2022 Resolutions

Welp, it has been a weird, disappointing, exciting, and interesting year, but we made it and this house is happy and healthy, so I guess we're doing something right. Not everything is great, but we do what we can with what we have to work with. We welcomed a new baby to the family, while also saying goodbye to our furry little girl. We started to get back to normal, realized we couldn't, and now we're trying again. 

So, what do you think 2022 has in store for us? I don't love making resolutions, because they rarely turn out, but travel ones are usually pretty safe. Well, for me, it means more travel (I'm carrying that over from 2020), and getting back on a plane. In fact, I'll be on one in just a week, which is scary and exciting all at once. This last year we were able to squeeze in two short road trips, and if all goes as planned, this year will see me doing a few short trips and a few longer ones. 

I have tickets to Tucson in January, Las Vegas in February, we'll see about July, and we have tickets on a new airline (Play) to Paris in September. I'm hoping to get a few more quick trips in there somewhere, but we'll play those by ear. 

I'm going to continue doing our Destination Date Nights, even though these last few months saw me slacking. This season is always busy for me with birthdays and family things. These are what I had planned for the first half of last year, which I made pretty good progress on:

• New Orleans (Mardi Gras) ✓
• Norway ✓
• China (Chinese New Year) ✓
• Dublin (St. Patrick's Day) ✓
• Morocco ✓
• Scotland
• Spain ✓
• New York City
• Chicago ✓
• Iceland
• Mongolia ✓
• Tokyo ✓
• Sydney
• Moscow
• African safari (Kilimanjaro)
• Cuba

In 2021 we also got to:

• Malta
• Myanmar/Burma
• Amsterdam/Netherlands
• Thailand

Oops! I guess I didn't get to as many as I hoped. I tried! One a month was pretty good though. So, upcoming, we do have Australia. I've also sourced a new background company for ones I need to have customized, which will make these a little easier to get to:

• Iceland
• Moscow
• African safari
• Toronto (Canada Day)
• New York City
• Boston
• Prague
• Portugal
• Germany (Oktoberfest)
• Auckland

And we'll see where we go from there, unless you have some specific suggestions for me. 

Everyone on my friends list is vaccinated now and either boosted or will be boosted (or boosted again), so I'm hoping we'll also get to do in-person gatherings of more than a handful of us and we'll get back to Harry Potter parties and birthday blowouts and all those fun things. We both had pretty low-key birthdays this year, which was fine. We spent quality time with our loved ones. I'm hoping to do that and also party hard with friends this year.

So, here's what I know I'll also be looking forward to in the coming year, because I'm not trying to make any resolutions beyond travel ones:

• Learn French (I said I might do this last year, but I have an actual goal this year, so it's going to happen as best as it can.) We now have a lifetime subscription to Babbel now and I've been binging Emily In Paris on Netflix.
• I'll still be doing Zoom brunches with friends, but also a few in-person ones, too. 
• We'll be eating out more in restaurants that make it safe to do so. Portland has a running list of establishments that require a negative Covid test or vaccination proof to dine inside, and we've been making use of that.
• Keep striving to be as smart as possible and not get Covid! I will continue wearing my masks, washing/sanitizing my hands often, social distancing where I can with strangers, and enjoy outside things like street art and gardens.
• Being kind to strangers, because everyone's still having a rough go of it out there.

I'm looking forward to what 2022 has in store for us all. Here's to brighter days with more travel and more fun with friends...and more food that we don't have to cook ourselves or eat inside our own house.

What are your resolutions or hopes for the new year? Any travel plans?

Happy Holidays to You & Yours

I'm spending the holiday with my family, so I just thought I'd bring you a few pics of people out ice skating at our local mall and their decor.

Have a great weekend and you'll have a new post on Wed. My last post of 2021! I really can't believe it's already been another year. 

What are some of your hopes for 2022?

5 Last-Minute Holiday Travel Gifts

I can't believe this month is almost over. I have talked to a lot of people who still aren't done with their shopping. If this is you and you still can't figure out what to get for that traveler on your list, or you just got paid, so haven't been able to shop until now, I have some great last-minute ideas for you. They're also perfect if you're traveling to visit people and need to save room in your carry-on.

Airline miles

If you know what your recipient's favorite airline is, you can gift them miles to let them fly for free or more cheaply on their next trip. Right now, lots of airlines have deals going, like Alaska, who right now has 40-50% bonus miles on purchases, depending on the number of miles you buy. 

Southwest Airlines just has a straight-up buy or gift page, no special deals at the moment, but I know a lot of budget travelers who strictly fly them, so your money may go further. 

Language classes

Right now, you can give Babbel as a gift to someone at up to 60% off. They have online classes, tutorials, an app, and more, all included in a monthly subscription. Get a 6- or 12-month subscription for 50% off, or a lifetime subscription for 60% off. A lifetime, guys! They can learn 14 different languages, and if more are added in the future, they can learn those, too! We just booked a trip to Paris for September, so I might even get this for myself!

Go City attractions pass

Get them the gift of sightseeing and attractions for their next or favorite city with Go City. I've used their passes many times and they save so much money, but they also make amazing and thoughtful gifts. They can see and do more for your dollars than if activities were purchased separately. In fact, many times you can save up to 40% off by rolling it all into this one pass. Choose from 29 cities worldwide or get them a gift of London Pass, Paris Pass, or Dublin Pass. They may even get special discounts for other things in the city, like transportation and restaurants. I love it and so will they!

Staycation box

Gift the traveler in your life a subscription box to Try the World. They'll get a box full of gourmet foods, drinks and snacks from a country and learn all about the flavors of the destination. Each box also features recipe cards and stories, plus the products inside are all curated specially from small, family-owned companies who use traditional methods to give you (or your giftee) an authentic experience. 

Right now, your gift counts for double, because with any box you buy or gift, you'll get a second box free. As always, the more you purchase up front, the cheaper each box will end up being. Choose from 1-month, 3-month, 6-month or 12-month subscriptions. This deal is only for the food box, but if you're looking for a more frugal option, snack boxes are also available.

Experiences

I'm a big fan of experiences over stuff. It creates lasting memories and you can include everyone in them if you want. We've purchased experiences for our entire family to participate in before and it was a big hit. Check out daily deal sites like Groupon, Goldstar, and Living Social for things you can do or gift to others. I am also a big fan of city scavenger hunts. Check out Urban Adventure Quest for deals on small groups, couples, and big groups. You play on your phone, so it's super easy to follow along while you're out there, and it's Covid-friendly!

I hope this helps with your last-minute gift scramble. You can probably still get many things on my regular gift list in time for Christmas from Amazon. Have a wonderful holiday, and if you don't celebrate Christmas, or your holidays are already over, have a great weekend!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links that may result in me being monetarily compensated if you make purchases through them. Thanks in advance, as it allows me to keep this blog running.