About me - Scratchingmymap

Welcome at scratchingmymap!

Are you, just like me, always on the hunt for travel inspiration? Are you constantly planning or thinking about your next trip? Do you like frequently escaping your hometown for a small trip but you lack time and money? Good news is that you’re most definitely in the right place/blog! Next to inspiration for your next destination, there’s also a lot of pratical information up here. Since I’m a quit practical person, I’m showering you with sh*tloads of useful tips for your next backpacktrip or citytrip.

My favourite means of transport is, without a doubt, travelling by train! I can’t wait to explore more of Asia, my favourite continent up until now. But to be fair, I’m curious to explore even more of this wonderful world. In 2016 a dream came true: on the last days of October my boyfriend and I onboarded the iconic Transmongolia Express and we travelled for 3 months troughout Asia. I called it The Big Trip – and it’s still one of my most treasured experiences.

Despite this crazy long trip, I love citytripping! In just a few days you can discover a new city or even a entire new culture/world, just a couple hours away from home. Europe is a incredibly diverse continent and travel distances are rather short. I’d choose a Design Museum over a Art History Museum in a heartbeat, I like roaming around beautiful buildings and I have a soft spot for hipster restaurants that are carefully curated. Oh and I’m always on the hunt for the best cappuccino in town!

Some are put off by the idea of solo travel, but I love travelling on my own every now and then. Over the past years, I visited Paris, Barcelona, Madrid, Berlin, Oslo, London, Lissabon, Tallinn & Helsinki on my own. I went interrailing through Scotland for a week and hiking for the weekend in Andorra. When it’s just me and myself on a trip, I enjoy the feeling of fresh air stroking through my hair, walking with my head high in the clouds, reading while sipping on a cappuccino in a cute coffeebar and basically just doing whatever I feel like doing in that exact moment. The feeling of freedom and independence are appealing and liberating. The perfect antidote for routine, so your life never feels ‘boring’.

My favourite travelpartner is without a doubt, my boyfriend, who fell in love with the world ’thanks’ to me. Together we already discovered many beautiful places: our first trip together was London, followed by an interrailtrip through Portugal. Indonesia was our first destination beyond the European borders. In the meantime we had our Big Trip and before we knew it we scratched thirty countries from our scratchmap.

My travelmotto? Overprepare, then go with the flow.

Who is scratchingmymap?

Let me introduce myself! I’m Lotte and I’m the one running this travelblog. I do everything by my own: from writing stories and sharing itineraries, to editing photos and puzzling with the tech-shizzle at the backend of this website. After years of keeping a little traveldiary and devotedly noting my expenses in a Moleskine, I decided it was time to introduce my keepsakes to the digital age. I enjoy walking around in a new city, guided by my notes I gathered from reading my favourite travelguides and blogs – and walking anywhere the wind blows. My eyes are wandering around every corner, no facade goes unnoticed, because I want to experience what attracted me to this city in the first place.

I travel to make new memories, to disover, to taste, to see, to smell and to experience how the world looks like – and I’ll always return home happy. For a lovely piece of architecture, I’ll walk the extra mile and you could easily leave me for a couple of hours in a designmuseum – but get me out before I end up buying a gazillion books in their shops! I’m a big fan of roadtrips (throw some camping gear in the trunk and go!), I love citytripping but my favourite mode of transport will forever be the train. Isn’t it breathtaking to see the landscape go by? To lose track of time and enjoy your surroundings with a good book or your favourite soundtrack on repeat?

I’m not a great writer nor a amazing photographer, but I (almost) love writing as much as I love talking and if my picture depicts whatever I was feeling at that time, than I’m happy with the outcome.

Lotte in less than 20 words? Addicted to sunsets, travelling, good food and talking. My next travel/trip is always on my mind.

Why scratchingmymap?

Apparently one of the signs of being a traveler in heart and soul, is an obsession with maps. A few years ago my boyfriend surprised me with a scratchmap for my birthday. In order to scratch and colour it even more, I’m keen on discovering new cities and countries, both nearby as in different continents. Therefore it was the perfect name that suited me and my travelblog!

If you’re curious about which destinations I visited up until now, you’re finding them under “destinations”. If you read an article that you liked or felt that I left some questions unanswered, feel free to leave a comment. I’ll answer your questions with pleasure. On my contact-page, you can find all the necessary contactinformation.