The year is coming to a close, and Iβve been reflecting on my 2013 year in travel. During these twelve months, I visited sixteen countries on three different continents. This was definitely my best year for travel thus far.
In looking through my Instagram account, I relived many wonderful memories. I also was able to detect several themes in my photography. Here’s a look at my favorite travel photos from my 2013 Instagram stream.
Blooms
βThe earth laughs in flowers.β βRalph Waldo Emerson
Tropical flower on Maui
Making use of oil cans in Jordan
Flowers blooming at Petra in Jordan
Spring flowers in London
In Hong Kong’s Flower Market
Four Seasons Gresham Palace’s lobby in Budapest
Flower poking through the Roman ruins in Jerash, Jordan
Peak Season
βThe mountains are calling and I must go.β –John Muir
Sunset at Allred’s in Telluride, Colorado
The vastness of Wadi Rum in Jordan
Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado
Ma’In Spa in Jordan
Verbier St-Bernard in Switzerland
The Lone Star State
βYou can all go to hell. I will go to Texas.β βDavy Crockett
Sunset near Marfa, Texas
View of Lady Bird Lake from the Four Seasons Austin
The Colorado River near Columbus, Texas
Texas gate near Tobyville in the Hill Country
The Austin skyline from Lady Bird Lake
Lookout over the Hill Country near Jonestown, Texas
Sweetberry Farm near Marble Falls, Texas
Sunset from my dad’s backyard near Marble Falls, Texas
I10 near Ft. Stockton, Texas
Discovery Green in Houston, Texas
It’s 5 O’clock Somewhere
βAlcohol may be man’s worst enemy, but the Bible says to love your enemy.ββFrank Sinatra
Β Champagne with a view from the Four Seasons Canary Wharf Presidential Suite in London
Β Gold Rush Champagne cocktail at Four Seasons Park Lane in London, England
Β Watermelon Crawl at the Four Seasons Austin
Β Fresh mint and pear cocktail in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Β Build your own cocktail in Maui, Hawaii
Β Weininger wine cellar in Vienna, Austria
Modelo beer in Mexico
Chow Down
βWe all eat, and it would be a sad waste of opportunity to eat badly.β–Anna Thomas
Chips, guacamole, and pico de gallo in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Coco puffs at Liliha Bakery on O’ahu, Hawaii
Puto maya and sikwati at the Shangri-La Mactan in The Philippines
Fruit stand working on the honor system on Maui, Hawaii
Escargot from Cafe Delmas in Paris, France
Cos’ Chili by Dean Fearing at the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival on O’ahu
Meats, cheeses, and bread in Verbier, Switzerland
Aligot at Au Pere Louis in Paris, France
Brisket, sausage, and chicken fried steak from Hickory Hollow in Houston
Steak at the Four Seasons Canary Wharf in London
Sardines in Costa Brava, Spain
Spam and eggs on O’ahu, Hawaii
Get Out of Town
βYou have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.” –Dr. Seuss
Cruising in an Indy car in Indianapolis, Indiana
American flight from Newark, New Jersey
Air China from Beijing to Manila
Hanging 10 on O’ahu, Hawaii
Train station in Prague, Czech Republic
Paddington Station in London, England
On a traditional Catalan fishing boat in Costa Brava, Spain
Waiting for the train near London
Parasailing on Maui, Hawaii
Leaving Toronto, Canada
Maritime
βMy soul is full of longing for the secrets of the sea, and the heart of the great ocean sends a thrilling pulse through me.β β Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
From the pool to the ocean at Shangri-La Boracay in The Philippines
The boats at Lahaina, Maui
The beautiful Red Sea near Aqaba, Jordan
The famous White Beach of Boracay, The Philippines from the air
Turquoise water at Shangri-La Mactan in The Philippines
The Mediterranean Sea in Cadeques, Spain
The beach near the W Hotel in Barcelona, Spain
Floating in the Dead Sea in Jordan
Dusk or Dawn
“Every sunset gives us one day less to live, but every sunrise gives us one day more to hope.”–Ritu Ghatourey
Sunset near Marfa, Texas
Catching the last bit of sun on Waikiki Beach on O’ahu, Hawaii
The sun dips behind the hills of Vienna, Austria from the top of the Ritz Carlton
Another beautiful sunset on Maui, Hawaii
An English countryside sunset at the Four Seasons Hampshire
Summer sunset in the Texas Hill Country
Sunrise on Cebu, The Philippines
A dusty sunset in Jordan
A Costa Brava sunset from a Medieval castle window in Spain
My favorite sunset ever comes from Boracay, The Philippines
Sunrise on Maui, Hawaii
Creature Features
βAnimals don’t hate, and we’re supposed to be better than them.ββElvis Presley
Lamb and pig saying hello
Polar bear at Salvador Dali’s home in Cadeques, Spain
Horse farm between Houston and Galveston, Texas
Miniature horse at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines near Austin, Texas
Reunited with my dogs after a month in Europe
Gorgeous longhorn grazes near Marble Falls, Texas
Me, Myself, and I
βNow more than ever do I realize that I will never be content with a sedentary life, that I will always be haunted by thoughts of a sun-drenched elsewhere.ββIsabelle Eberhardt
Loving my time in another beautiful home by Charming Villa Catalonia
Taking a break from the sun in Jerash, Jordan
Just a little windy in Jordan
My first night in Maui celebrated with a mojito
Setting sail on the Red Sea in Jordan
Sandy beaches on Maui
Waiting for Super Typhoon Haiyan to hit Boracay, The Philippines
Seattle’s Travels caught my leap off the top of a yacht into the Red Sea
Fun south of the border in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Sailing and snorkeling in Maui, Hawaii
Checking out one of the best views in Budapest, Hungary
My glimpse of the Dead Sea in Jordan was breathtaking.
I’m excited about what’s to come for 2014, but I can’t help but be in awe at all the amazing places I visited and things I saw in 2013. The world is a spectacular place, and I can’t wait to explore more through not only my travels, but yours as well. Are you on Instagram? If so, feel free to leave your Instagram handle in the comments.
Find me on Instagram as LeahTravels.
Laura
December 23, 2013Wow, what a year! I just did a similar Instagram 2013 recap; it’s really the best way to reminisce about the past year! Great idea to organize your photos by theme, too. Love the pink toenails shot and I’m also a bit jealous at all the champagne drinking at Four Seasons hotels you’ve been doing!
Leah Walker
January 17, 2014Four Seasons knows how to lure me in. The toes in the sand photo was on one of my last days in Jordan and I was in desperate need of a pedicure. π
Monica
December 23, 2013Wow, what an incredible bunch of photos! It must be so lovely to see them all like that together and see what an amazing year you had. I especially like the sunset pictures – beautiful!
Leah Walker
January 17, 2014It was a bit overwhelming to edit the number down, which explains why there are so many. Thank you!
@mrsoaroundworld
December 23, 2013Amazing pictures, what an year indeed!
Leah Walker
January 17, 2014Glad you were around for some of those photos.
Tamara Elliott
December 23, 2013My faves are the champagne photos. Gawd I love champagne π Great gallery!
Instagram: @globeguide
Leah Walker
January 17, 2014Hard to go wrong with Champagne. π
lola
December 23, 2013clever categorizing of your year in photos.
Leah Walker
January 17, 2014Thanks!
Jenna
December 23, 2013What a year you had! I especially love your Jordan pics–it’s one place I would love to go someday. Looking forward to seeing what 2014 has in store for you. π
Leah Walker
January 17, 2014Jordan was epic. I’m so happy that I got a chance to visit. I’d absolutely recommend it.
Jennifer
December 23, 2013What an amazing year you had! I love all those shots of cocktails. Drinks are the thing I find hardest to photograph and keep interesting with different angles and such. And I’ve got to get better at Instagraming. I just recently started posting more on Instagram.
Leah Walker
January 17, 2014I’d love to see a wrap-up of your 2013. My, you’re probably the only person that traveled more than me!
Henry | @fotoeins
December 23, 2013Great summary post, Leah – what a bright beautiful active year! I enjoyed the themes, too, as well as reading your choice of accompanying quotes. The one photo that gets me the most is the quiet contemplative photo of you on the beach in Boracay, “waiting” for Haiyan to arrive. The final shot of you looking over the Dead Sea is fitting in a view ahead: here’s to another equally bright beautiful memorable year!
Leah Walker
January 17, 2014It’s been a year filled with highs and lows, but tons of great travel so that manages to make everything great. AmIRight?
Mellisa Turner
December 24, 2013Wow ! Your post is really incredible and full of beautiful pictures. Thanks for sharing your journey with us.
Leah Walker
January 17, 2014Thank you for stopping by.
Lani
December 24, 2013Love your pics and quotes. Especially the photos of Texas! I don’t know why really, it feels the most familiar? But hey, big points for eggs and spam pic >>> from Hawaii girl π
Leah Walker
January 17, 2014Can’t escape Spam and eggs. Actually parts of Maui looked a lot like the Hill Country of Texas, where most of these are taken. So, there you go!
Monica
December 24, 2013Love this roundup! I’m currently in Maui for the holidays and just got back from Paris so it’s especially fun to see so many of those spots captured and curated so beautifully here. Happy holidays!
Leah Walker
January 17, 2014Thank you, Monica. I hope you enjoyed Maui. I’m off to Paris in a week. π
Vid
December 25, 2013What a lovely and inspirational set of pictures. You have managed to see so many beautiful places in this year π I am sure you loved London the most π Here’s to an even better 2014. Cheers!
Leah Walker
January 17, 2014I did adore London, but the most? Not so fast. π
Francesca (@WorkMomTravels)
December 26, 2013What a year you’ve had! I’ve followed all of your travels and still missed many of these photos. Glad you put them all in one place for me! π They’re gorgeous; I especially love the flower photos.
Leah Walker
January 17, 2014I’m a sucker for flower photos. They’re easy to photograph and make an iPhone even look great.
Traveling Ted
December 26, 2013Stay Adventurous will love the sunset pictures. The one picture that is missing is you with a fanny pack from TBEX. Looks like your 2013 rocked.
Leah Walker
January 17, 2014Damn! I should have included that fanny pack photo. It’s not a recap without it.
Erin at The World Wanderer
December 28, 2013Love this recap! What a year you’ve had. I would love to do something similar to this, even if it’s just for myself. Crazy to think of all we’ve done in a year!
Leah Walker
January 17, 2014Thank you, Erin. I’m sure your 2014 is going to be filled with marvelous adventures, and I’d love to see a recap in 2015.
Becky Padmore
January 2, 2014So many great memories and so many beautiful photos! Can’t wait to see what 2014 has in store you for!
Leah Walker
January 17, 2014Wonderful memories, indeed, Becky. Love to cross paths with you again in 2014.
Hogga
January 2, 2014i like the sandy feet
Leah Walker
January 17, 2014Always a good thing to have a little sand between one’s toes.
Jess
January 2, 2014Beautiful photos! You certainly went to some lovely places this year.
Leah Walker
January 17, 2014Yes ma’am, I had a very fortunate travel year to which I’m very grateful for.
Jonathan Look, Jr.
January 2, 2014Great Instagrams! You have inspired me to start doing more with Instagram and HOPEFULLY do a top list for 2013. FUn stuff!
Leah Walker
January 17, 2014I adore Instagram, especially seeing what great photos others post.
Emyr Thomas (@BonVivantLiving)
February 15, 2014What gorgeous photos! Love the one with your toes in the sand!
Emyr
Nicole
February 20, 2014Absolutely fantastic! You have traveled and sailed to places I could only dream of visiting.