2018 is quickly coming to an end. I know many are ready to start 2019 as 2018 wasn’t that great for us collectively, but I had a pretty great year. I will say it started out rough from a professional standpoint, but that’s for another blog post. From a personal standpoint, I got to travel to some new places and made some new friends along the way. I traveled almost every month in 2018 and visited 9 cities. Here’s my 2018 through a travel lens.
FEBRUARY
New York, NY
My first trip of 2018 was to celebrate a friend’s 30th birthday. I was born in 1988 so 2018 was full of dirty thirty celebrations for all of my friends. In February I stayed in suburban New York to celebrate my college friend, J’nelle. This was the first time I’ve been to New York and really enjoyed it. That’s because I saw the Other Side of New York.
MARCH
Minneapolis, MN
In March 2018, we expanded Blogger Xchange to Minneapolis. It had been about 2 years since I moved, but everything was just as I left it. Minneapolis has a great foodie and art scene. I highly recommend going May through September to avoid the winter weather. If you go during the winter, there are still plenty of activities like icefishing, snowtubing and more. See how our first Minneapolis Blogger Xchange went.
Memphis, TN
My college friend and line sister, Kendra, has the best birthday…Saint Patrick’s Day. She always does something fun and this year, we celebrated in her hometown of Memphis. My parents are both originally from Memphis and so it’s a 2nd home. I love the food, music and culture. See how we spent our 2018 Saint Patrick’s Day on Beale Street. I did go back to Memphis in May for our first Blogger Xchange event in that city and then again in November.
APRIL
Montego Bay, Jamaica
If you didn’t know, I’m an AKA. April 2018 was my 10 year AKAversary and my line celebrated in style. It was my first time in Jamaica and it did not disappoint. Even with a foot injury, I had a great time. Read how I got the foot injury on my Jamaica Travel Guide and also learn about where we stayed. I need to go back to fully experiencing the water without any injuries.
Coachella, CA
You all know I love music and Coachella is one of my favorite festivals. 2018 was my 5th year going and I have to say one of the best. I think it was the group, the acts and just the time in my life that made it so great. Read more about this special year at Coachella. And you already know I got my 2019 passes.
MAY
Gulf Shores, AL
I was invited to be press for Hangout Music Festival. It was my 2nd time going to this festival and it remains in my top 3. It’s on the beach and you just can’t beat that. This year, we had a great condo and the VIP access really helped elevate the experience for me. See why I love Hangout Music Fest so much.
JUNE
Los Cabos, Mexico
This June, I celebrated my 30th birthday ALL month long. No shame. You only turn 30 once. I celebrated with all of my Nashville friends and then I went to Mexico with 9 of my close gal pals. My big sister celebrated her 30th birthday in Mexico so it was only right we went back. Catherine planned everything for me which was a lovely present. She did a great job. We truly had the time of our lives in Los Cabos celebrating my 3-OH.
SEPTEMBER
Las Vegas, NV
In September, I went to Life is Beautiful Music Festival with two of my good friends Brittany and Ashley. Thankfully, Brittany had just moved to Vegas so we stayed in her beautiful apartment. Life is Beautiful is top 3 fests for me. The art and it being in downtown Las Vegas make it something special. Life is Always Beautiful in September.
OCTOBER
Atlanta, GA
October is HBCU homecoming season. I had to go back since it was my 10 year AKAversary year. I stayed with my friend Terrance in an Airbnb for a few days. I got to try some new Atlanta restaurants. I highly recommend Simon’s for brunch. The food is good and for bloggers they have a beautiful green wall outside that is photoworthy.
I’ve already started planning my 2019 travel. I hope to add at least one new country to my list, but my goal really is two. Have you started planning your 2019 travel? Tell me where you’re going in the comments below.
love,
Leigh
