This year, I finally took a leap I’d been dreaming of for years: I chose myself. I left behind a life of routine, and embraced the unknown as a nomad. As 2024 ends, I feel it’s a good time to back not just on places visited, but on a year of growth and discovery.
January: Ireland
I was living alone in Knocklyon at the beginning of the year: my wife was waiting on a visa so she could come back to the country. I found comfort in cooking, recreating childhood dishes that reminded me of simpler times. I especially loved the meatballs: they look like slop, but trust me, they’re delicious!
February: Wicklow
In February I found out I was being made redundant. To help with my mental state I pushed myself back into hiking, exploring a few routes in Wicklow which I lived on the edge of.
March: Dublin
My final month in Ireland, I went to the St. Patrick’s Parade for the first time in my life. Before I left Europe I was sure to visit family one last time so I could say my farewells.
April: Xi’An
I visited my wife’s hometown and met her family for the first time. I saw the Terracotta Warriors, one of the many “Eighth Wonders of the World.” I did, of course, swing by Shanghai to see some old friends before continuing on my travels.
May: Thailand
Starting in Phuket, we travelled to Thailand. Many of our friends moved to the country during/after the China Lockdowns, but we spent most of our first month travelling alone.
June: Thaislands
Koh Samui for touristy stuff. Koh Panghan for parties or to find yourself. And Koh Tao for diving. Most of our friends live on these islands now, so we spent some time on boats to travel between them.
July: Laos
After a brief visit to Chiang Mai and Pai, we took the boat into Laos. This was one of my highlights, as I love boat travel. Laos was the most mysterious country to me, and we learned a lot about a history forgotten by many in the Western World.
August: Vietnam
From the disappointingly filthy beaches of Mui Ne, to Dalat and it’s wealth of art culture, Vietnam was an interesting country to explore. Of course we visited many museums and sites that taught about the oppression of French colonialism and the war crimes committed by the USA in the War.
September: Cambodia
A country with a dark history, and a country with a colourful history. Standing at the Killing Fields, I felt the weight of Cambodia’s tragic history – a reminder of humanity’s capacity for evil. It was a sombre experience, especially in light of the genocides still happening today.
This was also a country where I achieved another life-long dream: Angkor Wat. I had been fascinated by the ancient city since I was a boy, and walking through the ancient ruins of Angkor Wat felt surreal. The intricacy of the carvings and the sheer scale of the temple was overwhelming.
October: India
My friend told me there was a Burn in India, so of course I had to go. This was also my first time in the country, so I took the time to explore the country and visit my newfound friends. The only thing I learned is that I need to go back again.
November: Bali
I rejoined my wife in Bali (as she couldn’t go to India), and we learned about masks, climbed a volcano, and met a lot of animals. Including an Atlas Moth: the largest moth species on the planet.
December: United Kingdom
Finally, we went back to Blighty for Christmas. We spent a few days in Ireland, but most of our time was spent in England visiting family. I attended London Santacon for the first time, a much larger bar crawl than our efforts in Shanghai.
2025: Stan
Having spent 2024 immersing myself in diverse cultures, I’m eager to continue this path of exploration in 2025. The general plan for the rest of the year is to visit the “Stans”: Khazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. I’m still in the early stages of research, but I already know that it’s unlikely I’ll be able to visit some of the countries on this list.
Of course, I’ll also be visiting China again, and I hope to find another Burn to go to. Here’s to another year of discovery!
