Thanks for letting us live vicariously through you and enjoy your travels!
Hey Christine,
Yes, 2010 was hectic. In fact, I spent the first half of 2011 in a near-comatose state in New Zealand! I realized 2010 was simply too much, too fast. The longest I spent anywhere that year was 2.5 weeks of house-sitting in England. Otherwise, I was changing beds on average every 5 days. Totally not maintainable! That’s why I travel much more slowly now.