Joanna E Travel 2017 Recap
Another year is coming to an end and I’m sharing a roundup of another great year of travel. Taking advantage of vacation and personal days, I visited 6 new destinations. Here’s a summary of my Travel 2017 Recap and how I made it happen while working a full-time job.
January: Barcelona, Spain
I kicked off the new year by visiting Barcelona, Spain during MLK weekend. The flight was purchased almost a year in advance and outside of visiting Montserrat, I had no idea what I was going to do. Between recommendations from the Ofelias Hotel’s concierge and the Visit a City App, I purchased a two-day TMB Metro ticket and explored the city solo. From the architecture to the food, Barcelona became one of my favorite cities and I would love to go back to visit more of the coast and to see what else Montserrat has to offer.
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- 15 Life Lessons Learned on the Hike to Sant Jeroni
- 10 Must-See Places in Barcelona
- How to get to Montserrat from Barcelona via Train
Days used β 1 + weekend + Paid holiday
March: Cancun, Mexico
My second solo trip for the year was to Cancun, Mexico after buying a roundtrip ticket on Christmas 2016. The price was right, but I didn’t take into account that it was during Spring Break. I’m well past college-aged but still managed to enjoy “me time” by doing excursions off the resort. The highlights were visiting the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza and Tulum.
Related Post: How to Survive a Solo Trip to Cancun…During Spring Break
Days used β Sunday + 4 Days
April: Fort de France, Martinique
After writing a sponsored post (and having no plans for my birthday), Martinique was high on my list. My cousin and I took our first Norwegian Air Shuttle and were pretty much beach bums in SchΕler, Pointe du Bout, and Anse Mitan. The language barrier made it somewhat of a challenge, but we still enjoyed our time. On my actual birthday, I also received a press trip invitation to visit the Bahamas for their carnival the week after.
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Days used β 1 1/2 + weekend
May: Nassau, Bahamas
I went to the Bahamas just for the weekend to cover the Junkanoo Carnival. I had no sleep the whole weekend but didn’t feel an ounce of tiredness until getting back home. The biggest moments were reliving my masquerader days jumping in the band at the Road Fever Street Party and seeing Beres Hammond perform live at the Junkanoo Carnival concert.
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- Why the Warwick Paradise Island is the Perfect Escape
- How to Celebrate Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival Weekend
Days used β Weekend
Havana, Cuba
Since college, visiting Cuba has been a dream and it did not disappoint. What originally started out as a group tour ended with my cousin and I traveling to Havana with no plans, but where we were staying. We enjoyed salsa dancing in the bars, the cheap eats, visiting the street vendors via walking tours, the music and culture, meeting new friends and relaxing at the Barcelo Solymar resort in Varadero. I seriously can’t wait to go back.
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- 5 Tips for Planning a Trip to Cuba
- A Complete Guide to Booking a Casa Particular in Cuba
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Days used β 3 + weekend + 1 Paid holiday
June – August: Staycation
This summer I stayed in NYC to adult, save, spend time with friends and family, and explore more of my home city. There were a lot of firsts like visiting Long Island’s Wine Country and free kayaking in Brooklyn Bridge Park. I also attended Curlfest with my group of travel girlfriends.
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September: Morocco
My second girls trip was to the country of Morocco where we visited 5 cities in a week. I loved the culture, food, weather and how extremely nice the majority of the people we encountered were. I ALMOST got snatched up in Marrakech, but I’ll save the tea for a story time on Youtube. The highlights were visiting Chefchaouen and experiencing the beauty of La Mamounia.
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- A Quick Guide to Visiting Marrakech, Morocco
- The Ultimate Travel Guide to Chefchaouen: The Blue City in Morocco
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- Rock Out In Morocco: A Complete Itinerary of a Week in Morocco
- 5 Delicious Moroccan Food and Drinks You Must Try
Days used β 5 + weekend
October: Miami, Florida
After 4 years, I attended my first blogging conference. Blogalicious 9 opened opportunities for networking and collaboration with fellow bloggers and brands. Being in Miami during Miami carnival weekend also gave me the opportunity to go to fetes and meet up with my friends and family in the area.
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Days used β 1 + weekend
December: Miami, Florida and Nassau, Bahamas
The last trip of the year was for a weekend cruise on Carnival Victory. It was my first time cruising and my sister came along to relax and share some cruise and photography tips with me. With her being a professional photographer, I couldn’t turn down a pool shoot on our cruise stop at the Warwick. In addition to getting some dope photos, it gave me an idea of what my new camera and lenses can really do.
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Days used β 2 + weekend
Check out the video version of my Travel 2017 Recap below
I hope you enjoyed my Travel 2017 Recap. The year went by so fast and I enjoyed experiencing it all. Next year my cousin and I are heading to Turks & Caicos for my birthday and I have a planned girls’ trip to Bali. So you don’t miss out on any of the fun, you can subscribe to my monthly mailing list or follow on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube.
Did you have any fun travels for 2017?
Your photographs of your travels are so beautiful! My favorite photograph you shared is the one of Havana, Cuba. I would frame that one and put it up on your wall! Such great work! You are very blessed to have the opportunity to travel the world!
Thank you! I hope this year is just as great
Oh how I envy your travels. Thanks for sharing! I need to get my passport and explore.
2017 was such an awesome year for you! I just wanna tag along in your carry one because WOW!
Beautiful photos! Looks like you had a great 2017 for traveling.
I would like to go to Martinique. I also love Barcelona. I was there in November for my husband’s birthday. We missed each other in Morocco by a few days.
Oh wow! I definitely need to go back to Marrakesh. So much fun
You had a wonderful travel year. One day I will be brave enough to get on a plane and when I do it will be epic.
You really got it in, the pictures are beautiful. The experiences sounds even better. I see you girl, live it up.
Beautiful Pictures!!! You look like you had an amazing year with fun events!
Love this post. There isn’t a single place in this post that I don’t want to visit. Also, I’m ashamed to say that I’ve been a Jersey girl all my life and never went to the brooklyn bridge.
ππΎππΎππΎππΎππΎ this right here!!! You sprinkled your black girl magic all over the world last year. I can’t wait to see what this year has in store for you.
Thanks so much π Really excited about this yearβs trips
Thank you! I’m really excited for this year’s travel plans too. Thanks for reading. π
Beautiful photos- you’ve definitely had an eventful year!