Who Am I?

I'm Shannon, a sweet-toothed travel lover from Brighton, England.

For as long as I can remember I have been fascinated by travel. As a child, I used to pore over my children's atlas, picking out places that I would like to visit one day. I was also an avid reader and I would get completely obsessed with places I had read about in books. 

I grew up mostly holidaying in England, besides a few trips to France. These trips to visit my great-aunt were particularly special as she spoke French and had a house in the Basque Country that we were able to stay in. My interest in foreign languages probably stems from these trips and the fact that my parents always made an effort to speak French. I remember going up to an ice cream van on my own to ask for an ice cream in French when I was about 8 years old. No surprise that I went on to study French at university. 

My first long-haul trip (and first time on a plane) was to New York City when I was 16. I am by no means the first person to fall head over heels in love with the city as soon as I saw its iconic skyline, but I didn't expect to feel so completely at home in the canyon-like streets and American diners. I knew I wanted more of that feeling and after a second trip to New York a year later, I vowed to make travel a priority as I got older. 

For my year abroad at university, I taught English in a secondary school in the tiny village of Ecommoy, near Le Mans. During the 7 months I was there I well and truly caught the travel bug and I met some wonderful people who became lifelong friends and travel buddies. My travels with them in France, Luxembourg, Italy and Greece were some of the most fun trips I've ever been on. Although at times I found living abroad incredibly challenging, it was also the most rewarding thing I had ever done and I loved having the chance to get to know a place properly.

While at university, I was fortunate enough to spend two summer holidays in Japan: sightseeing in Tokyo and travelling further afield to Kyoto, Hiroshima, Shirakawago and Takayama. Japan was like nothing I had experienced before and while there was definitely some culture shock at first, I soon became infatuated with pretty much everything Japan had to offer...apart from the food! I really don't like any seafood and I have yet to be won over by miso soup, wasabi or the pungent fermented soy bean snack that is natto.

Despite being slightly underwhelmed by Japanese cuisine, less than a year after graduating, I moved to Japan with my boyfriend, Richard. I taught English in primary schools in Tokyo and Richard, who is bilingual, ended up becoming a salaryman for a Japanese company. We both worked incredibly hard during the three years that we lived there, but we also made some amazing friends and found time to have some unforgettable experiences - we climbed Mt Fuji, we were featured in an All Nippon Airways TV ad, we made our own beer, attended a traditional Japanese wedding, picnicked under sakura trees, had a tea ceremony lesson and developed a love for karaoke. 

Homesickness eventually called us back to England and we spent four years living in Lewes, East Sussex. After catching up with friends and family, we took an extended trip, first to Vietnam, Hong Kong and Cambodia and then to Croatia. We enjoyed making the most of being back in Europe with short trips to Porto, Vienna, Bratislava, Brussels, Bruges (where we got engaged!), Amsterdam, Iceland, Norway, Italy, Ghent and Paris. We also managed some trips further afield to New York, Atlanta, Nashville and back to Japan for a much-needed catch up with friends. 

Why Dessert Highway?

I have always had a sweet tooth and try as I might I can never say no to dessert. Discovering new flavours is one of the best things about travel and I always particularly look forward to trying local sweet treats. I can't think of a trip in which desserts didn't feature heavily - cinnamon buns and skyr in Iceland, pastries in Paris, pastel de nata in Porto, uniquely flavoured gelato in Lucca, sachertorte in Vienna - the list goes on. 

My passion for both travel and desserts isn't going anywhere so I decided to combine the two for this blog.

what's my travel style?

I pretty much enjoy any kind of trip, whether it be a city break, remote countryside escape or a road trip. From glacier hiking in Iceland to tasting port in Porto, I love using travel as an excuse to experience new things and if there's a delicious dessert to try afterwards, all the better!

While most well-known sights around the world are famous for a reason and I wouldn't avoid them, I like to also find lesser known places when I can. Japan, in particular, is a country where a bit of exploring can reveal sleepy towns barely touched by international tourism, hidden shrines and spectacular scenery.

Our trip to Vietnam made me realise the importance of responsible tourism, and I know make sure to choose only ethical tour companies and try to shop in local independent shops as much as possible. With international travel becoming more and more accessible, it is up to all of us to make sure that we only have a positive impact on the places we visit.

going remote

In February 2019, we left our lives in the UK behind. We both felt it was time for a change and after turning 30 and getting married last year, it seemed like the perfect time. Although it was a daunting step to take, we are really enjoying the freedom of working remotely while travelling. We don't know where this adventure will take us - maybe we'll fall in love with somewhere we visit and choose to settle there or maybe we'll stay on the road for years. Either way, we're excited to find out! 

the blog

I love every aspect of travel - the anticipation and excitement of planning a trip, the euphoria of being somewhere new and the joy of telling people all about it when I get home. You can check out where I've been on my destinations page, read stories from my travels in my posts and steal my itinerary for help with your own travel planning. I hope that this blog reflects the wonder of travel, with a healthy dose of desserts thrown in. 

Have a question, comment or just want to say hello? Feel free to contact me, I would love to hear from you. You can also follow me on Pinterest and Instagram.