Going Back To Somewhere You Love

There’s a bit of a stigma about going back to destinations you’ve already been to. Because REAL travellers are always looking to explore new lands and have new adventures, right?

The thing is, having all of these new adventures can be pretty exhausting. Especially as a travel blogger.

You’re always looking for cool bars and restaurants to recommend, or finding a colourful wall for a #OOTD Insta shot, or finding alternative attractions that will avoid the crowds. When travel is also kinda work, you don’t get many proper holidays, y’know?

Yeah I know what you’re thinking, poor little privileged travel blogger.

But when you also have a 9-5 job and you’re spending precious annual leave days on full-on city breaks that are go go go – it’s knackering, mate.

I mentioned this when I visited Spain in November – the idea that travel bloggers need a holiday from travel blogging sometimes. And it’s something I want to incorporate at least once a year into my travel schedule – an actual break.

So I decided to try going back to somewhere I’ve already been. I figured it would take the pressure off if there was less blog content for me to get, right?

Well Cinque Terre is somewhere me and Josh have spoken about going back to for the last few years. We had the most amazing time there the first time around, it was our first trip together and the first time in Italy for both of us. We adored it. Especially Levanto, the town just up the coast from Cinque Terre. So dreamy.

But new destinations always took priority. Bali, Santorini, New York, Prague, Amsterdam, Slovenia… We’ve been lucky enough to have some really fucking amazing trips together. However this spring was finally the time we were returning to Cinque Terre.

And it was definitely a different travel experience to what I’m used to.

For a start, I already knew the lay of the land.

I knew where to go for the fabulous aperitivo (Crystal) and the kickass ragu (Il Grottino), so there was no wandering around looking for great bars and restaurants. I had also figured out on my previous trip the best time to visit each of the towns to avoid the crowds. So everything just felt smoother y’know? I could relax, I didn’t need to stress about where to go to dinner or where to find the best views, I had them sorted.

But at the same time, there’s always something new to discover.

You never really ‘complete’ a destination, do you? I’ve lived in places like London and Sydney and even then I would never say I’ve been everywhere in those cities. There’s always a new adventure to be had. And that was definitely the case on this trip to Italy.

This time around I tried out the hiking trails for the first time, which definitely added to my experience of Cinque Terre with those sick views. I also discovered some new gems like Trattoria Cavour in Levanto, a restaurant serving A+ lasagna realness. Oh and that amazing focaccia from Focacceria Domè and the coffee from Bianchi Gino.

So even though I knew my way around and didn’t have to waste any time working out what’s where, there were still new travel experiences to enjoy. And more importantly, new amazing restaurants to try.

I think when you go back to somewhere you visited before with the same person, it’s also a nice opportunity to re-live the memories. Like “Ah you remember that dessert we had there?” and “Remember there’s that cool viewpoint up there?”. It made the trip quite romantic, which y’know was helped by the whole proposal thing.

In general, it just felt like a much more relaxed trip. Which was the whole point.

And you know what? I feel like I might just have to go back a third time. Cinque Terre really is my happy place and this visit really highlighted to me what a special place it is.

I think we have an ability to romanticise the past and I had worried that the destination wouldn’t live up to my memories of it. But it exceeded my expectations on all counts. It’s just as beautiful as I remembered, if not more. I still enjoyed doing things a second time and I did manage to find new little treasures in this beautiful part of Italy.

(If you haven’t already, make you sure you check out my ultimate guide to Cinque Terre for all the deets on this fabulous destination, y’all.)

Moral of the story?

Give a destination you’ve been to another shot. If you loved it before, you’ll love it just as much on a second visit. Plus, it’s a lot more chill the second time around.

Have you re-visited a destination you loved?

Let me know in the comments below, tweet me or find me over on Insta, babes.