My Travel Dreams & Our Most Special Adventure (So Far)

We never went away when I was young, I was born and raised in Buckinghamshire in England and until I was an adult that was all I knew. We didn't have the money for yearly holidays abroad, nor UK breaks or weekends away, we could barely even afford days out. My Mum was a single Mum working multiple jobs doing her best for us and I treasured the moments she sat doing puzzles with us, teaching us how to write and to draw, cuddling us on the sofa and taking us to the library. We were never the kids starting a new school year with suntanned skin and memories of days around the pool, but that didn't matter, we'd made other memories and as a 30-year-old woman I still hold on to the memories of summer days spent sunbathing on a towel in my back garden with my little brother in the paddling pool next to me.
Travelling is, therefore, something I will never ever take for granted. Every time I am able to now go out for the day to see somewhere new is an adventure, every weekend away and every holiday we go on, we always count our blessings. 

I'm certainly no experienced traveller, but the places I have seen so far have left me dreaming and hoping to be lucky enough to see more of our beautiful world. There's nothing quite like finding somewhere that steals a piece of your heart, that takes your breath away and that teaches you something new, whether that be about the place you're visiting or about yourself.

Last month my Husband and I celebrated our 30th birthdays and also 16 years of being together by visiting Dubrovnik in Croatia and I think it may well have been my most favorite holiday so far and not only because we got to visit some of the gorgeous Game Of Thrones filming locations, but because Dubrovnik was somewhere that captured our hearts, our interests and our imaginations with its outstanding beauty, it's breathtaking views, it's warm and friendly local people, it's fascinating history and it's pure charm. 

Adam and I spent our time exploring and getting lost inside of the city walls of Dubrovnik Old Town with no plans in particular and I absolutely loved it. It felt like another world inside of those walls, as we wound around the different alleys and passageways. The history was fascinating and the old, small buildings were cosy and inviting. The many stray cats there are a cat-lovers (like me) dream and what's particularly heart-warming is that the local people there really seem to take care of them with collection boxes for food, trays and plates of biscuits out for them and little safe areas with soft cushions and blankets for them to go to, which is so lovely!

Sitting outside in the warm evenings down one of the cosy alleyways surrounded by the charming city walls, with a candle on the table, fairy lights above our heads, the sound of bats flying above us, a friendly kitten bouncing over to the table to say hello and great vegetarian food on the table in front of us, was the perfect way to end our days of exploring. 

It's fair to say that we fell in love with Dubrovnik and that we truly made the most of our time there together as a couple whilst Adam's Mum kindly took care of our boys. We watched the sunset every single night, one night from on board an old ship that sailed around the island as the sun went down and another night from on top of the Old Town walls. I actually overcame my fear of heights that I've had since a child to walk the city walls at sunset and it was honestly, one of the most amazing experiences of my life so far..  I'll never forget how those golden views over the old city made me feel and how magical it was to be up there as the sun was going down for the day. 

We also took a cable car up the side of a mountain to see the incredible views over the city from the top and overcoming my anxieties to do that felt like nothing I can explain. My passion to explore and to experience moments that I knew would stay with me forever outweighed my fear and it felt so freeing. Dubrovnik is one of the most romantic, stunning places I have ever visited. It has a certain charm to it like nowhere else we've ever been to, I hope one day Adam and I will be able to go back and get lost inside those city walls together once again. 

The more of the world I see, the more that I realize how much more to the world as I know it there is. I've discovered a passion for travel that I hope I will one day be able to combine with my passion for animals and their welfare, to realize my dream and experience an African safari. 

To be lucky enough to watch such majestic animals roam freely against the African horizon, to fall asleep to the sounds of nature, to be able to visit and support somewhere that does so much to protect the well-being of animals in the wild and their habitats and to experience the excitement and the adventure of visiting Africa would be a once in a lifetime dream come true for me. A dream I hope to one day be able to share stories with my Grandchildren about. 

Which is why I am entering the absolutely incredible competition being run by Yellow Zebra Safaris who are giving away a luxury safari in Tanzania for two to one lucky winner. I'm no experienced travel blogger, I know that, I'm just a girl with a dream keeping her fingers (and her toes) crossed and hoping to one day make that awe-inspiring African safari adventure dream become a reality. Best of luck to everyone else who has entered! <3 

Thank you for reading. Alex xo