Can you believe it’s been one year since I wrote my first post here? It’s been a year filled with travel, adventure, laughs and most of all, with community. I have been lucky enough to become online friends with genuinely inspiring people from all over the world – yes, I’m talking about you. You have offered me tantalizing glimpses of the places you live in and have travelled to, and sparked my desire to see more of this amazing planet we all share. I don’t know what the coming year will bring, but if it’s anything like this past year, I cannot wait!
A few moments from the last year that stand out for me are:
1. A close encounter with a cloaked horseman in Sleepy Hollow
2. Seeing Volcán de Fuego erupt at night (and failing to get even one decent photo)
3. Re-visiting one of my favourite places in Ireland on Christmas Eve
4. Nearly being crushed by plummeting trees in a New York park
5. My trip to Ferryland
I wanted to do something fun to celebrate the first anniversary of “Where’s my backpack?” and thought a photo-inspired game might fit the bill. So without further ado, I give you my “Where in the World” challenge. I’m posting four photos and all you have to do is tell me where you think they were taken. Add your best guess as a comment, and get it in by October 30th. The first person to guess all four locations correctly will get a little gift from me. I’ll announce the winner (and reveal the locations) during the first week of November.
Get your best guesses in by October 30th, and thank you so much for making this first year such a great one. Here’s to a fun-filled second year!
xxx Ailsa
Where's my backpack? 
Really some beautiful shots… 🙂
Happy anniversary… 😉
Thanks ledrakenoir 🙂
Ailsa you are full of wonderful inspiration. It’s been a fantastic adventure with you this past year. I look forward to more. I couldn’t even begin to guess where your Where in the World photos were taken but I’m going to give it a go:
1. Hawaii
2. Death Valley, USA
3. Amsterdam
4. Black Sand Beach, California
How’d I do?
Ahh, Jennifer, I can’t tell you which ones you got right or wrong because it might give others an unfair advantage! I’ve really enjoyed your blog over the past year and am looking forward to sharing many more stories! 🙂
That’s ok, I’ve buckets of patience! 😉
Congrats! Beautiful photos, as always. Thanks for the inspiration week after week.
And thank you for joining in each week! xxx
Happy Anniversary!
Thanks Livvy! 🙂
Great photos! I’ve really no idea either, but I’ll have a guess:
1. Volcan du Fuego, Guatemala
2. Badlands, North Dakota
3. River Liffey, Dublin
4. Hawaii
Good guesses, Ali 🙂
Happy Anniversary Ailsa! You wrote some great posts in your first year, am glad I found your blog and will keep reading for the second year and after… 🙂
Yaay, I’m very happy to hear it, thank you too 🙂 xxx Ailsa
One whole year, Ailsa? Congratulations on a stunning achievement! Thinking cap required to answer Where in the World?
Yaay, get thinking Wanderlust, and thank you for sharing so many wonderful posts this year! xxx
Your Travel Theme idea was a great innovation – it’s been fun 🙂
Congrats on your first anniversary, Ailsa. It’s been an eventful year for sure. Loved every one of your posts. I still have a few months to go.
I can’t believe it’s gone so quickly, ad. So glad we’ve become blogging buddies 🙂
Me too. 🙂
Congratulations on your anniversary!
Thanks, drunken cyclist – wine and bikes make a heady combination – be careful out there. Glad to have found your site 🙂
Sadly, I don’t travel much so I haven’t a clue, but good luck with your challenge, have a fabulous second year, and thank YOU for all you’ve shared. It’s been fun.
Happy Anniversary. 🙂 G
Yaay, thanks Gemma, for all the laughs you’ve given me this year! xxx
i know where that first one is located, but i will let the others incubate!
z
Haha, attagirl Z 🙂
Beautiful photos and what an inspiring blog!
Aww, thank you for that, I really appreciate you taking the time to stop by and comment! xxx
Great pictures! And I would love to go to Ireland too and Iceland..and Venice and Barcelona and yes..where not haha.
Thanks for your inspiration!
http://www.dipitblack.wordpress.com
So many places to see, so little time 🙂 Thank you for joining in the fun, dipitblack! xxx
Happy one-year anniversary! Oddly, my one-year marker is tomorrow. I simultaneously feel like this year flew by, and that I lived about five years worth of life in that period!
Ooh, happy blogiversary, Meghan, I know what you mean, it feels like forever and no time simultaneously!
Congrats on your anniversary! Great idea of how to celebrate. You have good choices of the pictures for us to guess, because they are difficult ones! Thanks!
Thanks, friendlytm, I tried not to choose ones that were too obvious, but also not too unidentifiable. Glad you like the idea 🙂
Congrats & all the very best for the ride ahead 🙂
Yaay, thanks Kavi! 🙂
Congratulations! Needless to say, we are looking forward to even greater things from you in the next year! 🙂
Haha, no pressure there then, Vlad? Thanks for being there almost every step of the way! xxx Ailsa
Aniversário feliz, as the people here say “Happy anniversary”. Just wanted to say thanks for your Travel Themes I’ve had great fun with them.
Hurrah, thanks so much for the well wishes, and for joining in with the travel themes, Gerty! 🙂
I have no doubt about the second shot, but I won’t give it away… not a clue as to the rest, other than general guesses. Happy anniversary.
Ah, yes, Gunta – if you’ve ever seen the area, that second shot is instantly recognizable. 😉
Congrats!
(and off to spot the travel locations)
Yaay, happy hunting, phil 🙂
Congrats on your one year! Your pictures are fantastic, I love them.
Thanks so much, Trinity River, it’s been a really fun ride so far! 🙂
hi, i think i am one of your newer online acquaintance, and i am so excited to move along with everyone as we share our moments through our captioned photos in answer to your weekly challenges. thank you for welcoming me into the fold. and, of course, congratulations on your first year! — April
Very glad you’re on board, April, here’s to a cracking second year! xxx
Congratulations to your first year and I can’t wait for the coming year in your world.
There is only one shot I feel sure about and that’s #3 – Dublin
Good luck to all your others.
Thanks viveka, so glad we found each other in the blogosphere, thank you for joining in each week! xxx Ailsa
Hi, Happy Anniversary! Thank you for visiting my blog. I love to travel, to write about travel, and to travel vicariously through others. Thanks for sharing your adventures!
Thanks, Shelley O, glad you stopped by to say hello and join in the anniversary fun! xxx Ailsa
Congrats on your anniversary, Ailsa! I enjoy reading all of your posts and love your amazing photos. Thanks for the weekly travel theme!
Yaay, it’s beginning to feel like a proper party here, Amy, with all these well wishes. So glad we met, here’s to many more travel themes in the future!
Those pictures are incredible!
Yaay, thanks so much, hopeforheather, I’m glad you like them. 🙂 xxx Ailsa
Ailsa, I will tour the world through your photos. These pictures are absolutely breathtaking.
Take care,
Ivon
Hi Ivon, very happy to have found your blog, and to make your acquaintance! 🙂
Happy one year old! Woo, it goes by fast, doesn’t it? These shots are beautiful! I don’t know them, but I want to go wherever the last one is taken at. Awesome!!
Thanks Angelia, yes, it’s zipped by, but at the same time I can’t quite remember what life was like before Where’s my backpack? 🙂
A year – that’s great, congrats! Excellent! Thanks for sharing your travels & photos & thoughts, and…for visiting me, too. Interesting places above – where, I don’t know, but I imagine we’ll find out soon.
So glad to have found you in the blogosphere, bluebrightly, looking forward to sharing many online adventures!
Congrats on your first anniversary! I’m not sure where they are, but oh boy do I want to visit that last one!
Thanks, wanderoneday, yes, that last place was stunning. I’ll be revealing the locations the first week of November when everyone is done guessing 🙂
Congratulations, Ailsa. 🙂 Thank you for bringing us to the places you visited through your beautiful photos.
And thanks for coming along on the journey with me, Imelda – the fun is in the sharing of the adventures!
My first visit to your blog is a year in, guess I’ll have to play catch up! 😉
Yaay, well you picked the perfect day, Jess – the start of a brand new year – welcome aboard! 🙂
Congratulations Ailsa! I have so enjoyed being around for part of that journey 🙂
Now let me hazard some guesses:
1. Volcan du Fuego, Guatemala
2. Badlands, North Dakota
3. River Liffey, Dublin
4. Black Sand Beach, California
Oooh, Madhu, very good guesses indeed. I am so happy we’ve become online pals, hopefully one day our paths will cross in person! xxx
very nice shots…I love the first and third one… excellent angles, nice views!
Hurrah, I’m very glad you found my site, NYBOD, thank you so much for the compliment. xxx Ailsa
Where in the world? .. There are many worlds, aren’t there??.. I thank you for make attention for this site .. I do hope I am allright by sending this ?? http://linksbook.wordpress.com/2012/10/02/weekly-travel-themes-copenhagens-streets/ anyway it is a joy to read your blog and I follow it each day to see if you have something new I like *hugs*
Hi Mariane, so glad you are joining in this week – it doesn’t look like the above link is working, it might not have published correctly. Check your dashboard and see if it still showing as unpublished! When you do find it – make sure you put the following link in it: https://wheresmybackpack.com/2012/09/28/travel-theme-foliage/ so that it will show up in the comments under this week’s challenge 🙂 Ailsa
Ok.. I wasn’t sure of what to do though .. and I looked in my draft – nothing .. I guess I am too fast to remove.. I have changed the link under my name so hopefully this help?
Perfect, Mariane – and if you look closely, there’s actually a little bit of foliage in your last photo! 🙂
by the way.. .hehe.. I really love all your photos for today.. I just wish I was there and feel it!!
Haha, thanks Mariane 🙂
I love the first shot of what seems to be a volcano or mountain. Gorgeous. Congratulations on 1 year of sharing beautiful photographs and experiences. Looking forward to more travel themes.
Yaay, thanks Sam, and I’m looking forward to seeing more of your excellent posts too! xxx Ailsa
My sense of geography has always been horrible! Not a good sign for a future traveller haha. Anyway, happy anniversary! That’s awesome! One year is a great accomplishment! Keep it up 🙂
Hee hee, just make sure you bring a compass and a map! Thanks so much for stopping by, really glad you found me, looking forward to getting to know you in the coming year! xxx Ailsa
Happy Anniversary! They all look beautiful. The rocky cliffs look like the Badlands or by Bryce Canyon in Utah. The cityscape with canal looks like along the Rhine River in Germany or Thames in England. The top Costa Rica or Belize. The bottom picture looks like Hawaii. Happy Anniversary again.
Excellent guesses, canoe & communications, and thank you for the anniversary wishes, it feels a little like my birthday 🙂
Congratulations on your first year.
Thanks so much, exiledprospero – love the name, by the way! 🙂 Ailsa
well, congrats on the blogday, and many more to ya! I’ve only been a Blogovia resident since April, so I’ve got a ways to go. And I have no idea where all these beautiful pictures were taken, but I sure enjoyed looking at them!
Thanks LubbyGirl, well you landed in the right spot to start out your residency in Blogovia, so many great people joining in the travel themes each week! 🙂
Congratulations on your blog anniversary!
…and beautiful photos!
Thanks so much, Fergiemoto 🙂
Amazing pictures, all of them! 🙂
Thanks, Ionna, I’ve been lucky enough to see some pretty incredible places recently. xxx Ailsa
Happy Anniversary! I’m one of your more recent readers, and hoping that I make it to the one year mark too.
You will for sure, Denise, you’re an integral part of one of the best blogging communities there is here on Where’s my backpack? 🙂
Great blog title!
Thahks, hitandrun!
Hi, Thanks for liking my recent piece. And well done for blogging for a year, happy birthday! And I hope you have another event filled year of backpacking. Regarding the photos I think I only know two of them: Lake Atilan and Dublin!
Thanks Steve, really enjoyed your post! xxx (and good guesses)
Gorgeous photos, thanks for sharing!
Thanks! 🙂
Not sure where they are, but they all look beautiful! (ps thanks for the visit)
And thanks for stopping by here too, frenchfry36, love the name!
OK here are my guesses:
1) PAMUKKALE – TURKEY
2) SANQINGSHAN – CHINA
3) SUQATRA ISLAND – YEMEN
4) My backyard.
OK obviously I do not have a clue, but wonderful photos in any case!
Haha, awesome, I want your backyard view! 🙂
Congratulations I hope you celebrated your past year’s adventures by having a piece of cake. I just recently discovered your site and enjoying.
Sweet, I love cake! So glad you are along for the adventure, Mary 🙂