Happy New Year!
Another year and a whole lot of traveling and never enough time to get all of my posts up. Some might call me a procrastinator, but I call myself more of a perfectionist with a little OCD who often finds herself stuck in the middle of everyday life trying to find ways to write about her travels.
Anyway… as we wrap up 2015, I thought I’d take a look back at where I had the chance to travel to this year:
Rochester, New York: While I would never call Rochester the cultural mecca of the United States, it’s where my sister and my nieces and nephew live. I made my way back to Rochester twice in 2015, in January and April, and hope to make this a more regular occurrence. If you’ve ever wanted to experience the cold of winter, this is the place to go.
New Zealand and Australia: My most anticipated and exciting adventure of 2015 was my trip to New Zealand. Mr. TSG and I flew from Boston to San Francisco on United and then onto Auckland and then Sydney with Air New Zealand. We spent a few days in Sydney where I got to climb up Sydney Harbour Bridge before embarking on the Celebrity Solstice for a wonderful cruise from Sydney. From there we went to Tasmania where I saw the most adorable koalas, kangaroos, wombats, and more and then we made our way around New Zealand, ending in Auckland where I jumped off the SkyTower. Those posts are still yet to come so stay tuned!
Weekend at Mohegan Sun: While not terribly far away from Boston, it’s always fun to get away for a weekend of fun at a casino and that’s what we did in May.
Memorial Day Weekend in NH: Having never been to Pack Monadnock, I decided to embark on a weekend of hiking in nearby New Hampshire and loved every minute of it. I loved how this was brand new to me and yet so incredibly close. I definitely need to do more staycations in the future.
Danube River Cruise: Sometimes last minute plans turn out to be the best and I enjoyed a last minute trip to Germany in June where I set off on my first river cruise with my friend Karla on Viking River Cruises. We explored Germany, Austria, and Budapest and I can’t wait to do it all over again.
Las Vegas: Hedonism at its best still thrives in Vegas and Mr. TSG and I headed there for a few days of fun over the fourth of July. There was great food, cocktails, and gambling among other things. Did I mention it was hot?
Denver, CO: A few weeks later I was on my way to Denver for my first ever trip full of more great food, drinks, and oh the coffee – it was so good. I wanted to dive into that cup of cafe con leche.
Amsterdam: How lucky was I that I had a chance to meet up with my good friend, Danielle (Cruise Miss) in Amsterdam? Those few days we spent together was filled with fun, great conversations, and more fun. We had so much fun that we’re planning a trip together in 2016.
Solo Europe Trip: After departing Amsterdam, I headed off on a once in a lifetime trip through Europe where I stopped in Stockholm, Prague, Florence, Madrid, London, and Haworth, home of Emily Bronte, my all time favorite writer. More of my adventures in Europe still to come.
Iceland and the Northern Lights: After numerous times heading out unsuccessfully to view the Northern Lights in Iceland, my wish was fulfilled in November and it was quite a show.
Sedona, Arizona: Looking to get away for some quiet time to write, I headed off to Sedona for an amazing introspective travel getaway and it definitely fulfilled everything I needed for my last trip of the year. I ended the year feeling more centered, focused, and motivated than I have in some time.
My wish for 2016 is that it is filled with happiness, love, light, and travel and not just for me, but for everyone. Happy New Year from Travel Shop Girl!