2019 was a crazy year for many of us. For me, this was the year that I really began traveling more. I added 5 new countries and 1 city-state to my list. Stumble Safari grew as a website, and I even got engaged! As this year comes to an end, I would love to share my best and worst travel moments of 2019 to hopefully inspire you to travel more in this new year!
#5 Best: Celebrating Ecuador’s 2019 Independence Day in Quito
Let’s start with a positive one! While traveling in Ecuador the month of August, I happened to be in the capital for Ecuador’s Independence Day! This was a complete surprise and an awesome one at that! After leaving my internship group to venture off with a few friends I made, I spent the evening celebrating with the locals. Surprisingly, there was not much alcohol amongst the celebrating as I expected. The United States’ Independence Day has definitely clouded my expectations! Instead, there were bright colors projected on the many cathedrals, music and dancing, and even people dressed in historic Ecuador clothing.
#5 Worst: Seeing Someone Die in Seville, Spain
While traveling solo in Seville, I decided to head to a restaurant I had seen earlier in the day. However, when I arrived there, something awful happened. I watched as an elderly woman collapsed and died right at the entrance of the restaurant. Several people attempted CPR nearby, but with my medical background, I knew she was gone before she even hit the ground. It was a very sad moment, but the local police did an excellent job of keeping it as private as possible for this woman and her grieving family. I hope the family is still doing ok, as I still think about them often.
#4 Best: Riding Around Lisbon, Portugal on a Scooter
Lisbon has remained one of my absolute favorite cities I have visited. On my last full day, I decided to brave the motorized scooters I had seen others zipping around on. We took a rented scooter to an open paved area away from others to attempt to get used to it. I was terrible! The moment I stepped on the power I was jerked forward faster than I imagined. We decided not to ride them around the public, and safely left them behind.
#4 Worst: Expensive Cab in Milan, Italy
This one was completely my fault due to a lack of research. While visiting Milan with my younger sister, we decided we would rather take an Uber to the train station instead of the metro, which took an incredibly long time with multiple line changes. So, we took our time getting breakfast, packing up our belongings, and saying goodbye to Milan. When I called the Uber, the price said around €40. However, I had entered the wrong train station. Luckily, the driver caught my mistake and had me change it as we left. The new price was over €150! I had no idea the actual train station was so far away. At that point, it was too late to take the metro and we were stuck with the Uber. Oops!
#3 Best: Private Tour of Real Alcázar de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
Real Alcázar remains one of my favorite places I have been to. It’s one of the biggest reasons why I love Seville so much! The tour I booked was excellent, and the other people ended up not showing up. I got the local tour guide to myself! Even better, she was a massive Game of Thrones fan like myself, and we gushed about the filming locations within Real Alcázar for the show. She even shared stories about meeting the cast!
#3 Worst: Lost Luggage in Milan, Italy
This happened to my sister, not me. However, it definitely affected our trip to Italy! First, our flight from Miami to New York was delayed, causing us to run full speed through JFK airport to make our flight to Milan. Because of this, her checked bag did not make it. This was her very first international trip, so she didn’t know to pack carry-on only and to keep some essentials in her carry-on bag in case of lost luggage. She had no clothes, no toiletries, and she did not have her medication. Luckily, the bag was only delayed in New York, and we were able to get the bag the next day. I think she learned her lesson!
#2 Best: Bridge Jumping in Baños, Ecuador
Baños, Ecuador is a city for adrenaline junkies. Mountain biking, canyoning, and white water rafting are common activities to do here. It’s even where the Instagram famous Swing at the End of the World is located! However, my favorite thing I did in Baños was bridge jumping. For only $20, I was able to jump off a bridge into stunning scenery and even get a DVD of my fall. Two of the people I traveled to Ecuador with were professional climbers, and they inspected the equipment before we took the plunge. It was definitely safe! However, I panicked last minute and instead of falling completely forward as they instructed me to, I crouched down and fell straight down. This resulted in some bad whiplash, bruises, and rope burn. Still completely worth it!
#2 Worst: Traveler’s Diarrhea in Quito, Ecuador
On our very last day in Ecuador, my fiancee and I came down with awful traveler’s diarrhea. This happens quite often during travel, but it was strange that it happened at the end of our trip there. I had been in Ecuador for a month, and him for 2 weeks. Nevertheless, we were stuck in our Quito hostel on our very last day incredibly sick and unable to explore the city. Bummer!
#1 Best: Getting Engaged in the Galápagos Islands
Yes, you read that correctly. My fiancee proposed to me during our dream vacation to the Galápagos Islands! With my background as a veterinary technician and animal tourism educator and his background as a scientific illustrator, it was a dream come true for us! We were completely surrounded by the wildlife we would never see anywhere else in the world and walking in Charles Darwin’s footsteps. It was the perfect place to pop the question!
#1 Worst: Abandoned by Friends in Barcelona, Spain
The worst travel moment of 2019 was being abandoned by my two best friends in Barcelona. They decided to drink all night until 7 am, sleep until 2 pm, then accuse me of “ditching” them when I wanted to explore the city without them during the day because they were passed out. They then decided to talk behind my back and we decided to part ways. Their behavior was disgusting, and I have not spoken to them since. However, I learned how to travel solo for the rest of my 2-week trip and saw some incredible things on my own. I also learned to choose travel companions more wisely for future group trips!
Travel is messy, exciting, and sometimes a huge mixture of the two. You may have noticed that I had “best” and “worst” travel moments during the same trip! If something unexpected happens, keep your head up and keep going. Travel teaches us to be resilient and quick on our feet when the unexpected happens. Sometimes, a “worst moment” will turn into some of your best!
What were some of your best and worst travel moments of 2019? Let me know in the comments!
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