When I celebrated a low-key New Years Eve at a friend’s house last January, I could never have predicted where I would end up. I didn’t know that I would be on the road for over 100 days or that I would be featured in AFAR and National Geographic Travel (twice!).
I didn’t know I would reach nearly 1,000 Facebook fans and over 2,500 Twitter followers! t didn’t know the sunsets I would see or the great people I would meet. I didn’t know I would start the Atlanta chapter of Travel Massive or create a guide to Atlanta for AFAR.com! So here’s my review of 2013. Here’s to an even better 2014!
January and February– I worked furiously at my temp job here in Atlanta at the Americasmart and substitute teaching to save up for my upcoming travels.
March and April– I celebrated 4 years of CITC, a landmark I never thought I would reach! I attended the Charleston Wine + Food Festival to cover it for This Is My South and was back a few weeks later for a wedding and my second Cooper River Bridge Run.
I accomplished my goal of running a race every month for a year! I visited St. Simon’s Island, Georgia to stay at the stunning King and Prince Resort and drove through Georgia’s Antebellum Trail from Athens to Macon. I started my Ultimate Florida Road Trip in St. Augustine.
May and June– I continued my solo road trip through Florida, paddle boarding with manatees, meeting an astronaut, kayaking at sunset and scuba diving in Key Largo. I returned home for less than a week before I was off again on the Georgia Travel Media Marketplace, which took me all over my home state, including stops in Greensboro, Eatonton, Milledgeville, Helen and Dawsonville.
I took a Megabus from Atlanta to Charlotte to Washington DC to Toronto for the Travel Blog Exchange conference. Yeah, maybe not my best idea, but certainly an adventure. I met some of my favorite bloggers and colleagues, but decided that mega conferences aren’t for me. I got to explore Toronto, Montreal and Quebec City before flying home in time to attend the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Tennessee.
July and August– I went back to work here in Atlanta and was given the chance to travel to New York for my job. I celebrated my 25th birthday. After New York, I flew to Baton Rouge to indulge in the best foodie experiences the city had to offer.
September and October– I finally went on the trip of a lifetime that I’d been planning for over a year to Turkey. I traveled overland and sailed the coast with BusAbout, survived an overnight bus, stayed in an award winning hotel and went hot air ballooning in Cappadocia, and wandered the bazaars of Istanbul.
After a night sleeping in Atatürk Airport and a very long day of travel, I arrived at the homey Charleston “International” Airport, where I was met with friends and family to attend the wedding of my dear friends Brady and Angie. On an island, of course. And since I can’t stay still too long, I went up to Chattanooga, Tennessee for a night for content on TIMS.
November and December– By the end of October, I was back at work and have hardly slowed down since, until now. After Christmas, my family went up to Asheville, North Carolina for the night to celebrate my mom’s birthday.
Top 5 Posts
The Cost of Traveling in Australia: My Budget– I finally got around to breaking down what makes travel in Australia so expensive and the best ways to keep costs to a minimum in this series, starting with my budget and what I did wrong.
26 Things to Do Before Turning 26– In my annual birthday goals post, I did my best to set myself up to accomplish tasks that had long been on my radar.
Travel Writing Round Up [July 2013]– I’ve continued my monthly roundup of travel writing jobs, freelance opportunities and great travel writing.
Overrated and Underrated Australia– I gave an honest account of the “must-see” destinations of Australia and whether or not they’re really worth all the fuss.
The Best Ways to See Europe– I’ve visited Europe through tour companies, rail passes and independently, so this post weighs in on which way is best and for what kind of traveler.
Top 5 Instagrams
Tie
Montreal featured by Explore Canada, with over 700 likes!
Countries Visited
- Canada
- Turkey
- United States
States Visited
- Georgia
- Florida
- New York
- Louisiana
- Tennessee
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Virginia/Washington DC
So what’s next for Caroline in the City?
I’ll be working for the rest of January at my job here in Atlanta and going to do the same in New York again in February before my first half marathon in March and a VERY BIG trip immediately afterwards!
So where to? You’ll have to stay tuned to find out! Subscribe to my newsletter if you want to be the first to know!
Wow Caroline, you’ve been very busy! Congratulations on your writing for prominent establishments. I think that’s the goal of every writer: to be appreciated and respected.
I look forward to following your journey :)
wow!! what a fantastic destinations that you discovered with your camera eyes. It’s just amazing and fantastic destinations i appreciate your hard work and you have a wonderful experience .. Have a good day !!