Concluding five days in Lisbon, I am now in Coimbra. The second stop on my Portugal trip. It will come as no surprise that I consider travel to be one of life’s perks, and I take every opportunity I have to go somewhere new.

Starting tomorrow, I’m heading to Portugal for 15 days, my first of what I hope will be two trips across the Atlantic to Europe this year. I don’t have any plans yet for the second trip, but I always try to travel at least twice a year, as time and budget allow. Planning this trip to Portugal involved more back-and-forth than I expected.

I’ve been wanting to plan my next adventure for a while. Over the winter, especially, the idea of warmer destinations and better travel timing was hard to ignore. I started jotting down ideas: cities I wanted to visit, then ways to connect them and make the most of my time across the Atlantic.

Travel is amazing. It’s a chance to step into places you’ve never been and see things you may never see again. Each trip is a brief window to explore and pay attention in a way that’s hard to do at home. Even if you spend a month in one city, that’s still a tiny slice of your life, which is exactly what makes it feel so special and fragile.

Embarking on solo travel can be frightening to some. The idea of going somewhere alone, so far from home, can be an undertaking and a stress some may not want to undergo. It is a lot to consider, and for most, it’s not just about leaving home and enjoying a new destination; there are financial considerations and responsibilities, things that can’t be ignored or delayed.

I’ve always considered myself a frequent traveller and a travel photographer, though the term can be a bit misleading. I don’t make a living directly from the images. Still, those photographs, the ones I share on social media or here on my site, play a quiet but meaningful role in connecting people to my work, sparking conversations, and occasionally leading to income in unexpected ways.

As I look out of my home office window and see the first signs of snowfall on the ground, I realize that the long winter is ahead; it’s just getting started. For me, this is a challenging time to stay motivated with my photography. A significant factor for me is where I live.

In a city like Malaga, particularly Old Town, you are fortunate to encounter many narrow streets that create fascinating patterns of light and shadow throughout the day. Even midday, when the sun is high, awnings and building overhangs allow for intriguing compositions.

I’ve had the opportunity to travel regularly for some time now. I am very fortunate to have been able to do so. Over the years, through travel to many destinations, I believe my photography has improved. And that’s not just how the photos are presented, it’s the mentality I have going into these photographic situations.

Of all the cities across the Atlantic, Paris has been the one city that I have been to the most. It started in the first days of 2013, and this trip marks my fifth time in Paris. Oddly, despite numerous visits, I have few photos of the city, which prompted me to return to Paris.

In late June, I booked a direct, round-trip flight from Halifax to Amsterdam. As of the booking date, I had plans to spend a few days in Amsterdam, probably at the end of the trip, before returning to Halifax. I thought it would be convenient to be in my city of departure on the day I needed to fly home. However, my initial plan changed.

I arrived in Dubrovnik from Zagreb, and if you plan to visit and are arriving at Dubrovnik Airport, I recommend organizing your transportation from the airport to your accommodation before arrival. It’s easier, and the drive to Dubrovnik around Old Town is scenic. The Airbnb was located above the Old Town, which provided a great view.

Looking back after a few weeks, and having that time to reflect on this portion of my final trip of the year, Dubrovnik was absolutely a great choice to include. Croatia has been on my list of places to visit for some time, and my days there were blessed with fantastic weather and amazing scenery. I had time to casually explore at my own pace, enjoying the early morning light on some occasions and the sunsets on others.

My trip to Zagreb was one of the most spontaneous location decisions I have made when planning travel. I do not know anyone personally who has even been to the city. I didn’t conduct much research before choosing it, nor did I do much in the period between booking and arriving in Zagreb.

I travelled when I was younger. I took a handful of trips to Montreal, Quebec, to visit my aunt or road trips across the border in Maine with my mother. Growing up in New Brunswick, Canada, cross-border drives were not uncommon. In my teens, I recall driving to Calais, Maine, to purchase CDs and cassettes that were unavailable at home. A fantastic music store just over the border had an incredible selection of hip-hop albums.