Monday, December 31, 2012

2012 In Summary

As the year comes to an end, I typically like to look back on what I've accomplished and set goals for the upcoming year.  I encourage everyone to take some time and think about how 2012 went and what they'd like to see happen in the next year.  I believe in manifest destiny, all the way!

While I ponder my travels for 2013,  please enjoy this post on "2012 in Summary".

January started off the year with a cruise from Miami to the Bahamas.  I really like cruises and it's nice to escape winter with a little sun.  Two weeks later, I went to the southwest to drive from Phoenix to the Grand Canyon.  Phoenix was warm, but the elevation of the canyon meant lots of snow.  Fortunately, I had a day to get all my pictures in because while it was snowing, there was zero visibility!

February included another winter getaway back to Miami and the Florida Keys.  This was my visit trip to Key West and I really enjoyed the party atmosphere and key lime pie!

As it started to get warmer in Boston, I headed to the Midwest in March to visit Chicago on St. Patrick's Day.  The crowds were a little overwhelming and I didn't get to see too much of the parade, but I did eat some delicious popcorn at Garrett's and got some pictures of the green jello river.

Come April I made my yearly visit down to Washington D.C. for the Cherry Blossom festival!  Happy 100 Years of Cherry Blossoms!

Since my brother was getting married over the summer, May began the season of pre-wedding festivities including their bridal shower and family time over Memorial Day in Western Pennsylvania.  Only a few days later, I flew to the West Coast for a friend's wedding in San Francisco and exploration of wine country and the redwoods.  I definitely want to go back!

June was a little crazier than expected with two trips back to PA and a day trip down to Cape Cod.  I need to dedicate a full weekend on the cape in 2013.  It really is a nice place for a staycation. 

Wedding season continued in July with two wedding weekends back to back!  Fortunately, one of the two was nearby and I did not have to fly.

I was looking forward to August and the Maui trip all year!  It was very nice to get away and see somewhere new, but it was surreal to travel that far and still be in the same country.  There was so much fun jam packed into one week that it is hard for me to summarize it all.  It's probably better to just read the post yourself. :)

September in Minnesota was an enjoyable, but quick trip.  Because this was more of a visiting friends type of weekend, I didn't get a chance to really explore the area.

If you can't tell by now, a lot of my trips are dictated by friends having weddings and babies.  I guess everyone hits this point in their life and 2012 was definitely it for me!  October's trips took me back to PA for a baby shower as well as down to Baltimore for a wedding.  Unfortunately bad weather sent me back home pretty quickly and I didn't get a chance to explore Baltimore.

November was a month for me as I traded in my typical family Thanksgiving for a trip to Ireland.  The Emerald Isle was cold and windy, but full of pubs and cheerful personalities.

I rounded out the year with a final trip to PA in December to spend Christmas with my family.  That's a lot of traveling in one year!

Looking ahead, 2013 already looks promising.  My first trip of the new year will be to Quebec City for a night in the Ice Hotel (Hotel de Glace).  From there, I plan to trade in the cold weather for some sun as I head down south in February to San Antonio..  In March, I will be up in the Arctic Circle to view the Aurora Borealis from Iceland.  I'm still planning for April and the rest of the year, but my last pre-planned adventure is at the end of May to trek on the Inca trail in Peru in hopes of seeing the lost city of Macchu Picchu. 

Needless to say, I can't wait for 2013!  Happy New Year everyone!

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