Three year blogaversary

Today marks three years of my Travelgal Nicole blog. Happy blogaversary!

May is my blogaversary and I started my blog in 2014 about a year before I headed to Africa for six months. I wanted a way to showcase my photos and tell my stories.

Check out this article on how to start a travel blog for more info on starting your own blog.

Three years later and I find myself in Colombia on a six month trip around South America. This trip has been a bit harder for me. I had the first six weeks planned but after that I thought I would wing it. What I’m finding is that it is causing me stress not having a plan. I’m afraid I will miss something while I am here and I am also balancing the need for a bit of a rest.

I started off the trip with a bang – visiting lots of places and blogging about it. Then somewhere around Bolivia I started to feel really sick from the altitude and my stomach wasn’t feeling great either. Not being able to use your brain makes it a bit more difficult to write.

So today for my blogaversary I treated myself to a nice meal along the waterfront and had a bloody mary to celebrate. I also went through some of the highlights of this trip and some of the things I still need to cover on the blog.  Here is the camera I use for blogging.

Highlights

Arriving in Buenos Aires – one of my favourite cities. It really is a place I could never get bored.  I loved the bike tour I took there.

Rio de Janeiro – another favourite city. I wrote a list of my top things to do in Rio. It was an action packed six days.


Salar de Uyuni – hands down one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. Laguna Colorada is simply amazing as well.

Visiting Machu Picchu my 6th new wonder of the world. Its a highlight of anyone’s trip.


Cartagena where I am now is such a vibrant city. I’m enjoying my nightly fish dishes and the locals who seem to recognise me and our nightly Buenos Noches as we pass each other.

Challenges

I had the worst experience with altitude sickness. I was just plain dopey and I find that especially difficult as I normally make good decisions and know what I want to do.
I have fallen completely behind on blog posts for Brazil and Bolivia. For now I’m going to put them on hold because I have a lot to write about Peru and then Colombia and Ecuador.

I picked up the worst stomach bug in Peru.  About every four days or so it would come back until I was finally in Huacachina and I thought I was going to die.  I’m not used to getting sick so this was particularly tough.

Where to next

As I said I’m currently in Colombia for the next two weeks and then I am off to the Galapagos for a week which I am beyond thrilled about.


After that I’m going to Guyana and Suriname with a bit of island hopping along the way.  I’ve planned it all out and now I just need to book it all in so that I won’t stress anymore.

Can anyone tell me why I procrastinate even though this is what I want and I’ve come up with a near perfect itinerary?  If I wait it will only get more expensive.  Seriously what’s wrong with me.

The plan is to go to the States a bit earlier as I still need to book things for our trip to the UK and I need a bit of rest and vegging out at my parents house is just the thing for it.

I’ll be back in New Zealand at the end of August but I have more plans for this year.  I hope to go to Tahiti or Vanuatu for my birthday in November and then somewhere over the Christmas break.  Maybe the Philippines or PNG and East Timor.  I’m not going to plan too much in advance right now but I know I’ll keep travelling.

 

 

 

Nicole

Nicole LaBarge is a travel expert who has been traveling internationally for over 25 years and she has visited over 115 countries all while working a 9-5. She has lived in England, Scotland, Japan and New Zealand. Check out her detailed destination guides and travel product guides.

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