Recapping Everywhere I Traveled To in 2023

What a year of travel it’s been! Seven countries, three continents, and eight American states.

2023 travel has been amazing.

It’s been incredible to see so many new places and tick off new continents and states, but also great to go back to places that I love like New York, Paris and Amsterdam.

I wanted to take the time to look back at my travel in 2023 and the things that I got up to. I’m probably most pleased about the fact that I vlogged every single one of them and that I can look back on these in the future.

RELATED 2023 Travel blog posts to read:

Table of Contents

Everywhere I Traveled to in 2023

We’re going to do a quick summary of all the trips I took this year, what I loved about them and the travel vlogs that accompany them so I can relive them in years to come.

1. Starting the Year in New York City

2023 travel started in New York City.

Ringing in another year in Cafe Wha? in the West Village followed by a slice of Joe’s Pizza was an amazing way to start January 1st.

There’s nowhere I’d rather end and begin a year than in New York City and I’m so glad that I’ll be doing it all over again at the end of this year, to ring in 2024.

You’ll know by now that New York is my favourite place on earth, so I love any opportunity that I have to go back.

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2. A Long Weekend in Edinburgh, Scotland

We spent a chilly four days up in Edinburgh at the beginning of February to watch Wales in the rugby Six Nations.

It was my first time being back in Edinburgh after spending a month living there mid-pandemic. I love the cobbled streets and old-style that Edinburgh has, making it feel like you’ve stepped back in time or are on the set of a Harry Potter movie.

Edinburgh is a great weekend destination, but when it’s rugby season it’s even better as the atmosphere is buzzing with people arriving for a good time.

RELATED Scotland blog posts to read:

The Best Restaurants in Edinburgh, Scotland

3. Turning 26 in Las Vegas, Nevada

Well this was a fun way to spend a birthday! I had been to Las Vegas before, back when I turned 21 and fell in love with it and America back then as that was my first introduction to the states.

But I had wanted to come back here and visit with my boyfriend to experience Las Vegas in another way.

A highlight of this trip was renting a car for the day and driving into Arizona to see the Grand Canyon, something I’ll always remember.

This was also when I realised that road trips are my favourite way to travel, being able to see the real side of a place with its winding roads and small towns, but also being able to visit more than one place at a time.

More on road trips further into my 2023 travels below!

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4. A New Continent Ticked Off: Marrakech, Morocco

Marrakech had been on my bucket list for quite a long time. Having also never been to Africa, I really wanted to visit another continent and experience a totally different culture.

Marrakech delivered on that front and it was a culture shock the first few days of being there, before getting used to their way of life.

It will definitely take a second trip there to take everything in and explore more of the city, but the first 24 hours was a huge shock to the system as it was nothing like I had ever experienced before.

RELATED Marrakech blog posts to read:

Riad Shemsi: The Best Riad to Stay in Marrakech, Morocco

5. An Incredible Trip to Scandinavia Through the Norwegian Fjords

Another bucket-list moment was sailing through the Norwegian Fjords in April of this year. Having loved visiting Copenhagen in 2022, I wanted to come back to Scandinavia and explore more of it.

A lesser known place in Norway is the city of Bergen. Although the second-largest city after Oslo, not many people have heard of it.

We tried reindeer hot dog, sailed along the fjords and travelled on the most amazing train journey through Norway and through so many different climates in a short space of time.

I can’t wait to explore more of Scandinavia in the future, and hopefully more of Norway too.

RELATED Bergen, Norway blog posts to read:

6. A Weekend of Pierogis in Krakow, Poland

Another European trip took us to Poland for the first time, to the city of Krakow.

Another place that had been on my bucket list for a long time, I really wanted to come here to learn about the history of World War II.

I’ve read many books about the concentration camps, but nothing prepares you for seeing them in person. We had a guided tour of Auschwitz and it’s one of the most memorable things I’ve done this year.

I could have spent the entire weekend eating pierogis and stew from a bread bowl, but hopefully I’ll be back in Poland in the future and visit other cities like Warsaw.

RELATED Krakow, Poland blog posts to read:

7. A Date with Harry Styles in Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Himself booked a trip to Amsterdam for my birthday along with concert tickets to see Harry Styles. To say I was overjoyed would be an understatement.

Amsterdam is one of my favourite European cities and somewhere I’d love to spend time living in the future, so I couldn’t wait to get back and spend a few days wandering along the canals.

Seeing Harry Styles in the Amsterdam Arena was also a special moment but also very humbling as there were so many young kids squealing for him and I felt incredibly old.

RELATED Amsterdam blog posts to read:

8. A Road Trip Across the East Coast of America, starting in New York City

Road trip time again! This time, it was a full road trip across the north east of America.

We started off with 36 hours in New York City which we jam packed with our favourite food and tonnes of walking around (although it was insufferably hot).

I also got my first ever tattoo, so definitely a memorable time in New York City this time around!

Then we picked up the car and headed on our East Coast road trip.

RELATED New York City blog posts to read:

9. 48 Hours in The Hamptons, New York & Providence, Rhode Island

Our first stop was spending a day in the Hamptons, in the towns of Sag Harbor, East Hampton and South Hampton.

Then it was three ferries across to Providence, Rhode Island and a morning wandering around a very quiet city and Brown University.

RELATED Hamptons and Providence blog posts to read:

10. Two Days Exploring Boston, Cape Cod & Salem, Massachusetts

The next stop on our road trip was the state of Massachusetts.

We firstly headed to Cape Cod and spent a few hours in Provincetown which was a gorgeous seaside area that served the best lobster roll I’ve ever had.

Then we spent two days in Boston and I fell even more in love with Boston and felt very much at home. Boston was our first ever trip away together back in 2019 so it was extra special to go back to the same restaurant and see the same area almost four years later.

Our final stop in Massachusetts was Salem. We had been here before when we first visited Boston, but I love the area so much. Hocus Pocus is one of my favourite films, so whenever I’m in Boston, visiting Salem is a must.

RELATED Massachusetts blog posts to read:

11. Two Days in Maine, Travelling Around Portland and Bar Harbor

After Boston, we headed to Maine. A completely new state for both of us, but one I had read about quite a few times and could imagine in my mind.

It was everything I had pictured and more.

We had so much seafood, lobster and clam chowder that I haven’t been able to look at a lobster since. The food was amazing, the people were so kind and both Portland and Bar Harbor were exactly like settings of a summer romance novel.

We were due to go whale-watching at this part of the trip, but the weather wasn’t on our side which means we have a very good excuse to come back in the future.

RELATED Maine blog posts to read:

12. Finishing the Road Trip in Burlington, Vermont and a Visit to New Haven, Connecticut

The final stop of our East Coast road trip was Burlington, Vermont. Himself did actually mean to book Burlington, New Hampshire when we were planning the trip, but we went along with it anyway.

I will say that there’s not much to do in Burlington, Vermont but it was fun to stop at the Ben & Jerry’s factory along the way and see the gorgeous scenery on the drive there.

On the drive back to New York for our flight home, we made a quick stop in New Haven, Connecticut to try the famous Sally’s Apizza and take a walk around Yale University.

RELATED Vermont blog posts to read:

13. The Final Trip of the Year: A Spontaneous Weekend in Paris, France

My final trip of the year before we fly out to New York for New Year’s Eve was a spontaneous weekend in France with my best friends.

One of my friends had been working there for the week, so we gate crashed the end of her trip and joined on. It was very last minute but so good to have a weekend away with them in Paris, eating incredible food and drinking good wine.

We had been roommates when we lived in New York, so it was very nice to spend some quality time together outside of London where we all now live.

RELATED Paris blog posts to read:

2023 Travel: A Year of Seeing More of the World

And that was an incredible year of 2023 travel!

I’m just about to head off to New York City to spend Christmas and New Year’s to ring out 2023, so technically that will be my final trip for the year.

We have some pretty major travel lined up for next year in 2024 that might involve quitting out jobs, moving out of our flat and spending 12 months living out of a backpack.

But you’ll have to keep an eye on future blogs and of course, my YouTube channel to see where we head to next!

By Orlagh Shanks

Orlagh Shanks is the Editor of Orlagh Claire, an award-winning travel and lifestyle blog.
After working in the PR & Influencer Marketing industry, Orlagh quit her job to travel Asia for 12 months and moved to Sydney, Australia where she is now a full-time travel blogger and content creator sharing travel tips and recommendations for all 30 of the countries she’s visited so far.

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