2018: Year in Review

Wait, but where did this year actually go?

Time has a funny way of simultaneously passing at a rapid rate and dragging on forever.

Indeed, I had every intention of writing and sharing this post several days ago, but life got in the way and the days simply kept fading. But here we are on this final day of a very polarizing year, at the time when we’re supposed to be creating new resolutions for the year ahead. And I’m a firm believer that one must first look back in their rearview mirror before moving forward.

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So let’s take a walk down memory lane, how does that sound? Today I’ll be sharing a look back at my travels in 2018, perform a follow-up on my goals for the year, and 2018’s most-read posts.

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Travels of 2018

Out-of-state places visited this year: Washington, D.C. | Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Wheeling, West Virginia (for an animal encounter) | Puerto Vallarta, Mexico | St. Louis, Missouri | Mexico City, Mexico | The Netherlands (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Delft, and Den Haag) | Belgium (Ghent, Antwerp, Brussels, and Bruges) | Luxembourg City, Luxembourg | Denver, Colorado | Asheville, North Carolina.

I continue to be amazed at just how far we managed to go over the course of twelve short months, particularly on our modest incomes and limited travel time-frames. Michael and I added many more out-of-state cities to our “have-traveled” list and only revisited one old one (Washington, D.C.). It’s tough to pick a favorite trip, but I think I’ve mostly narrowed it down to two. My birthday trip to Pittsburgh for an animal encounter at the Oglebay Zoo was truly a trip of a lifetime. To be able to interact on such a close level with my two favorite animals was a dream come true, and to experience that with my favorite person on the planet was a bonus! Our trip to Mexico City is the one I find myself referencing and daydreaming about returning the most; it was a place I’d wanted to visit for so long, and it still managed to surpass my sky-high expectations. The art and food (okay, and Lucha) were nearly enough to make me want to stay permanently, but it’s really the people who captured my heart. Don’t be too surprised if you see us return sooner rather than later.

And, obviously, if there’s a top of the list, there’s a bottom of the list, too. Luxembourg City put me off a tad from the start with confusing transit and a slightly seedy feeling after dark. Brussels also could be a bit uncomfortable after dark, though we probably were more aware and cautious after hearing a few first-hand stories.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, travel is never perfect. It’s almost always exhausting and frustrating and I’d be lying if I said there were never moments where I questioned our decisions to leave our safe, comfortable home. But each day we find ourselves out in the world, I find myself just a bit closer to humanity as a whole. It’s difficult for me to imagine a lifetime without exploring.

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Follow-Up on 2018’s Resolutions

To be honest, I haven’t looked back at my 2018 Resolutions post since I hit “publish,” but I had put so much thought and consideration into each item that I can say I consciously worked on each throughout the year (though to varying degrees of success). Here were my goals for the year, and a brief update on each:

Going Green

(specifically: less plastic, more organic/seasonal food, greener products, less food waste)

This is a category I put a huge emphasis on at the beginning of 2018 but found my commitment slip as life picked up speed toward the end of the year. However, some of the habits we started last January continued throughout the year, like using reusable facial rounds instead of cotton balls and seeking out glass and metal alternatives to plastic when those items came to the end of their life. We’re averaging about a bag of trash each week, which is much less than in previous years, and are making increased efforts to get creative to avoid food waste. We also joined a CSA during the last quarter of the year and greatly benefitted from having convenient, nutrient-rich seasonal, organic produce each week (though I may never want to look at a radish again). Though I’m not where I want to be, I’m proud of the progress I’ve made in reducing my environmental footprint.

Life and Living

(i.e.: retirement savings, less-frequent shopping with fewer impulse buys, and more self-care)

This one was tougher than I expected. I got my first goal out of the way near the start of the year and opened a Roth IRA after doing some research and determining it is my preferred option at this stage of my life. I’m contributing about 10% of my take-home pay each month, though I’ll be nowhere near maxing out for the year (however part of that is due to contributing toward 2017 in the first few months of this year). Overall I think my shopping has been reined in a bit more than the previous year, but I notice periods of increased purchasing occur when stress creeps in. My biggest struggle, though, was meeting my self-care needs. I intended to visit a massage therapist once per quarter, but in reality, I only went twice. I feel it’s essential for my body to function as it needs to, but I struggle with the financial portion (i.e., “I could spend $75 for this hour massage, or it could be put toward the cost of a flight). This is one area I really hope to focus on in 2019.

Travel

(that is: exploring home, taking an adventure vacation, and practicing the languages of each country we visit)

I only made one quantitative goal for the year, and I’m so proud we met it because it’s not something that comes naturally to us. Our goal for 2018 was to visit one place in our home state per month, and we did. Throughout the year, we explored Orlando, Tallahassee, Kennedy Space Center, St. Augustine, St. Petersburg, Destin, the Petanque Tournament at Amelia Island, Miami Beach, Weeki Wachee, Ichetucknee, Jacksonville, and Mount Dora.

By forcing ourselves to travel within driving distance, we had the opportunity to play tourist in places we might not have considered before. Some of these trips also satisfied my goal to take an adventure vacation, and we managed to do a fair amount of outdoorsy activities, like SUP-Boarding (Destin and Weeki Wachee), surfing (Jacksonville), jet-skiing (Puerto Vallarta), cycling (Amsterdam), and skiing (Asheville). I enjoyed weaving a little adventure into our city breaks, but I would really like to spend a full adventure-fueled weekend somewhere.

The accomplishment level of my last travel goal for the year was pretty mediocre as our international trips were planned so quickly. But, as soon as we booked our trips I immediately began playing the audio of YouTube videos in my car during my commute to learn basic words and phrases. Visiting Mexico twice within one year was also incredibly helpful, as we were both more at ease in Spanish the second time around.

Blogging

(such as: continuing to add photography, getting ahead on posts, and trying to network and grow )

I’ll just go ahead and give myself a solid C here. We’ve made vast improvements to our photography this year, and I’m really proud of the fact that we take all photos ourselves and don’t use stock imagery or hire an outside professional. It is a lot of work, unfortunately, and it eats into time that could be spent researching or writing, but I think it’s worth it to have content that is entirely unique and our own. Because of the time component, I’m rarely able to get ahead on posts, and almost all are written in real-time (in fact, I’m currently racing the clock). I work best under the pressure of a deadline, but I worry I’ll eventually resent the added stress. This area definitely still needs work. Finally, my last blogging goal of the year was to network and grow. My relationships in the blogging community haven’t grown broadly over the past year, but I’m glad to say they’ve grown deeply. I can’t wait to keep forging these connections in the coming year.

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Ten Most-Read Posts of 2018

1. Home Page | Too obvious to not share!

2. 36 Hours in Dallas/Fort Worth | This weekend getaway at the beginning of the year has garnered lots of hits, and I dare say, it was a fun and unique trip (and I’m honestly not sure how we managed on so little sleep!).

3. Cuyana Leather Travel Case Set Review | I love it when my passion for travel and interest in ethical fashion collide. My makeup and toiletry bags from this post in February are still going strong.

4. Winter 10×10 Preview | My final 10×10 Challenge feels almost a lifetime away, and I was a bit surprised to see it so high on this list!

5. Updated Away Carry-On Review | This post has increased in traction since the start of the holiday season (did you receive one under the tree this year?!).

6. Updated Global Entry Review | I never thought Global Entry/TSA Precheck was for me ($100? I can put that toward a flight!), but enrolling in this program has made our time spent in airports infinitely better.

7. How to Pack the Away Carry On | It makes sense that if you own this bag, you’d want to know how to pack it! Here’s my take on packing.

8. Nashville, Tennessee Packing List | This post was published last year, but there seems to be a surge in Nashville tourism (and people who want to know what to pack).

9. Dallas/Fort Worth Packing List | My packing list posts are always fun for me to write (except maybe my Europe one, which was a doozy!), and this one was a tad unique as everything had to be carried in my under-the-seat personal item.

10. 7 Things We’ve Sacrificed for Travel | This was a surprising find for me, as my posts veer away from essays and personal pieces and more toward practical tips for the person who’s made up their mind that they want to go somewhere. The realist in me is happy that people are considering both the pros and cons of travel.

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I hope 2018 exceeded your every expectation. Happy New Year to you, whether or not you’ve already crossed into 2019! We’ll see you tomorrow for a look ahead.