wanderlust

I've been bitten by the travelling bug. In the past two years I've been to Italy three times - to Rome, Florence and Bologna - and I've become a bit obsessed with the place; I find I'm often writing Italian characters or setting stories in Italy nowadays, it's such a beautiful country with a fascinating, rich history that the nerd in me adores. Florence has been my favourite place so far, the birthplace of the Renaissance, I completely fell in love with it when I visited last year and I miss it. I'm planning to return to Italy soon, next year if not this year, and Naples is where I have my sights set next; I'm desperate to see Pompeii and have been since I was a little girl. I would love to go to Venice, too, but I'd most like to go during the Carnival of Venice - I want to go to a masquerade ball!

This year my travels are taking me to some slightly different places. In July I'm finally going back to Disneyland Paris. I was lucky enough to go when I was 16 and I've been dying to go back and, at long last, a trip is booked! Most of my friends here will know Beauty and the Beast is my favourite movie (the 1991 version, not the remake) so I'm planning to return home with a suitcase full of merchandise. I mean, it is Disneyland Paris - if they don't have a grotesque amount of BatB merch I think I might sue.

I'm hoping to visit Belfast this October for my birthday as I haven't been to Northern Ireland yet at all and I've always wanted to go. My dad lived in Northern Ireland for a while when he was younger and he loved it there, so I'd like to go - I was lucky enough to go to the Republic of Ireland several years ago, it's a beautiful country, but I still haven't been to Northern Ireland and that's something I need to rectify. Then, in the first week of December, I'm off to Reykjavik to try and catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights!  

It's going to be freezing cold but I can deal with it - I've always wanted to go on a winter holiday and I think Iceland is going to be a lot of fun. In all honesty it's a country I don't know much about, so I'm going to have to do a lot of research before December comes along...

With any luck I'll be off to Portugal next year, another country I'd love to visit, as I have a lovely friend from Portugal who has invited me to go home with her next Easter (she's the same friend who'll be braving Reykjavik with me) and frankly what better way to see Portugal than to be shown around by a native? I'm very excited for that.

I'm also planning a tour of Asia for my 30th. I'm only 25 right now, so I have plenty of time to save up and plan, but I haven't been to Asia and I'd love to go; so far Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and India are on my list of places I want to visit but I'm sure I'll be adding many more before my 30th comes around. If you've been to Asia and you have any recommendations, please send them my way - it's a continent I know very little about.

Basically I've become a travel junkie and I want to see everywhere I can as soon as I can. If you've been on holiday recently or you're planning/dreaming of a holiday I want to hear all about it because I'm nosy.