It’s time to take a look back, Rollerbag Goddesses, to remind ourselves of the richness that was 2018, and to reflect upon how far we’ve come.
We’ve explored, we’ve reflected, and we’ve shared our experiences. And readers from around the world joined us for the journey, with visitors from a whopping 80 countries throughout the year! Here are just a few…
Top visitors were close to home, with readers from the U.S. and the mothership, the UK, leading the list. But we also had visitors from far-flung and unexpected places, like Brunei, Tunisia, Trinidad & Tobago, and Nepal. Now, more than ever, I want to go there.
Our most popular articles of the year varied widely: from the smelly blooming of a rare plant, to a posh overnight ferry trip to a sad farewell to a beloved mentor and member of the Travel Forever family. Let’s revisit our most popular posts.
Here are the top 10 Rollerbag Goddess Travel Blog posts of 2018.
- Rare Corpse Flower Blooms in Tucson.
RollerbagMom and I jumped at the opportunity to see the rare corpse flower in bloom at Tucson Botanical Garden. Lines were long and the day was hot and sunny, but our spirits were high. For our patience, we were rewarded with these amazing up-close moments with the corpse flower, not to mention a great afternoon together.
The rare and enormous corpse flower, at the Tucson Botanical Garden, bloomed in 2018. Photo by Charish Badzinski. - Come Aboard the Overnight Ferry From Helsinki, Finland to Stockholm, Sweden.
The luxurious overnight ferry is an experience not to be missed, a bit of a sampler of what it might be like to cruise on a luxury cruise line. The food was excellent, the experience cultural, and the Russian travelers…well, let’s just say at least one was VERY friendly.
Champagne breakfast on the luxurious overnight ferry between Helsinki and Stockholm. Photo by Charish Badzinski. - Watch for the Sun, My Friends.
When Anthony Bourdain died by suicide this year, after a number of high-profile suicides, we took a moment to talk about the importance of turning our eyes toward the sunshine, the happiness that surrounds us, even in the midst of our darkest days. - Goodbye, Minnesota. It’s not you, it’s me.
BackpackMr, BrooklynHound and I packed up the ‘bag and the ‘Bu (Malibu to you) and headed to warmer climes for the long-term. This was a bit of a tongue in cheek reflection of my love/hate relationship with the cold. - 11 Great Gift Ideas for the Travelers in Your Life.
Travelers can be notoriously hard to shop for, primarily because most of us are minimalists. Here are some gift ideas sure to please the wanderers in your life. - Learning to Cook on Caye Caulker, Belize.
This post from very late 2017 is grandfathered in to the 2018 line-up, and ranks as a result. When we couldn’t find cooking classes on Caye Caulker, we learned to make Belizean stewed chicken and beans and rice, thanks to a cook we met at a local cafe.
Our new friend in Belize taught us how to prepare Belizean stewed chicken, and rice and beans. Photo by Charish Badzinski. - On Downsizing: The Story of (Our) Stuff.
Minimalism, it seems, is a lifelong lesson in the making. When we readied our stuff for the big move cross-country, we learned exactly how much stuff we actually had (which we thought was minimal, but wasn’t), and more importantly, we learned how little we need (an 8’x6′ shipping container full.) - Guide to Hosteling Over Age 30, 40, 50+.
When most Americans think of hosteling, we conjure pictures of young people in their teens and 20s, dirty showers and one night stands. But the truth is, hosteling has come a long way, and it can be a great way to manage your budget during longer term travel, no matter what your age. This comprehensive guide to hosteling will help you prepare and know what to expect when you stay at a hostel.
A hostel I stayed at in Marstal, Denmark. Very affordable and relatively comfortable, for a bargain price. Photo by Charish Badzinski. - Navigating the Delicious, Sensory Overload of Hanoi, Vietnam.
Hanoi is an assault on the senses, as my nephew and I quickly found out. Here we take a look at navigating the traffic, the “wildlife,” and most importantly, the incomparable food.
Hanoi, Vietnam, a delight for the senses. Photo by BackpackNephew Austin Aune. - Anthony Bourdain: You Always Were “The Good Stuff.”
In this guest blog post, BackpackMr reflects on the passing of Anthony Bourdain, and the influence the writer, chef and travel essayist had on both of our lives.
BackpackMr, exploring Southeast Asia. Photo by Charish Badzinski.
Those are the top 10 Rollerbag Goddess travel blog posts of 2018. I hope you enjoyed the journey as much as we did! Thank you for following us, and if you enjoy what you’re reading, don’t forget to like comment and share it on your social channels!
With 2019 already in full swing, there’s no time to rest. We have some big things hatching for the coming year, exciting improvements to our travel coverage and opportunities for you to connect, support and grow with us as we roll the world.
I can’t wait to see where we travel to next, how it shifts the camera for us, and how it changes our world for the better.
Keep rollin’!
RBGs: Where are you headed in 2019?
Charish Badzinski is an explorer and award-winning features, food and travel writer. When she isn’t working to build her blog: Rollerbag Goddess Rolls the World, she applies her worldview to her small business, Rollerbag Goddess Global Communications, providing powerful storytelling to her clients.
Posts on the Rollerbag Goddess Rolls the World travel blog are never sponsored and have no affiliate links, so you know you will get an honest review, every time.
Find Charish on Twitter: @rollrbaggoddess and on Instagram at @rollerbaggoddess. You can also read more about Charish Badzinski’s professional experience in marketing, public relations and writing.
Rollerbag Goddess Rolls the World by Charish Badzinski is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
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