What made 2018 so great and why 2019 will be even better!

It’s almost the end of 2018 so it’s time to reflect! I have to admit I didn’t really expect too much of 2018. It started with the awful news at work that there would be reorganizations with a job loss of 40%! So that wasn’t really something to look forward to. Luckily I had planned some trips already in late 2017 so I could focus on that. Somehow I managed to stay positive even though I went through a rollercoaster of emotions and I also learned a few more things. So I wanted to share with you how I got through 2018 making it a fantastic year and why I think 2019 will be even better!  But be warned, this is a post where I am completely me and honest. 

What made 2018 so great and why 2019 will be even better!

Stay Positive

Trying to stay in my positive vibe wasn’t always easy, since I had to go to work every day for 6 months in quite a depressive ambiance. Everyone was afraid of losing their jobs. But I kept being positive already thinking what I would do in case I had to go and if I could stay. Knowing it would turn out OK, no matter what would happen. That positivity resulted in me keeping my job. I’m still a firm believer of positivity attracting more positivity. I probably wrote this already a thousand times, but ever since I changed my way of seeing things about two years ago, life is so much better! If you are a positive person and you surround yourself with positive influence(r)s, life gets so much easier and pleasant! The biggest compliment anyone can give me is that I have such a lively and positive appearance (and I actually received that compliment again today 🙂 ) because I truly think it is important to have the right positive attitude. You only make yourself unhappy when always complaining, always acting like the victim, acting bad or treating others like dirt.

In friendship quality is more important than quantity

Lately I see many people struggling with their agendas because they feel like they have to do so much stuff and please everyone. Or people that keep being friends because it’s convenient; they’re the only singles left and don’t find anyone else to spend time with. Before, they talked bad behind their back and then they become “friends” because it is the only person available to do things together. Well, I talked with a few friends and it’s like 2018 was the year where a lot of my friends decided to spend more time with their true friends instead of with everyone they know. Being in our thirties we start to realize our time is too precious and we prefer to spend it with a smaller group of true friends who keep it real and where the friendship comes from both sides. I am so happy that I got to spend more time with my lovely friends and built a beter relationship with them, even though I still think I need to see some of them a bit more.
I prefer people who say what they think than people who are too lame to tell it to my face when they don’t agree. There are still people who think that I am arrogant just because I have a “big mouth” (meaning I’m just honest and straightforward). They can’t handle the directness (even though I’m always respectful and polite) so they misjudge me totally, because the ones who truly know me, know that I have a big heart, that I am quite emotional and that I have a good instinct of how to communicate with people. Which explains why it is so easy for me to connect with people. I always respect other people’s opinions. But those who are more timid often see me as a threat. They don’t want to see the true me and will never get to see me totally, because I sense everything. (yes, if one of you is reading this; I do sense when you are not genuine and that is why I stopped contacting you the passed six months). So spend your time wisely with the ones you truly care about and who truly care about you! Which brings me to the next point!

Make sure you always do it better, don’t focus on others

You can brag to me all you want, about what you have or your next destination, but it doesn’t matter, because all I can think then is “I am not impressed because I will do it better anyway”. I know thàt sounds arrogant, but let me explain! I don’t mean I think I am better than anyone else, I mean that I will always get/do the things I want, when I want them.  And I will get/do them in my own way, how I like it and that’s how I prefer it! I am never jealous of anyone because someone else always has a different way of doing and seeing things. Everyone does as he pleases in their own manner.
For instance; I don’t know a lot of people that travel the way I do. Most people are afraid to travel solo. So I will never be envious or jealous of them, simply because I prefer my way of traveling. 
Life is not a competition. Especially not among friends, so I wish everyone could just stop comparing and being envious about each other and just be happy for each other. Focus on you, the good you have. You will never be happy if you can’t appreciate the things you have. If you want more, work for it so you can get it. Don’t envy someone for having what you want. And stop bragging as if I would care. Because I really don’t. On the contrary, if you brag (which I think is just annoying), I will probably feel sorry for you, not paying attention to you anymore, because like I said, I only spend my time with true friends, knowing I would do it better. 😉

Travel the places you always dreamed of

This year I traveled to eight destinations of which three new countries I hadn’t visited before. All these places were on the top of my bucket list. I didn’t even care about how much it would cost me. Of course I needed to keep it budget friendly, but that didn’t stop me from visiting some of the most expensive destinations like Iceland, Mykonos, Santorini and Copenhagen. Even the uncertainty of not knowing whether I would still have a job that Summer didn’t stop me from booking and planning trips. Because I knew I would find something new quickly if I stayed positive. Somehow I always find a way to be able to do these trips (Because I consider traveling as one my priorities in life) and I’m sure if you put your mind to it, you can do it too!
Also for 2019 I already planned two trips that are on my bucket list since a veeeery long time. It took some time, but I finally found the courage to book my trip to Morocco. I already traveled solo so many times and I am sure I will be able to deal with quite some situations. I heard so many good and bad stories of Morocco. I just decided to go with an open mind and see how it goes. I am pretty good at handling situations and adapting to different cultures. I have a good instinct knowing how to interact with people, so I don’t worry too much. After all, a lot depends on your own behavior and attitude. It will be my first country on the African continent!
Except for Jordan, I have never been to Asia before either, so I decided to book a trip to Indonesia as well. As you know I am a sucker for waterfalls and Bali is the perfect destination for that! I will have a private driver the whole time and I have created my own itinerary already for months, so I will have absolute freedom to do everything I dreamed of! I also wanted to see the Komodo dragons, snorkle with Manta Rays, swim at the Pink Beach and climb to that amazing view of Padar Island! So that is exactly what I am going to do! A plus is that it is super affordable, so I will be staying at some pretty awesome hotels and private villas. I will share everything here on the blog and for once you will get to see different hotels and villas than the same ones you always get to see on all the bloggers’ Instagram accounts. (this counts for Morocco as well btw) I don’t know yet where I will be going in the second half of the year. The point is; if you dream of going somewhere, do everything you can to be able to do it! When you put your mind to it, you will always find a way to get there!

Traveling solo

This year I realized even more that I prefer to travel solo. I went to Jordan with a friend, because I thought it wouldn’t be safe otherwise, but it turned out I could’ve done it by myself easily. The only thing that worried me a bit was the driving, because people drive like crazy there. I didn’t like to wait for someone at times when I just wanted to go. I hated the complaining about things like “Please tell me we are not going to do any climbs today!”. I didn’t always have the time to take photos, because he was annoyed sometimes to wait for me while I was taking my photos (which I told him in advance would happen) and if he were any good at taking photos, I could’ve let him take the photos, but honestly I never traveled with someone who was able to take a decent photo, without me instructing the whole time (except for you Ann and Anouk xoxo 😉 ). We had a fun time, but I would’ve appreciated and enjoyed the trip more on my own. (it may sound weird to some, but it’s how I feel) 
So if you never traveled solo before, I truly recommend it. I have a bunch of articles on this blog about solo traveling so I suggest you read them quickly after reading this one! 🙂

Blog opportunities

In 2018 I did some small collaborations which made me very happy and 2019 starts with my first complete sponsored trip to Rotterdam. Brands are starting to find me and I’m sure this will happen even more after the Belgian Travel Blog Awards in February where I will meet more people of the travel industry. I also submitted a few articles, so I really hope I will get one nomination. That would already make me so happy and proud! But the competition is tough! I hope these collaborations will make it possible to create more interesting content for you to read!
I also hope the travel industry will start to realize engagement is way more important than followers numbers. Recently a very big Instagram influencer got exposed, being accused of a scam and it was also obvious she bought a lot of fake followers. I started to look up some more big travel Instagram influencers and to my disappointment I saw that a lot of them are buying followers while they claim to be authentic and hard working. As if they found the secret to gain a lot of followers organically. I always thought I just wasn’t as good as them, even though I have to admit my photos are getting better and better, because my followers count doesn’t grow as quickly as theirs. But now I know it’s because they are cheating. I use tricks as well such as giveaways etc, to get more exposure, but I would never buy fake followers. Because they will never engage with my content. I have an engagement rate of about 9 % which is pretty good and unfortunately more than some of the “big famous travel bloggers”. Which really makes me doubt most of them. I’ve read that collaborations with micro influencers are getting more popular so I hope to be able to build on that!

A positive mind in a healthy body

I quit working out for quite some time and now I finally restarted! I didn’t even wait until the beginning of 2019. I just wanted to start and go for it! I have a specific goal in mind and I’m determined to get there! Maybe I’ll even let you join my journey of “no pain no gain” 🙂 I do a special 35 minute circuit and I will be adding some group lessons to it as well. So wish me luck in losing weight and fat! 🙂 If you have some “losing weight goals”, feel free to share! Maybe we can support each other!

Looking for a partner?

As you probably know I am single for a veeeery long time (except for a few short breaks in the meantime). The problem is I don’t really mind. I can handle life by myself perfectly. But I do feel sometimes that I should make an effort, even if it is not one of my priorities (far from actually). So I’m still thinking of subscribing myself to one of those paid dating websites. I’ll probably do it in 2019. But at this time I’m not really motivated yet, I have to admit. 🙂 I’ll let you know! Anyone great stories to share about that topic?

So, that’s it! Those were some of my reflections of 2018 and goals for 2019. I hope I can keep inspiring you to travel (solo) and to stay positive! Because as you can read, my life isn’t perfect either!

I hope you enjoyed this article! Don’t hesitate to leave your comments down below! 
If you want to help me a little please share this post on Facebook, Twitter or any kind of social media and book your next trip via my booking.com link. A small thing for you to do that can make a big difference for me! Massive thanks!
If you like the pictures in this article, I suggest to follow my Instagram account where you can find a lot more.