TOP 14 TRAVEL MOMENTS OF 2014

I really love looking back at the most amazing year of travels – all the photos, adventures, and memories to last a lifetime.

Writing at a seaside café while it rained in Novy Svet (Crimea).

I might have gotten rained out of several days’ worth of sightseeing, but on the flip side it was the kind of perfect romantic and inspiring seclusion most writers only dream of.

Sunrise swims in the perfectly still Atlantic waters (Florida).

Just the kind of tropical getaway a Russian needs after a long, hard winter.

Serbian hospitality in Belgrade.

I couldn’t go to the restaurant I’ve thought of for weeks because it turned out to be FULLY booked for a wedding. So the owner loaded me up with two BOXES of different cakes – for free!

A day of doing [almost] nothing in Antwerp.

It was one of the most perfect travel days ever: great company, waffles with strawberries, hot tea and cold beer, and a gorgeous view onto an ancient square of a charming European town. I am relaxing just thinking back on that day.

Morning walks in London.

Though I was in town for work, I would get out of the hotel at the crack of dawn to take in different parts of the city as they were just waking up – Westminster, Hampstead, Camden. All before my first business meeting.

Bowling in Osijek (Croatia).

It was the most random activity, suggested by the Nice German, when the weather turned sour on us. So there I was, at a rural mall in Croatia, beaming from all the strikes, spares, gutter balls – and cheap local wine.

Spur of the moment Mariinsky Ballet performance (Saint Petersburg).

The performance itself was ok; the wonderful thing was finally being at a point in my life where I could buy the ticket to the Royal Box of a world-class theater with 45 minutes till show time.

Lakeside picnic in Estonia.

After seemingly endless – and foodless – road trip, the Nice German and I were rewarded with breathtaking nature, which even made the shashlyk taste that much better.

Galloping across the rolling hills of Sudak (Crimea).

After my December 2013 accident I wasn’t sure I was ever going to ride again. Crimea worked its magic.

Watching Linda in action in Riga (Latvia).

I had to see it to believe it and see it I did: nobody could match Linda’s ability to make best friends with perfect strangers in a matter of minutes (the guys in the photo below fell in love with her before we got our first round of drinks served).

Falling in love with Budapest (Hungary).

The OHMYGOD moments began as we were just approaching the city and did not seize for the entirety of the terribly short two days I spent there. From architecture to food to the energy of the place, it became instantly clear that Budapest was a place after my own heart.

Crawling and climbing to Tsar’s Beach (Crimea).

My ultimate stupid, reckless adventure was totally worth the scrapes and bruises. The icing on the cake was not falling down on sharp rocks and into the Black Sea.

Hogwarts & Diagon Alley (HarryPotterLand).

I totally forgot I was dying to go here until I was reminded by a stray Knight Bus in London. When I finally arrived, I was giddy with excitement and literally crying tears of joy and nostalgia. As were a lot of people around me.

Sharing a pork penis with Annie in Brussels (Belgium).

Because bonds of friendship are best forged over disgusting local delicacies.