It’s the end of the year, which means a time of reflection. I’ve always believed that travel isn’t just about the places I go, but the people I meet along the way. And throughout these past twelve months, I’ve encountered and befriended many inspiring and wonderful people, who have helped make this exceptional travel year even more special. Truly, I have much in which to be grateful.
In 2014, very little time was spent in my beloved Texas. I visited seven states, eleven countries, and four continents. I had several repeat destinations, including six trips to Paris and two trips each to Bordeaux, Switzerland, Brazil, Colorado, and San Francisco. By the middle of March, I’d already accumulated 42,196 air miles, so I figure I am close to 100,000 miles for the year. I just can’t be bothered to add all that up. However, here are a few more of my 2014 travel-related stats:
23 different airports
46 flight legs
11 trains
2 buses
6 ski resorts
4 apartments
55 hotels
Given all the miles I’ve covered in 2014, I’m glad to have an ample amount of photos to help jog my memory. A creature of habit, my photographic eye tends to gravitate toward the same themes. It’s the same song, different verse, if you will.{See 2013’s recap} Thus, here are some of my favorite travel photos from my 2014 Instagram stream.
Agua
“Water is the driving force of all nature.” –Leonardo da Vinci
The English Channel as seen from Mont Saint-Michel in France
A river runs through Megeve, France
Private pool and the Pacific at Imanta Resort in Riviera Nayarit, Mexico
End of the day on Ipanema in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
A look at Lake Geneva from Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues
A water highway in Venice, Italy
Food
“Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.”–Mark Twain
Apple strudel in Innsbruck, Austria
Empanadas in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Fruit salesman in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Sweet bread in Salzburg, Austria
Apple tree in Normandy, France
Black truffles in St. Moritz, Switzerland
Forest for the Trees
“Trees are earth’s endless effort to speak to the listening heaven.”–Rabindranath Tagore
Cook pine tree in Lana’i, Hawaii
Shoe tree in Nevada, USA
A Sunday afternoon in Tuileries Garden in Paris, France
Behind the Palace of Versailles in France
Trees surround Lake Austin at Lake Austin Spa Resort in Texas
Rise and Fall
“Lost, yesterday, somewhere between sunrise and sunset, two golden hours, each set with sixty diamond minutes. No reward is offered for they are gone forever.”–Horace Mann
Sunset in Florence, Italy
Texas Hill Country Sunset
Sunrise on the Hawaiian Island of Lānaʻi near Four Seaons Mānele Bay
Mexican sunset at Four Seasons Punta Mita
Sunrise at Hotel Vernet in Paris, France
Sunset in Rome, Italy
Sunset in Salzberg, Austria
Sunset in St. Moritz, Switzerland
Monumental
“Monuments are for the living, not the dead.” –Frank Wedekind
The famous La Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Mont Saint-Michel in France
Night falls on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France
Arches and angles at the Louvre in Paris, France
Basking in the glow on the Spanish Steps in Rome, Italy
The iconic Rialto Bridge in Venice, Italy
Foundation Louis Vuitton in Paris, France
Elevation
“This mountain, the arched back of the earth risen before us, it made me feel humble, like a beggar, just lucky to be here at all, even briefly.” –Bridget Asher
Aspen, Colorado
Davos, Switzerland
Million Dollar Highway in Colorado
Summer in Chamonix, France
Zermatt, Switzerland
Langkawi, Malaysia
St. Anton, Austria
Zermatt, Switzerland
The Iron Lady
“I ought to be jealous of the tower. She is more famous than I am.” ― Gustave Eiffel
Animals
“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” ― Anatole France
Lipizzan horse in Vienna, Austria
Macaw in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Horseback riding in Lānaʻi, Hawaii
One of the many cats of La Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Goat in the Tuileries Garden in Paris, France
Spider spinning a web in Normandy, France
One of the many dogs of Lagoa in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Lizard in Tuscany, Italy
Grazing horse in Santa Fe, Texas
Raise a Glass
“Here’s to alcohol, the rose colored glasses of life.”–F.Scott Fitzgerald
Cucumber margarita at Imanta Resort in Riviera Nayarit, Mexico
Pure class in a glass at Four Seasons George V in Paris, France
Caipirinha in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Champagne at Hotel Vernet in Paris, France
Big Wave brew with a view at Four Seaons Mānele Bay on Lānaʻi, Hawaii
Tropics meets the mountains in Megeve, France
Mojito magic at Four Seasons Langkawi in Malaysia
Now it’s time to look forward to 2015. I’ve got big things brewing on the travel front. Plus, I never know what’s going to pop up. Follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for my real-time travel updates. And please leave your Instagram name and let me know what your 2015 travel plans are in the comments.
The post My Travel Year in Instagram Photos for 2014 appeared first on Leah Travels.