Pardon my silence. I have been extremely busy doing nothing.

Enjoying what is perhaps the first bit of genuine downtime I’ve had this entire year. Movies. Grocery shopping. Home-cooked dinners. You’ve never met a girl happier to do such simple things.

Naturally, with the year nearly under wraps, I have also been reflecting.

This is my 2024 Travel Wrapped.

Maggie’s 2024 Travel Wrapped

Total Countries Visited: 13

New: 7

The Netherlands
Barbados
Mexico
USA
Türkiye
Serbia
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Croatia
Montenegro
Albania
Norway
England
Germany

A very European year.

Most Surprising Place:

Bosnia & Herzegovina

It was just the small country in between Serbia — where Balkan summer began — and the sea, where I was heading.

No expectations.

And then? It was beautiful. The kindest people and the coldest, clearest rivers. Affordable, hearty food and interesting sorts of travelers. A rich culture and history unlike any I’ve known.

I’ve already waxed poetic about B&H and why you should visit.

When I think of Bosnia, I think: plums, cold water, bullet holes, the painful sort of sunshine, the eeriness of the call to prayer, and the taste of onions.

Most Disappointing Place:

Sayulita

In the exact opposite case as the above, I arrived in Sayulita with quite a few expectations. A grave mistake on my end, due in part to the previous year’s superb surf town situation.

Inevitably, Sayulita was not what I had in mind.

That is not the town’s fault.

What is Sayulita’s fault is the local government’s (lack of) waste management, ugly condos, and unfair prices.

When I think of Sayulita, I think: shit, sunrise, Power Hour, karaoke, Canadians, and the knowledge that people are everything.

Prettiest Scenery:

Norway

Even as the ocean-girl that I am, and even in less-than-ideal weather, Norway shined. It was unlike any landscape I’ve ever seen. The fjords straight out of Lord of the Rings, the northernmost mountains and glaciers similarly otherworldly.

I fully intend to return in summer.

Runner up: The Albanian Alps

Northern Albania is remote and relatively untouched compared to its riviera. The Alps are stunning. A heaven for hikers — even lowkey ones like myself. The trail from Valbona to Theth was my most enjoyable hiking day to date.

I’d always thought the mountains were pretty and peaceful, but this is the year I came to respect them.

Favorite Experiences:

Surfing in Mexico

Beautiful how a most disappointing place still allowed for some of the year’s best memories.

I haven’t loved a hobby as much as I love surfing… ever? And I’m not even good.

I can’t imagine how it’ll feel when I actually get better.

24 Hours in Istanbul

Fresh off one month at home in the Suburbs, I embarked on an adventure: an overnight layover in Istanbul.

With no accommodation booked, I dropped my bags to see — and eat — as much of the city as possible before my connecting flight the following morning.

Indeed, those silent city hours of 4-6 AM can make a person feel completely alone in the world. Yet I also remember feeling so happy to be out in the world on my own again.

And sunrise over two continents? Pretty cool.

The Valbona to Theth Trek

This hike — a 6ish-hour walk through the Albanian Alps — came to me at a point where I desperately needed to get out of my head and into my body. Fortunately, nature called.

I descended with a calmer mind than I had experienced in weeks. A comforting reminder that a nice long walk in clean air can work wonders.

Northern Lights — Mother/Daughter Edition

Not only was I lucky enough to tag along on an epic Norway trip with my mom, but we were even luckier to have a sick Aurora Borealis sighting on our first night up north in the Lofoten Islands.

I feel so grateful to have shared this bucket list moment with her — and I look forward to all the other things we each have on our lists.

Every Single Night Out With My Friends in Amsterdam

Especially my birthday / the closing of ADE (Amsterdam Dance Event).

Best birthday party ever.

Food & Beverage Highlights:

Street Tacos (Mexico)

Need I explain? I won’t, because I can’t. It’s the epitome of “you had to be there”.

Mexican street tacos, of any kind, cannot be correctly replicated outside of the country. I don’t care what Southern California and the Texas Borderlands have to say about it.

Ćevapi & Klepe (Bosnia & Herzegovina)

Bosnia’s staple food items stand out. Freshly grilled meats and straight-out-of-the-oven pita. $5 for a full meal.

Klepe was another personal favorite: small meat dumplings/ravioli, served with a mild chili oil and sour cream.

Local Fish & White Wine (Montenegro, Albania)

My lunchtime ritual. What a treat to sit down at 4 o’clock in the afternoon, at a table facing westward towards the sea, and order enough food to last past sunset.

Just me, my catch-of-the-day, a half-liter of local wine, and my laptop.

Qofte, Valo’s Fish Taverna (Hïmare, Albania)

Homemade meatballs at a seafood restaurant. It’s funny, I know. An unnoticeable Greek Taverna off Hïmare’s main road, run by a woman — a hostess and server with attitude straight outta Curb Your Enthusiasm — and what appeared to be her mother, the chef.

These are the best meatballs I’ve ever had.

I went back and got them — twice. I’m certain of my statement.

Chicken & Waffles, Coffeeshop Mr. K (Amsterdam)

Somehow, a Dutch woman at an Amsterdam coffeeshop has produced the best plate of chicken and waffles I’ve ever had — by like, a lot.

I’ve had a lot of chicken and waffles in my life. As a sweet & savory-lover, and former avid NYC brunch-goer, this was (and remains) a go-to meal.

The beauty of this meal is not in the well-spiced, crispy breading of the chicken, nor the mysteriously light and fluffy batter of the waffles, but the fact that I got to share it for the first time with someone who had never tried chicken and waffles before.

That, and the fact that food is only served on Saturdays — and for how long? Nobody knows.

Overall Least Favorite Place:

Croatia

Personal experiences aside, the facts remain. The main destinations are overcrowded, exploited to Madame Tourism to the point of lacking distinctive culture. Locals are less-than-friendly, understandably tired of tourists. Not to mention, after joining the EU last year, it is no longer cheap.

Here’s the full analysis.

I’m sure some people have had and will continue to have wonderful vacations in Croatia. I am not one of them.

Overall Favorite Place:

Amsterdam

In what may either come as no surprise, or a little one, considering how all over the place I’ve been this year… I’ll admit it: Amsterdam is still my favorite place in the world.

And why? Simple. Even with just how all over the place I’ve been, I am very clearly happiest here. I am home.

My year started and ended here. And here is exactly where I will return to. Because every time I leave, there is somehow always a different, absolutely essential reason to come back.

And so, every time I leave, it’s a little bit harder. What a beautiful thing! (I tell myself.)

The more all over the place I am, the stronger than ever my desire to stay in one. But it is not to be.

The first adventure of 2025 begins shortly.

—

Lessons Learned:

Not every place is the right place for you.

As in life, nothing can be learned in travel until you find yourself somewhere, looking around and thinking: no.

The feeling of “yes” that comes after is subsequently much clearer.

Travel fatigue is real.

Mentally, more than anything.

Love finds you when you don’t need it. And when you don’t need it — that’s when you’re ready for it.

It has been a fantastic year. I almost, almost don’t want it to end. But my God, if there isn’t more to do than ever.

And so.

ONWARDS,

Mag