Jet Setter: Reflections on 2012

As I sit here thinking about my plans and resolutions for 2013 I can't help but be humbled by the opportunities that were presented to me in 2012. It has been such an amazing year. A year that will be hard to beat.

I am a home-body who loves to travel and in 2012, travel I did!

Recap of my trips:

January - Ben, Heath and I traveled to America's Mart in Atlanta, GA and literally walked our legs off. Best part of the trip? Dinner at abattoire.

April - Roadtrip! Ben, Heath and I hit the road again, traveling through 9 states, at a total of around 2,200 miles. We drove through the night to Boston, visited the Harvard campus at Cambridge and then headed up to Concord, NH for the day. From Concord we headed to New York City where we visited Central Park, the 911 Memorial, Times Square, Grand Central Station and the New York City Public Library (the library walk is awesome!)

 

Central Park

The View From Our Suite at The Waldorf Astoria

(To this day I have NO IDEA how we lucked up and got that suite!)

May - I grew up with St. Augustine, FL being 'home away from home.' The major plus to having a house down there is the fact that we don't have cable or internet hooked up. You can TRULY unplug and get away... and I love that! This year I got to share my little sanctuary with Cameron and his Momma. I showed them around 'my town,' took them to my favorite restaurant (the Saltwater Cowboy) and shared with them the serenity of the Anastasia State Park Beach (one of my all time favorite places to de-stress).

Anastasia State Park

(Alone for Miles!)

Dinner in Downtown St. Augustine. If you haven't been to the 'Old City' it's a trip you really need to plan!

July - I moved into the SAE House on the University of Kentucky's Campus for a week to compete for the title of Miss Kentucky. Amazing friends and even better memories resulted from that week. 

August - I checked off one of my bucket-list goals by flying out to Phoenix, AZ for a week to visit family, spending the weekend in Sedona, AZ and taking a road trip to the Grand Canyon.

South Rim of the Grand Canyon

Bucket List: Visit the Grand Canyon

September - Ben, Heath and I headed to Columbus, OH for the Country Living Fair. I love getting to visit with our partners.

October - Last Minute trip to Boston? Why Not? When friends of ours decided to host an American-made pop up market, we booked a flight! Ben, Heath and I had a blast meeting new friends at American Field, exploring Quincy Market and walking the Freedom Trail. 

Then, it was off to Atlanta for Country Living Fair again. Again, with so many of our partners being vendors at Country Living Fair... I love going just to visit with them! 

November - It has become a tradition in Cameron's family to have Thanksgiving in Gatlinburg, TN. We camp out, go to the Dixie Stampede and head into the Smokies to visit the aquarium (of course stopping for breakfast at FlapJacks). 

Riding the Carousel at Bass Pro with my Sweet Nephew

December - Cameron and I headed to Chicago, IL for the One of A Kind Market. An amazing experience, I found so many great American small businesses. A true testament to the fact that American ingenuity is alive and well. While in Chicago we also visited the Theater District, saw the Christmas windows at Macy's and (like the tourists we are) we made it a point to visit Millenium Park and get our picture taken by 'the Bean.'

The Chicago Theater District

'The Bean'

It's been a busy year, but it's been an amazing year. I am really looking forward to what 2013 will bring. Where did 2012 take you? Where will 2013 lead?