Plitvice waterfalls, Croatia
As you may recall, I haven’t been traveling this year due to circumstances beyond my control. As a result, it’s been a rather boring few months on the blogging end of things (not to mention the boredom I’ve suffered due to lack of travel itself). I’ve struggled to think of things to write—sure, there’s my recent lovely getaway to Philadelphia, and I’ll write in more detail about that soon. But I want to really be able to delve deep into new stories I create on a new, exotic adventure—or at the very least, be able to announce with certainty that I’m about to do so. But alas, that day is not (quite) here yet.
So, what is there to report from my travel-loving soul in the meantime? Well…I bought a guidebook. Several, actually. This is not unusual for me—I regularly buy guidebooks for places I have no plans to visit in the near future—as I always tell myself, it’s cheaper than an actual trip, right? But these are guidebooks to places I actually hope to visit in the next few months, and that’s got me excited. I love a lazy afternoon reading a guidebook in my living room, but it’s all the more thrilling if I have actual travel plans to make based on Lonely Planet’s recommendations.
Where will these books be guiding me, you might ask? I don’t want to give away too many details, but I’ll drop a few hints:
1) Two of them cover two completely new-to-me countries, in a region of the world where I’ve done little traveling so far;
2) The other is a regional guide, to a region of the world I know very well, but am always eager to explore more every time I return;
3) Two of the books are to warm weather destinations, perfect for a winter trip (February perhaps?) while the other is more suited for summer adventures.
4) One is to a country that’s quite hot right now in travel circles, and features astonishing landscapes from top to bottom;
5) And finally, one has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
That’s about all the hints I can offer right now, but I hope within the next month or so to have at least the first trip (the warm weather one) booked. Stay tuned for more details soon!
Are you a guidebook addict too? What do you do to keep yourself excited about traveling when you can’t actually travel?