2017 Travel Goals
Another year in the books... crazy right? The holidays came and went so fast! I spent Christmas at home in Bloomington with the hubs and my younger sister Madeline. There was lots of cooking (shrimp & grits a la Tupelo Honey Cafe) and a Harry Potter/Star Wars movie marathon. Pretty perfect if you ask me. The day after Mad and I met our mom in New York city to see Beautiful on Broadway and do some shopping, more on that later. You should know though that Beautiful was incredible; go see it ASAP if you can! It's been a whirlwind of a break but it's been wonderful to take a break from work and spend some time with family. I'm currently sitting at my desk at home, soaking up my last day of vacation doing some trip planning (plotting) and goal setting for the year.
2017 Travel Goals
Pack Light (er)
Like I mentioned before, I went to New York for a few days on a girls trip. I packed an insane amount of clothes. I packed a rolling duffel bag to the brim with like 12 outfits 3 jackets, and two pairs of shoes. INSANE. I tallied up what I actually wore: 4 outfits, 2 pairs of boots, and 2 jackets. Next time I fly by plane, I'm going to do my damnedest to get everything in a carryon bag. I'm thinking of upgrading my luggage to see if the smaller size will keep my overpacking in check. I love the hard top carryon from Away (with USB charger); it is the perfect size and supposedly indestructible. Not sure if packing light on a road trip is in the cards though... way to easy to throw in last minute items in the back seat. I really need to study the ways of Alex from Travel Fashion Girl. She's a packing pro.
Explore more of Indiana
Some people think of the Midwest as flyover country but there are a lot of cool towns to explore and people to meet. I've lived in Indiana for a few years now and so far only really explored Indianapolis (which is awesome btw). This year I'm planning on checking out New Harmony, home to The Roofless Church among other architectural gems, Madison, a historic town known for antiquing, and mid-century modern mecca, Columbus.
Go Camping More Often
I really do like camping. Remember my 5 camping essentials post? I'd like to take advantage of our proximity to the Great Lakes and venture north in the summer months to do some camping. Being able to camp not in blistering heat is appealing, and it just looks so freaking gorgeous. Ryan led a snowshoeing class in Manistee National Forest in Michigan a few years ago and his photos were breathtaking, so much snow! I'd love to see it that area when it is lush and green in the summertime.
Go on a Yoga Retreat
I'm a big fan of yoga. I started practicing yoga regularly when I attended graduate school several years ago. It's an incredible way to decompress not to mention make you stronger. I read about yoga retreats all the time and I think 2017 is the year for me to try one. I've had my eye on the Free People Escapes - yoga/fitness retreats to destinations like Palm Springs, Sonoma, and Nicaragua all curated by Free People (swoon). I also discovered Y7 Yoga Studio in New York recently via their Instagram account. They're the first hip-hop yoga studio in the country and their sessions are categorized as "the best sweat drippin, beat bumpin hour of your life." Sounds fun right? I can't make the retreat they have coming up in Costa Rica but it looks like a blast. Hopefully they'll do a few more this year.
Where are you headed in 2017? Happy New Year!
