I was travelling long before I started Little Grey Box and a lot of those trips were taken when I was a total travel amateur. I was broke, staying in dodgy hotels and hostels, using only my phone to take very grainy, horribly framed photos. Not only that, but I was about 15kg heavier than I am now and loathed being in front of the camera, you have no idea how awful those old photos are of ‘plump me’ standing in beautiful places, looking awkward as heck. I was also far too scared to see and do some things because I was such a travel newbie! I thought every solo adventure would end in an abduction.
There are so many really beautiful places I’ve been that I would LOVE to visit again, now I’m more confident and know how to get the best out of a city and how to work a good camera. So, I wanted to share a few of the places I just cannot wait to go back to and visit again! These are places I #TravelFailed the first time I visited and really want to get right the next time I visit. What are yours?
But first, watch this…
1. Rome
I’ve been to Rome twice now and totally stuffed it up both times. On both trips, I was on a group tour, because I was broke, so it was a real whirlwind and we were staying pretty far out from the city. Still, it’s a beautiful place and I fell in love with it despite the hoards of tourists. It’s when you find yourself in a quiet back street that you can settle into this city, you start to notice the texture of the cobblestone streets, the sounds of locals talking and the feeling in the air all around you. For me, it felt full of energy and excitement, but somehow still laid back. I’d love to go back and stay somewhere central, in Rome, and take my time finding hidden pockets in the city. I’d also like to eat copious amounts of pasta and gelato.
2. Iceland
We went to Iceland a few years ago now and, again, we were really broke when we did it as we were travelling on an absolute shoestring budget. Iceland is notoriously expensive, so we slept on a friend of a friend’s couch and ate meals at home. For some reason, I was in a foul mood most of the time we were there so I spent a lot of my time not wanting to take as many photos as I should. Big regret. I’d really love to go back now that I’m more travel savvy and have a great camera. I’d love to visit all those mind-blowingly beautiful places and take my time seeing them all while staying at a real hotel and eating at restaurants.
3. Switzerland
Another place I’ve been to twice, on tours, and still not captured it or seen it properly. Both times i’ve been overwhelmed by just how beautiful Switzerland is but I haven’t had the time or ability to photograph it properly and really enjoy it fully. It would be a dream to go back and spend time walking through those gorgeous villages on foot, stopping to photograph absolutely everything and anything I see. I’d love to stay a week somewhere picture-perfect, waking up to a million dollar view each morning and breathing in the fresh, cool, crisp air that fills your lungs with adventure.
4. Canada
Yep, the whole dang country! Not just one city, the whole place! I absolutely love Canada, it’s just a really special place. Matt and I went to Toronto together a few years ago, pre-blog know-how, and I also visited Calgary and Banff many years ago with my dad. Back then I was just a kid and had no idea how incredible what I was seeing was. FAIL. I would love to spend a few months in Canada, slowly working my way across the country meeting the locals, eating their amazing food and filming every moment of beauty I see. I could spend a month in the Rockies easily. Take me, Canada. I’m YOURS.
5. New York
We spent a pretty good amount of time in New York, I think it was around a week or slightly more than a week. While we saw and did a lot of things, we also missed out on doing lots of stuff too, because we were doing this epic long trip and were pretty exhausted from moving around. I used my iPhone 3 to take photos. What the heck was I thinking? So many amazing photo opportunities squandered! I could kick myself. It would be wonderful to go back to New York, now that I’ve got my first-time awe out of the way, and properly get down to the nitty-gritty of finding hidden spots and properly capturing those iconic places, like Central Park.
6. Amsterdam
I am hanging out to get back to Amsterdam. Whenever the idea of going up to the Northern Hemisphere comes up, Matt and I immediately start plotting how we can get ourselves back to Am-Dam. It’s just a really fun place to visit and the two times I’ve been, it has been far too fast and I’ve not been able to do anything of real interest there. There are so many amazing galleries to visit, tiny streets to explore and very long nights of fun to be had. I’d love to hire a bike and ride through the city and see it properly, away from the hoards of tourists and the red-light district. I’d also like to get out of the city and see the wide open spaces of the Netherlands.
What are some destinations you’ve visited but #TravelFailed and would love to visit again?
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