I miss travelling, I miss writing about travel, I miss photographing different and unique places, exciting scenarios, different cultures, languages, foods and people. I miss it all. And in a way, I always will. The adventures I’ve had already I will always miss, but along with that, they are adventures that I will always have such fond memories of and will always appreciate. More so now than ever, how lucky I was to see and experience all that I did. 

Whoever has travelled can probably agree with me that you think about your past travelling experiences and do miss it all daily. It never goes away. You never stop thinking about all that you did, the time you went snorkelling in the great barrier reef, the time you went to the wrong hotel in Prague and thought you’d have to sleep rough for the night or the time island-hopping around the Thai islands. There are constant reminders of all that you did, photo time hops that prop up and the memories imprinted on your brain of the travelling you’ve experienced. With not being able to travel and working you do still find yourself relating a lot of everyday life scenarios or situations back to travelling.

This is one of the many reasons why I love travelling. The memories created, that as cliché as it sounds - really do last a lifetime. All those amazing photos you’ve captured along with all the memories, they will never leave and I love that. I love looking back on photos particularly, remising about where I went, what I did and what I learnt. 

There are so many aspects of travel I think about and miss daily. It all was the best experience I could ever have asked for.

But just because we can’t hop on a plane and travel halfway across the world right now why should the love and exploration of travel end there or stop temporarily. 

Travelling doesn’t mean just going to a new exotic country, halfway across the world (of course that is ideal) but travel is everywhere, it doesn’t always have to be somewhere that changes time zones.

And with restrictions continuing through the year and possibly next year too, it’s time to enjoy the country we live in and explore destinations a little closer to home. 

Having previously planned my entire year in January with flights booked, festival tickets brought and holiday forms signed off at work I was ready for a busy and exciting 2020. So when these were all cancelled I had to think of some alternatives quick.

With summer slightly adjusted I made sure I’d try to get in at least a few breaks to enjoy in-between work. My partner and I opted for two seaside breaks, one in July, which gave us some beautiful weather. Spending 3 days sea kayaking, eating copious amounts of ice cream, eating seafood outside whilst watching the sunset, trying paddle boarding for the first time and walking around cute seaside towns. 

The last-minute break in October brought a different kind of seaside holiday but was just as amazing as the first. This time with drizzly and grey weather, sheltering in coffees shops, walking to Durdle door in time to watch the sunset, delicious dinners at some top restaurants (courtesy of my partners love for Tripadvisor and review searching) as well as walking the coastline to nosy on some very fancy houses. 

Both holidays were 3 nights each, both being seaside locations (Devon & Dorset) but both brought completely different adventures that we loved.

It was nice to finally be able to stay away, get out of the house that we had been stuck in for the past 3 months, the trips allowed us to travel again. All of this that has happened this year does make you appreciate the smaller things in life and it really does show you that travelling doesn’t necessarily mean a flight. 

Of course, when you think of a seaside break you instantly think of summer and sunshine but this doesn’t always need to be the case. A seaside destination in England doesn’t have to only be for summer. We went to Devon at peak time just at the start of the summer holidays, we were blessed with beautiful weather but it was also busy everywhere and everyone had the same idea!

Whereas the second holiday in Dorset was in October, yes the weather wasn’t great but it wasn’t as busy as the previous holiday and we still found plenty to do during our time away.

With the weather changing, it does become increasingly harder to plan trips to be reliant on the weather, but we’re British, we’re used to the unpredictabilities of British seasons, so pack your wellies and raincoat, we’ve got this! English seaside breaks are just as beautiful in Winter as they are in summer!

So why not visit and explore more places in England. Places closer to home, destinations that you don’t have to fork out for an expensive flight, getting to the check-in desk to realise you’ve packed your bag 2kg over the weight limit or spending 5 hours at an airport with unexpected delays.

Instead, pack a bag (no weight limit necessary) choose a destination, plan a journey, book a hotel or Air BnB, jump in the car and hit the road. Pop on your favourite car playlist, grab some snacks and start your carpool karaoke sing-off with the other half!

Now, of course, we’re currently in a second lockdown, which isn’t great but why should that stop us planning our next getaway. Start planning a trip for when the restrictions have been lifted, get yourself something to look forward to. A country retreat, a refreshing seaside break or a busy city weekend, it’s time to make the most of where we live and enjoy travelling again.

Amy x