Since starting this blog in 2015, I’ve looked back a few times at my favorite travel moments of the summer (for 2016 and 2017) and of the year (for 2015 and 2016). But I’ve yet to do a look back at my overall travels – until now!
If I had to describe this year for me when it comes to travel, words like incredible, invigorating, humbling, gratifying and just flat-out amazing come to mind. I went to five new countries and revisited a few others, all while holding down my full-time job. Not too shabby for a lady working in corporate America who also has a never-ending desire to see the world. I also realized that I went somewhere every single month this year. Sometimes I stayed close and sometimes I traveled far, but I managed to squeeze in an adventure somewhere every month in 2017! So why not share it on this blog?
Here’s a rundown of my 2017 travels:
January: South Florida
I started off the year in South Florida with my family, and it was a nice and relaxing way to enter the year. In fact, I spent New Year's Day doing yoga with more than 1,500 people. It was a wonderful (and very zen) start to 2017!
February: Vermont
A long time ago, maybe about 15 years ago, I skied for the first time in Denver and then didn't ski for a very long time after that. In recent years, I've started up again, and my February trip to Vermont was one of my favorite ski trips. The weather was perfection, the snow was sparkling and the air was bright and crisp.
March: South Florida, Cuba
In March I headed back to South Florida to see my family, do some work and have a weekend getaway in Miami. And then I hopped on a flight to a place I didn't think I would visit anytime soon: Cuba! Cuba was so much more than I thought it would be, and I am SO glad I got to go.
April: Philadelphia
April was a fairly quiet travel month for me, but I still managed to do a quick getaway to one of my favorite U.S. cities, Philadelphia, to visit one of my oldest friends (along with another one of my oldest friends!). It was a great weekend of catching up, laughter, wine, a bit of sightseeing and much more.
May: South Florida, Bali, Japan
In May, my travel game went up a notch. I first returned to South Florida for work and to celebrate Mother's Day with my family. A few days later, I traveled roughly 24 hours through Taiwan to Bali, Indonesia, another place I did not think I would visit when I did. I then followed Bali up with Japan because why not?
June: Japan, Hong Kong, Savannah
My trip to Japan spilled into June with visits to Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. After Japan, I ended my Asian adventure with a quick stopover in one of my favorite cities, Hong Kong. This was without a double one of my most incredible trips. And then, not long after returning, I flew to Savannah for the beautiful wedding of one of my closest friends.
July: Canada
Over the fourth of July, I showed my patriotic feelings by heading to...Canada. Heh. Actually, it's my favorite time to visit Montreal (another favorite city!), and this time I tacked on a trip to Quebec's Eastern Townships, which was an idyllic and relaxing escape from the excitement of Montreal and its jazz festival.
August: Hamptons
I spent much of August staying in New York City, with the exception of a fun weekend getaway to the Hamptons, where I satisfied my lobster roll craving, ate at the pop-up of the world's best restaurant, came across a strange but eerily satisfying sculpture of Barack Obama and helped my sister buy some lamps. Success!
September: United Kingdom, Santorini
September is my favorite time of year to travel, and this past September was no exception. I had a European adventure that included catching up with friends in London (another favorite city), attending another friend's beautiful wedding in Santorini, Greece, returning to London just as hints of fall started to appear and meeting colleagues in Brighton. It was an overall fabulous trip.
October: Chile, Argentina
Less than two weeks after returning to New York from London, I was off again, this time to a new continent! My first visit to South America started with exploring Santiago, Valparaiso, Casablanca Valley, Torres del Paine and Cajon del Maipo in Chile followed by a few fun days in Argentina at Perito Moreno Glacier and in Buenos Aires. It was an incredible introduction to a new continent.
November: South Florida
In November, I returned to South Florida again (side note: I had no idea I spent so much time in South Florida until writing this blog post!). This trip included another fun weekend getaway in Miami (including sunrise yoga on the beach) followed by Thanksgiving with family.
December: South Florida, Jamaica
And guess what? It's back to South Florida I go for a few fun days of working and sunshine before heading to Jamaica with the family for the holidays, island-style
Coming soon: I’m sharing my favorite travel moments of 2017. Stay tuned!
Where did you travel this year?
