To start off, I thought I'd talk about my travel plans for the year. I think this year is going to go down as the year of smaller trips. At the start of the year I was thinking/hoping I'd be able to plan a bigger trip to somewhere like Europe or Argentina, but due to a couple of different factors it makes more sense to take more smaller trips instead of one big trip. Here's what I've got planned for the year!
In September, I am going to Kamloops to visit Amber! Amber and I have seen each other every year since 2010 but aside from the time I hosted her in Minneapolis, all of our meet-ups have been in other cities. I've seen countless pictures of the area where she lives so I can't wait to see it with my own eyes! I'm excited to spend a long weekend with her and her husband. We're planning to run a trail race together and I'm sure we'll spend lots of time outdoors.
In October, I am going to Miami with my mom, sister, and sisters-in-law. My younger sister isn't able to join us due to her limited vacation time, which is a bummer, but she'll be there in spirit and hopefully she can come in 2017! We did our first girls trip in October of 2013 and are going to try to take a trip every 2 years. We selected Miami as the time share company my parents belong to has a location on South Beach and the price for the room was very reasonable. I've never been to Miami so I am excited to check out the area but mostly I'm excited to spend a long weekend with the girls in my family. None of us have been to Miami, though, so if anyone has suggestions on things to do/see, let me know!
I love that my travels will take me to a variety of places from the mountains to the oceans, to big cities and charming, historical areas. I also love that 4 out of 5 of these trips are to meet up with or visit URL turned IRL friends. I really can't imagine my life without the friendships I've formed through my blog. A lot of these trips are "girls trips" but I am glad that Phil will be joining me for 1-2 of them.
When I list it all out like this, it makes me realize how incredibly lucky I am that I get to go on all of these trips. They may seem "small" to me compared to some of the trips I've taken in the past but I know I'm lucky to be able to afford to go to this many places. But like Amber so eloquently said in her post about the cost of travel, traveling is a huge priority for me and I am willing to make sacrifices in other areas of my life (driving an older, paid off car, not eating out often, etc) in order to be able to afford to travel as much as I do.
Do you have any trips planned for the year? Is traveling a priority for you?
These all sound like so much fun! I'm currently deep into travel planning for the rest of the year so this is a topic that's at the front of my mind! We're headed to Asheville to visit my sister this summer, to Chicago in the fall for a wedding and maybe for the marathon again, and then I'm trying to convince D we should go to South America over Christmas. I have about 8 more months to work on him...
ReplyDeleteLisa, this is fabulous. I wish I hadn't switched to a new page to comment because I now can't remember the name of the place beginning with a K and ending with loo -- but I've never heard of it! Where is it -- the photos look beautiful. Oh, all the photos look beautiful and good to have the time and availability to travel.
ReplyDeleteMe? The lake is coming soon. Apart from that, I'm pretty content to stay put for awhile!
This is the hike I did while out in Boulder:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.summitpost.org/bear-peak/151499
I was only in CO for a short weekend and admittedly I take a few days to acclimatize to the elevation so this was a good one for me as the elevation isn't too crazy. We did it in about 5 hours, and it was a really nice hike. Views at the top were pretty amazing too. Drew and I keep talking about taking a trip to Colorado hopefully we do it soon!
The trips you have planned sound great! The only travel plans I have right now is the trip to Miami in October. After your Dad heals from his second ankle replacement in July, we will have to see if he is up to more walking and make some travel plans! We are way overdue!
ReplyDeleteHooray!! I am traveling quite a bit this year. Florida at the end of April, NYC in May, and then Chile/Peru in July!! I think the fall will be quiet, and I am so okay with that.
ReplyDeleteLots of fun trips for you! This year we are going to Florida, DC (with you!) and likely some place for Christmas. Otherwise just small trips planned, like this weekend for a father/daughter dance (very last minute!); a trip for a friend's wedding and that's it... I think! There is talk of a trip to Italy in March 2016 which I'm really amped about :) Plus D and I are hoping to take a "just us" trip this fall. Oh, and Seattle to visit my brother! Too many trips, not enough time or money :)
ReplyDeleteSo many fun trips planned! :) Aside from our upcoming Euro trip, I don't have anything else on the pipeline just yet.
ReplyDeleteOh, man, can I stow away with you to DC to see Becky and the baby?! Haha. That is going to be SUCH a fun trip!
ReplyDeleteThis year, I'll be taking a cruise in May, which is stopping in four new-to-me places (yay!) and I'm tentatively planning a trip to Asheville sometime in the fall. I have a friend (well, my soon-to-be roomie, actually!) whose parents own a vacation home in Asheville, so we're planning a trip, hopefully. Since the flight is cheap & we won't have to pay for a hotel, it'll be a very affordable vacation!
All these travel plans sound fantastic! Though I still think you should add Boston :)
ReplyDeleteI probably have some Miami ideas for you also!
My only trip planned for 2015 is to Seattle for a wedding- we are extending the trip and going to Portland too which I'm excited about!
We have a bunch of camping trips planned! 4 over the summer. We are very much a beach and relax type of vacationing couple so this is awesome. We will be visiting 2 great lakes and a new to us lake, so that's awesome too! None of my planned trips are out of state right now but I do have a weekend trip for a bachlorette party soon and we may go away for a night or so somewhere in MI. My parents and I also may take Isla to Ohio on a zoo/waterpark trip for her bday present. 2016 will hopefully be Savannah and possibly Charleston.
ReplyDeleteYou have so many great trips planned - and I'm SO pumped I'm one of them! And that I'll get to see you again in NJ in the fall!
ReplyDeleteYahoo I'm sooo excited to host you!! I've been thinking lots about all the awesome stuff we are going to do and you're so right, we will spend lots of time outside. Can't wait!!
ReplyDeleteWe are heading back to the Sunshine Coast for our anniversary in July which I'm SO excited about since we haven't been there since we got married!! We may make a trip to Seattle at some point this summer too and will be doing lots of mini camping/getaway weekends but no other big trips planned, sadly our 2015 trip is already behind us!
This post is right up my alley -- travel + lists = happiness! It sounds like you are going to have a lot of fun this year! I have not been to Miami, but I have been to Kamloops and the hiking in BC is awesome. You are going to love it!!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for our trip! I know I am slacking a bit on the planning, but I know it's going to all come together just fine! I am really looking forward to being outside all day in such a gorgeous area. Now we just have to narrow it down!!
We took our big trip in January, which was Mexico. In August we're going to Oregon for a friend's wedding and my 30th birthday, and then in December we're going to Hawaii with my family. We're also going to Madison for the Ironman but that's not really a trip....
ReplyDeleteAnd we're planning to go to Chicago and a weekend getaway somewhere in Minnesota, but we don't really know when or have any specifics... They're still ideas!
--Allison, withfaithandgrace.com
That's going to be a lot of fun! So jealous you get to go visit Amber in Kamloops. That is going to be a really neat trip. I'm scouring Kyria's race schedule now trying to pick one to run with her.
ReplyDeleteYou've got some really awesome travel plans! I love doing smaller trips and more of them too! Travel is definitely something my husband and I love to do as well!
ReplyDeleteLooks like you have a fantastic travel year ahead of you!! My heart breaks a little over not being able to go to Miami, but I will be coming home for probably Thanksgiving or Christmas, so that's a bonus!
ReplyDeleteI bet May will be an amazing time to be in Colorado! I am pining for a CO trip in the summer time.
Our travel list is kind of consolidated this year, because Ryan is starting grad school in May! (this is new news.) But we definitely have San Carlos in May, Hawaii in August, and home for a holiday!
Wow, you have a lot of trips planned for this year! Travel is definitely a priority for us. We are going to Vegas in July ... the other trips aren't planned yet, but there will definitely be some more :-)
ReplyDeleteLove this idea of a monthly post about this and what great trips in store for you! I didn't know that you had worked in Steamboat Springs and I can see why you loved it. I've only been once but was so charmed by it! My big trips this year will be the Tanzania trip in June/July and then hopefully Edmonton/Jasper/Banff in late August to September...which makes me ask...what weekend will you be visiting Amber?? Early September or later? Beyond those two big trips, I'm heading to Seattle again this weekend to kayak and forsee several more trips this spring/summer/fall to explore more areas within Oregon also. Oh and there's the potential of a trip to Peru for work but not sure that I'll be able to swing that option... Fun stuff ahead for both of us :)
ReplyDeleteYou def have some great trips planned. NJ looks so beautiful. Would be really great if you and Phil take the time and come see us for a weekend! Would be fun to host you both/ and/or get our girls wknd planned. For how long we have been friends would hate to see this tradition not continue.
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