Today I am thankful for the friends who have opened their homes to me this year.
I have done a lot of traveling this year - certainly more traveling than I have ever done any other year and luckily many of those trips were to visit some URL turned IRL friends.
It started in June when I went to Raleigh to visit John, his wife, and their two daughters. I was in the boot for this trip, but I still got to see quite a bit of Raleigh. I think my favorite part of this weekend was the afternoon we spent at a local coffee shop chatting away. I really hope I can visit them again while I still live in North Carolina!
In July, I visited Becky and Ben in the DC area. I was still in the boot during this trip, so we had to take it a little easier than we might have otherwise, which wasn't the worst thing as it gave us lots of time to relax and just enjoy each other's company. While I was there, we went to Mandy's step-sister-in-law's home for a delicious dinner. Some of my favorite moments from this trip were visiting the yarn store that Becky loves, seeing Arlington National Cemetery, the dinner with Mandy's family, and a post-dinner dance/sing-off to a Macklemore song!
In August, I visited Alli in NYC, and once again - I was STILL in that stupid boot. But we made the most of my visit to NYC. Alli planned out an awesome itinerary and I came back loving NYC even more than I did when I arrived. Some of my favorite moments from this trip were the Tenement Museum Tour, walking the High Line, eating delicious/inexpensive Indian food at the Smorgasbord outdoor food market, and relaxing on a park bench in Riverside Park. Unfortunately we did not get any pictures together but I will be SURE to get one when I visit her a month from today for her birthday weekend!!
In September, I visited Mandy and finally got to see her town that is nestled into the Ohio River Valley. And for once, I was NOT in the boot for a trip! Woo hoo! Mandy planned out an awesome itinerary with the perfect balance of seeing the sights of her area + relaxing. Some of my favorite moments from this trip were the blogger meet-up she coordinated in Pittsburgh with Erin & Marisa, checking out the views of Pittsburgh from the incline, drinking a delicious pumpkin chai latte at Mandy's favorite local coffee shop, and the low country boil + rib dinner her family made. Marisa isn't in this photo, but hopefully our paths will cross in the future - maybe in Chicago!
Besides these trips home, I also had friends and family in Minneapolis open up their homes to me during my trips home in August, September, and October.
Yay! I'm starting my thankful series soon too!
ReplyDeleteYou have had some fabulous trips this year - and still a few more to go!!!
Happy Friday friend!
Yay I'm glad I made the list! And next time we WILL get a photo together!
ReplyDeleteNow THAT is something to be grateful for -- terrific hospitality by wonderful friends!
ReplyDeleteLove all the photos + trips you've had this year (the fun ones, of course). One my most favorite things about blogging is all the friends we've met along the way and how there is almost always someone who will host you in each city! So fun.
ReplyDeleteI love this! Any time you feel a need for country music or BBQ, just let me know and Nashville will be ready to welcome you :)
ReplyDeleteYou really have had a great year of trips- I hope 2014 trip includes Boston :) Ha ha. Though I may have an extra challenge in showing you around!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe you've done this for 6 years too. How long had you been blogging when I started reading your blog? I think I started blogging and reading blogs in 2009.
What a wonderful thing to be thankful for to kick off your annual series!! I'm so glad you had so many people open their homes to you this summer, especially when you needed to get out of Charlotte so much!! Looking forward to the next 9 posts :)
ReplyDeleteYou have had some great trips to see friends this year! My door is always open if you ever want to see the mountains and Calgary :)
ReplyDeleteYou really do get around! You also came and saw me, although technically that was last year... I love that you make time to actually connect with people, both online and in person. You are so good at that! I tend to shirk it; when I went to DC, I did not meet up with anyone, although I know a ton of people there. It was just too much, trying to plan with everyone, especially when I was traveling with other people and there were their plans to consider!
ReplyDeleteIt's so nice to be able to stay ina house when you are traveling!
ReplyDeleteI always have friends living in cities I love to visit, but never seem to find time to visit them all. So I'm loving that you did, and it's been a little way to escape Charlotte these past few months. And if you ever feel like visiting Louisiana you're more than welcome here!
ReplyDeleteAwesome! I think it's so cool the friends you've met through blogging. You've gotten to see some neat areas of the country along with the friendships you've made! I'm glad you at least have some coastal friends to hold you through this difficult time!
ReplyDeleteThis is SUCH a good first giving thanks post. You have travelled a lot! Internet friends can often turn out to be very best friends I find!!
ReplyDeleteThis post is such a good reminder of how amazing blogging is. The majority of these trips wouldn't have happened if not for blogging! That's so amazing. :) It's great you've made such solid friendships that these friends are happy to open their homes to you! Definitely something to be thankful for.
ReplyDeleteJust reading "NYC" makes me yearn for a vacation there. I miss it so much!
ReplyDeleteYou have a lot of good friends and other people that are very thankful for you too! what a blessing.
ReplyDeleteYou've done a really good job of filling your time during a year when you'd like to be anywhere but Charlotte!
ReplyDeleteI'm grateful that I have awesome friends who want to come and visit me!
ReplyDeleteYou have had such a fantastic few months of making memories! You have done a great job of taking a situation that is so not easy and finding a way to be happy!
ReplyDeleteIt's so wonderful that you have friends in so many places :) It's definitely something to be thankful for!
ReplyDeletexo