Traveling in 2012

It's no secret that I LOVE to travel. And, over the last couple years I've gotten the Mr. pretty hooked too (Turks & Caicos and Italy will do that to a person!). We love to take one big trip a year, and then sprinkle in some smaller trips - San Diego, road trips, lying on the beach in Kauai, etc - in between.

2011 took us (sometimes together and sometimes separate) to many interesting places: Mexico and Chile (for work), Vancouver BC, Lake Chelan, St. Louis, San Diego (twice), Port Townsend, Kauai, and Italy. Phew!

Now I'm looking at a wide-open 2012 and wondering where we should go next. I love to have a big trip on the horizon so that we can start planning (and saving!) with plenty of time. But I'm not sure where! Luckily, I came across the New York Times' list of 45 Places to Go in 2012. Head over to their website for the full descriptions, but here's a list of all 45. I've commented on places I've already been (to make me feel accomplished!) and noted those that I'm dying to visit. Places I've visited are in italics, dream destinations are in bold.

1. Panama - yes please! Central America is my fave part of the world.
2. Helsinki, Finland
3. Myanmar - my brother got to visit, and I'm jealous!
4. London - check! One of my favorite cities.
5. Oakland, California - check!
6. Tokyo, Japan - check! Well, I've been to Japan, but not Tokyo.
7. Tanzania - big check! Going on a safari was a big dream, accomplished in 2003.
8. Chilean Patagonia
9. Lhasa, Tibet
10. Havana, Cuba - check! I'm eternally grateful to Semester at Sea for getting to visit Cuba.
11. Moscow
12. Glasgow
13. Puebla, Mexico
14. San Diego - major check. Lived there for 4 years.
15. Halong Bay, Vietnam - semi-check. Been to Vietnam, but not Halong Bay. I've heard it's beautiful.
16. Florence, Italy - check. Love.
17. St. Vincent
18. Moganshan, China
19. Birmingham, England
20. Space
21. Kerala, India - semi-check, again.
22. Paraty, Brazil - semi-check.
23. Koh Rong, Cambodia - I would love a trip to Cambodia. Southeast Asia is amazing.
24. Vienna
25. Chattanooga, Tennesee
26. Dakhla, Morocco - Oh, Morocco, you've been calling me for years.
27. Maldives - this is my rich-person fantasy.
28. Malacca, Malaysia
29. The Algarve, Portugal
30. Lake Tahoe - check
31. Wales
32. Antarctica
33. Uganda
34. Ukraine
35. Samana Peninsula, Dominican Republic - unspoiled beaches and sunny weather? Count me in.
36. Dubrovnik, Croatia - TOP of my list! Can I super-bold this?
37. Chiloe Island, Chile
38. Jordan
39. Crans-Montana, Switzerland
40. Montpellier, France
41. Nosara, Costa Rica - been to CR, not Nosara
42. South Korea
43. Lodz, Poland
44. Dalarna, Sweden
45. Portovenere, Italy

What locations are on the top of your list?

A New Year's Resolution

Sigh. I'm not really a huge proponent of New Year's resolutions, but this year I'm making one that will hopefully be productive and not impossible--updating my blogs more regularly.

It's been since August that I've posted on this blog. I have plenty of things to write about, I just get carried away with regular life-- holidays, getting my business off the ground, catching up with friends and family, and traveling for the Mr.'s crazy work schedule.

My other blog (shameless plug: vividcity.blogspot.com) is painfully in need of some attention as well.

I'm not going to set a specific goal, like blogging 3 times a week, but instead, I'm just going to push myself to blog whenever I feel inspired.

What do you think about resolutions? Did you make any?

Guilt

It's just me and the Mr. in our big ol' house. Yet somehow, the house gets disastrously dirty, including more dust than you've ever seen. Between my husband working long hours (sometimes out of town), and me working the last weeks of my 9-to-5er and getting my freelance business up and running before and after work and on the weekends, there is no time to clean the house. 

I finally hired a house cleaner to come and clean our house, and today was her first day. She did an amazing job, and our house is cleaner than it was when it was brand new. For some reason, I felt incredibly guilty about spending our money on getting our house cleaned--it seemed like an upper-crust, spoiled thing to do--not to mention the fact that I am incredibly frugal; why pay someone to do something I could do myself?

But, the thing about it is that now I am more relaxed than I have been in weeks. My house is cleaner than I ever could have gotten it, so I have time focus on more important things--taking my puppy for a long walk, making good dinner, getting ready for friends to come into town, and getting caught up on some freelance projects. I think that makes it all worth it.