I have been there but...

          it's still on my list or why to go to a place that you have already visited.

September passed so quickly that I couldn't even say when and how it started. Another 30 days of travelling are gone. Summarizing my trips this month I learned an important lesson: going to a place for a 2nd or 3rd time could be more inspiring and funnier experience than your fist visit. 

This month I flew to Shanghai (2nd time there), Perth (my 4th trip to the aussie city) and Lisbon (4th trip as well). On top of that I spent my 3 days off hiking in lovely Oman (2nd time there)! 

I really enjoyed every single trip that I made and I found out that all of them were as unique as my first visits. This made me ask myself  one question:

What are the benefits of going somewhere you've already been?

I know that life is short and I think than more than anyone else I enjoy the fact that my life moves with the speed of light. Jumping from plane to plane is my game. My usual 24hour tour of a certain destinations with Emirates is like a competition with time and fatigue. 

I run with a map in my hand from one place to another, changing one metro line with another, riding on the back of a motocycle or having a crazy trip at the back of a tuk-tuk car. Sometimes I'm so exhausted I don't even have the memory of seeing/doing something and I'm surprised when I see my photos later and my memories are start getting back to me. 

 In my job as a flight attendant I often feel like I travel in time, jumping between time zones. Cities. Countries. Continents. This dynamic life has definitely changed me and made me more and more greedy for new places, new experiences. 

I did my second flight to Shanghai in September and I didn't have any particular plan for the city. During my first visit I tried to fit (as usual) as much as I can: Shanghai museum of art, Yuyuan garden and market, walk along The bund (this is the waterfront area in downtown) and enjoying a bird's-eye view of the city from Oriental Pearl TV Tower. 

My second visit I did only one thing: night life. Two of my colleagues brought me to the fancy Bar Rouge in downtown with a splendid view towards the bund. Coctails, shots, beers... I was surprised to see how good the night life can be here. That place was a mix of Asian people and expats who know how to have fun. 

It was so good that we decided to continue and  moved to another place - Fusion nightclub. Lots of drinks and smashing music. 

I also had the chance to try the food here (ok, I'm not a big fan of the Chinese cuisine so we visited a Japanese restaurant) which was something that I didn't have time to do during my first visit because I was too focused to see more places. 

So first reason to go somewhere more than once is that you already don't care too much about the sightseeing and this will let you find the simple pleasures that you can truly enjoy. 

You already have a slightly idea about the place you're going but you never thought what else can you do. Partying 'till 4am in Shanghai? I definitely haven't thought about that. And I definitely had much more fun than my first visit. 

I had another impressive layover this month in Perth. Since that was my 4th flight to this city I consider myself as something as an expert here ;) Many of my colleagues often even ask me for tips ;) 

I've done most of the walks in the city,  including Cottesloe beach, Fremantle and exploring the local breweries. I did the tour in the prison,  checked the markets, etc. ( more info you can find here; unfortunatelly dear English speakers this article is written in Bulgarian).

This time I had on my flight a colleague of mine which I hadn't seen for a long time so we had a lots of things to share. It turned out that even the bar in the hotel lobby which I usually avoid could be incredibly funny place when you're with the right people.

Next day, a little bit hangovered me and my friend took the train to Fremantle. Of course I couldn't miss the chance to visit my favourite Little Creatures Brewery, having a wonderful lunch there (non alcoholic drinks this time fellows, I was having a flight the same night back to Dubai) :)

Our biggest discovery this day was "Kakula Sister" - amazing organic shop on the main street in Fremantle. Being not in a hurry at all, we spent enough time (and money) seeing new ingredients, spices, seeds... A whole new world of the healthy lifestyle has revealed its secrets to me. I've never been a fan of the healthy way of life not because I don't admire it but just because it's not something I consider too essential for me. But the place itself and the way the products are arranged is fascinating:

Speaking of charm I can't skip the moment when I found out a nice small bookstore where you can have a blind date with...

a book :)

Again I decided to enjoy my time and wander between the shelves with books wrapped in an old paper with no title but just key words which well help you to find your beloved book.

 I think I found mine after a detailed research but I haven't opened it yet. When the time comes I will let you know what I'm reading. For now all that I know is that my book is pioneering, it's about mountaineers, it's about climbs that have made history. 

To buy a book without being 100% sure what you're buying has the same element of surprise like buying a box of expensive asorti chocolates so you don't know what you will have at the end. Exactly like one of my favourite quotes from Forest Gump:

"Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."

This quote  actually reflects my second reason to repeat a certain destination: because life is so amazing and so diverse and people are so different so you can always discover new things even if you think hat you already know everything. 

My story continues with another flight. I landed in Dubai early in the morning only to jump on another plane to Muscat, Oman. This time I'm going on my own, not for work but for pleasure. If you want to know more about my first visit to Oman (unfortunatelly again written only in Bulgarian, check this link:)

I had only 3 days here but I have some friends from my first trip so I meet them. We decided to make a short camp trip for one day to Jebel Shams, a place that I'm visiting for the first time. During my first visit I had the chance to see Jebel Akhdar, which is also part of Al Hajar Mountains range but that was the end of my trip so I didn't have a chance to camp there. This time I had the chance to be closer to the nature and enjoy it to the fullest. How close I was? 

That much close :)

Contemplating the last sunbeams who magically disappear somewhere behind those huge chocolate summits, sleeping in a tent, making your dinner on a campfire that you had to set up is something that truly makes you feel close to the nature. 

One of the reasons I love camping so much is that you put much efforts for basic things that usually you take for granted. This photo sums it up all :)

The next day I visited the Grand canyon of Jebel Shams - massive cliffs that will make you feel so small and insignificant and at the same time so powerful and full with energy. 

My last day before my flight back to Dubai,I was strolling around the small stalls of Muttrah souq trying to bargain with the locals and buy some gifts for my family. I already knew the place because I had been there but I found the joy of being somewhere I feel kind of "I know my shit, you're not going to rip me off this time". 

Did it work? Well... not exactly because I was alone and being a european girl with a backpack alone in a country such as Oman it's not going to work in your favor. Still, I think I was doing well. At least my smile and my sad face when they give me high price always works in this situations ;)

I came back to Dubai only for a day before my last flight for September: Lisbon.
I haven't been brave enough to write an article for this amazing city but to me Lisbon is one of the best places to be. It has always been hard to answer the question about my favourite destinations because the more you travel the less you get attached to places.

But if there is any place in the world that really touched my heart this must be Lisbon. And every time when I'm here as part of my cabin crew job and it's time to leave the city I want to scream out of sadness and anger that the time is never enough here. I think a whole life is not enough to witness this unlimited beauty: amazing bars, wine shops, small streets with unique atmosphere, breathtaking uphill views.
The taste of Sangria. The Bacalhau (salted codfish) that melts in your mouth. A warm bag  full with the famous Portugeese pastry, pastéis de nata and you will find yourself fallen in love with life again. It's so easy and pleasant to get lost here and you don't want to be found.I want to stay lost in Lisbon. Forever. And even if I have the chance to visit it 20 times I will do it again and I would never feel tired, I would never be bored here because some cities can't fit in any travelling list. They would just steal a part of your heart and they will stay there forever :)