2014: A Decent Traveling Year

Well, you all know I'm a travel freak; thus, I have to recap my year in terms of my travel adventures. There's no way I could ever top my fab year of travel in 2013, but 2014 actually wasn't too shabby in the travel realm! I certainly got to see a little more of the good ol' USA this time around, a trend I hope to continue.

Vegas in January

The year rang in with a freakin' bang in Las Vegas. Not my first time at the strip, but definitely a fun trip. January is the month to go to Las Vegas, in my opinion: not too hot, not too crowded, just a whole lotta fun. And tons of fireworks.

Tijuana in March

I caught a Mexican futbol game on a random Tuesday night trip over the border. For those of you that don't know, San Diego literally sits right on the border...it takes me all of 20 minutes to get to a whole other country. I also really like to advertise Mexico because I feel it unfairly gets bad press painting it as an unsafe, unworthy vacation spot. Pish posh! The Mexican people are a lively, endearing bunch and while Tijuana is not the most beautiful city I've seen, it's a worthy destination brimming full of culture and good food.

England & Scotland in July, August

It was back to ol' Blighty in the summer for graduation and an excursion to Scotland.

First off, London (my love). It was lovely to see my home away from home once again; I'd even call it therapeutic.

Catching up with my "mates" (I always got chastized for saying "friend"), riding the tube, eating sticky toffee pudding, and just being there made me smile from ear to ear. It was the best homecoming I could ask for, since London will always be another home for me. 

I certainly got my fill of London, so of course a side trip to Edinburgh and the rest of Scotland was in order. Man, Scotland is NOT to be skipped, let me tell you! 

Before leaving the U.K., I had one more day trip in the works: lovely Cambridge. 

 We toured the university by way of punting, totally worth it! 

Austin, Houston, and College Station in October

I went to Texas on a work trip, so it was three cities/towns in one go! It was nice to drive through the Texas countryside, which I found refreshing and beautiful. I also got to meet up with an old friend and a new (blog) friend. Of course, Austin still retained its charm from the last time I visited. 

Phoenix, Flagstaff, and Tucson in November 

 Another work trip. It was all about those desert sunsets and (GORGEOUS) mountains in Arizona. I foolishly didn't know Flagstaff was so elevated and would be so freezing in November. Note to self: do not wear a dress without tights in 35-degree weather. 

New Orleans in December 

As you know, I ended the year in NOLA, which was as lively and eclectic as I hoped it would be (complete with an awesome trip to a southern plantation). 

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So there you are! I went to about 8 new cities/towns I hadn't been to before, and 6 overall trips. Not too shabby indeed. As you suspected, I've already booked my next trip for this month. I'll reveal soon where I'm off to (wink). 

Travel on, my fellow wanderlusters! 

What You Just Can't Miss in Cambridge

Dreamy, isn't it?

Yeah, Cambridge is drop-dead gorgeous. I'm surprised I hadn't been there before in my year of living in England. Only a 45 minute train ride from London and about a 10-quid ticket, Cambridge is really worth the trip. 

The one thing you really can't miss in Cambridge? Punting. 

What the hell is punting, you ask? 

Well, punting refers to pushing yourself along with a pole in a small boat made for shallow water. So, you're not rowing, but actually using the riverbed to push the boat down the river. Well, we were lazy, so we got someone to punt for us. And you should too!

 I couldn't help but think this dude looked a little like Jesus. 

We just sat back and drank a little champagne whilst Jesus did all the work! 'We' refers to my old flatmates, Jen and Becki, who were kind enough to meet up with me in Cambridge as they no longer live in London. I convinced them to go punting with me (a fairly touristy thing to do), but they ended up liking it as much as I did! The pictures below will show you why:

 THOSE WEEPING WILLOWS, THOUGH! I'm in love with them. Not to mention the gorgeous Cambridge campus which surrounds the river. 

 Yes, there were also drunk men in costumes...no clue why! 

Once we got off the boat, we explored the town a little...need I say it? Cambridge is surely posh. Great for a visit; as for living, I will always prefer the gritty reality of London to the poshness of Cambridge. Still, look at this place!

 Above: Cute little candy shop with jelly bean mosaic of Wills and Kate. Below: More of the Cambridge campus.

 DO visit this delicious Italian eatery where I scored a free Cannoli and ate amazing pizza: Aromi Cambridge.

 I also recommend The Pint Shop. We had these amazing, fresh gin concoctions seen below. 

Formula to make a happy Ashley is pretty simple. Rain + Gin + Italian Food + Beautiful Scenery = A Smiley Lady. Yeah, that about does it.

I took the fast train from Kings Cross Station straight to Cambridge, and darling, you should too!