Last updated on February 15th, 2019 at 05:25 am
Now that the holidays are finally starting to slow down a little, it’s time to start thinking about the upcoming year!
However, it wouldn’t be right to look ahead without reflecting on the amazing things that I’ve done in 2017.
This year, I have embarked on some incredible journeys. I have graduated college, gotten my first full-time job, realized that adulthood is not all it’s cracked up to be (surprise).
But beyond that, I have traveled more than I have any other year of my life. For this, I am incredibly thankful and it is one of the things that most excites me for 2018.
Let’s Journey Back…
I started this year with absolutely no travel plans except maybe the yearly trip to the beach. In mid-January, I booked a trip to Paris with two of my best friends and Luke.
This trip opened my eyes to travel. I had been to Paris before, but something about going with people I love and being able to explore anything I want made it so much better. That freedom was addictive.
That’s why, when Luke and I returned from Paris, we were all set to book our next trip.
Since we had done the hustle and bustle of Paris, we were looking for more of a tropical hide-away for the next trip. This, along with impulsive decision-making and cheap flights, brought us to Belize six months later.
In Between Time
It was a long six months waiting for the next trip, filled with the insanity of graduation, working, and the implementation of hiking Fridays with Luke and Kona.
I also went ATVing for the first time this year, something I definitely want to try again!
Visiting Belize
Belize was fantastic in a completely different way from Paris. While France is very heavily developed and busy, Placencia, Belize was calm, quiet, and underdeveloped in areas. Seeing the way the locals lived was astonishing compared to my nine-to-five, 365 days a year, life in America.
And the snorkeling was amazing (I need to add Scuba Diving to my bucket list for this year as well)!
Weekend Travel
The next couple of months flew by, with the Cider Fest, hiking to see beautiful fall colors, and trying as many speakeasies in my home town as possible. In the meantime, I was counting the days to my next trip.
In September, I was officially hired on as a full-time employee and was faced with the desperate reality that I would have to earn my vacation time. Oh the horror!
This led me to the realization that weekend travel was the way to go, so I could make up my time and attempt to save as much vacation time as possible.
I spent one weekend in November in Chicago – exploring and eating really good food.
Two weeks later, I was in Seattle!
With all this excitement, the holidays came out of nowhere.
So What’s Next?
I have many great hopes for this year. With my focus on weekend travel, I have a lot of options to explore.
Here’s my top picks (no guarantees though!):
- Austin, Texas
- New York City, New York
- Charleston, South Carolina
- Portland, Oregon
- Arches National Park OR Zion National Park, Utah
- Antelope Canyon OR Horseshoe Bend, Arizona
- Camping in Colorado
Finally, I absolutely intend to take a longer trip, possibly in September of 2018. I am hoping to explore Europe more by train or car. I am not sure exactly where, because I will go wherever the cheaper flights are, but here’s some places I’m considering:
- Spain, Portugal, and/or Italy
- The Balkans (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and/or Slovenia)
- Eastern Europe (Czech Republic, Hungary, and/or Austria)
With so many places yet to explore, I can’t wait to see what 2018 brings! What is on your bucket list for 2018? Anything I should add to my list?
