People & Stories

'It all started with a New Zealand Trafalgar trip' – Millie's chance meeting

Our Trafalgar Unlocked Awards has now closed. After combing through over 10,000 incredible entries, we’ve announced the lucky winners. Each of these winners will be joining us with their travel companion on a 12-day trip to the Balkans this June. One lucky Trafalgar Unlocked Award winner was Millie, who shared this story as part of her entry: 

The Best of Scotland trip was a delayed honeymoon for my husband Ryan and I. We met in 2017 on a Trafalgar Ireland trip. We were to be married in May 2020, but Covid delayed our wedding and Trafalgar trip honeymoon. We had originally picked a different Trafalgar trip for our honeymoon, but our trip was no longer available. So we decided to go to Scotland on our first international trip since the Covid shutdown. It was a fun and relaxing trip. The people of Scotland were so friendly and kind. Scotland is such a beautiful country. My husband had a unique experience where he got to shear sheep on a sheep farm. His dad back home (who grew up on a farm) was so jealous. And being Indian American, I was surprised that the people of Glasgow loved curry! Haggis is a staple in Scotland, so I told my husband not to tell me what it’s made of until the END of the trip. Not knowing the ingredients made haggis tasty! My husband had everything haggis, including haggis lasagna. So thankful for Trafalgar on bringing us together and enabling us to adventure together. 

We caught up with Millie to find out what’s she most excited to experience on her Balkans trip and who she’s taking with her. Millie also shares more about the story of how she met her husband on a Trafalgar trip in Ireland, and the experiences they unlocked together.

GET INSPIRED BY: Balkan Delight

Trafalgar Unlocked Award winner Millie with her husband Ryan in Greece

1. How did it feel to be a lucky Trafalgar Unlocked Award winner?

It feels surreal as I’ve never won anything like this before. I’m excited to go on this trip. Coincidentally, winning the trip occurred in the same week I found out the company I’m working at is closing and I’m losing my job in September. So there was definitely a rollercoaster of emotions, but this trip is a silver lining!

RELATED CONTENT: Experts tells us why the Balkans should be on your list of places to visit

2. Have you ever been to the Balkans?

No, I haven’t. We were actually thinking of going to Croatia, but the tour and flight timing didn’t work with our work schedules.

GET INSPIRED BY: Balkan Adventure

3. Who will you take with you on your Trafalgar trip to the Balkans?

My husband, Ryan, of course! It was funny, he actually asked me who I was taking.

4. What are you most excited to see and do on the Balkans trip

I’m excited to see the countryside, and landscapes, and experience the culture and food.

RELATED CONTENT: Beyond Dubrovnik and Sarajevo: 10 off-the-radar Balkan towns to explore with Trafalgar

Trafalgar Unlocked Award winner Millie with her husband Ryan in Greece

5. Why did you choose the Best of Scotland tour for your honeymoon?

We went to Scotland in May 2022. Originally, we were booked on a Trafalgar trip to Peru and the Galapagos Islands in 2020. Our wedding was supposed to be in May 2020, but we had to cancel/delay it because of the Covid pandemic. We couldn’t go on the Trafalgar tour, either. In 2022, we were able to finally travel internationally, but our trip was not available. We chose Scotland because we found a good trip through Trafalgar for 8 days.

6. What are some of your favorite memories from your Scotland honeymoon

The Scottish Highlands, eating haggis, and the friendly locals. I really like visiting Stirling Castle in Glasgow and walking the cobblestone streets in Edinburgh.

RELATED CONTENT: Majestic manors and castles to visit in Scotland

7. Can you tell us more about how you met your husband on a Trafalgar trip in Ireland?

It started with a New Zealand Trafalgar trip. No one I knew wanted to go to New Zealand, so I went on the tour by myself. There I made friends with a girl who was there with her mom. We decided to go on a Trafalgar tour to Ireland. Ryan was on the tour with his parents.

Our first group outing/meet and greet was at Glasnevin Cemetary in Dublin. We met when we all sat at the same table for appetizers. I brought the card game Uno on the trip and my roommate and I would play it at night. I invited Ryan and other people to join our game and then we all started hanging out together. At our wedding, we gave the guests the Uno card game as a wedding favor.

RELATED CONTENT: 11 reasons why a trip to Ireland should be essential in 2023

Trafalgar Unlocked Award winner Millie with her husband Ryan in Ireland

8. How many Trafalgar trips have you taken?

Five – Italy, New Zealand, Ireland, Greece, and Scotland.  

9. What is your all-time favorite travel destination or Trafalgar trip?

Besides meeting Ryan in Ireland, I also really liked New Zealand. The country was beautiful and the people were welcoming and friendly. And a couple of group members talked me into skydiving in Queenstown, the adventure capital of the world. That was never on my bucket list!

RELATED CONTENT: 13 ultimate bucket list experiences to do before you die, as chosen by you

10. What is the best thing about traveling with Trafalgar?

I like the ease of traveling because Trafalgar takes care of everything and there isn’t stress about getting from place to place. It feels safe especially when you’re in a different country. I like having a tour guide who is knowledgeable and who gives us a history of the area.  

Millie with her husband Ryan on their Scotland honeymoon

11. Why is it important for you to travel and experience new places and cultures?

I like to expand my horizons. Traveling helps me experience unique countries, cultures, and beautiful landscapes. Traveling also helps me understand other people’s perspectives.

12. Where else is on your bucket list (besides the Balkans!)?

We have already made a deposit for a Trafalgar trip in September to Brazil and Argentina. One day, I would like to go to Japan, Switzerland, Peru and Machu Picchu, the Galapagos Islands, or Greenland.

Congratulations to Millie on being a lucky Trafalgar Unlocked Award winner and thank you for sharing your story. You can read more stories from our Trafalgar Unlocked Awards winners on The Real Word blog.

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