2012 Reflections

As 2012 is coming to an end a lot of us are looking back on our year and thinking about what we are going to achieve or do different in 2013.

My 2012 has been a fantastic year.  It has been full of laughter, hard work, heartbreak, and happiness.  By far it has been the most exciting travel year of my life.

• January - Listening to a lecture about the RMS Atlantic - largest civilian Maritime disaster in history (bigger than Titanic) 
• February - Seeing the amazing Sutton Foster in "Anything Goes" on Broadway in NYC
• March - Jeep riding in Sedona, AZ with great friends
• April - 2 weeks in England
• May - 3weeks (combined) Switzerland, Italy, Istanbul, Canada
• June - Work and family in Texas
• July - Making new friends and seeing old friends in California
• August - Family, Friends, BBQ, and Jetski on Lake Erie; Two weeks falling in love with the mountains (and steak) of Montana
• September - Learning there is nothing good to eat in Columbus, GA but there are some great places to run
• October - Baltimore Relay with the LM Lunch Run Crew;  Halloween at The Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood
• November - Ragnar Relay in Las Vegas; Thanksgiving with fantastic friends in Chicago
• December - My brother graduating from his Masters program; A festive Christmas celebration like I've never experienced before.

More than travel and what I've seen, its what 2012 has taught me

• The value of sleeping in my own bed is better than a free week  in a 5 star luxury hotel.  Don't get me wrong I love a nicely appointed hotel room as much as the next person, but when you've been on the road for weeks at a time, being able to be home, if only for one night, can recharge you.

• Having my dog greet me at the door can bring a weary traveler to happy tears.  There is nothing that says "Welcome Home" than a happy dog, with a waggly tail to greet you at the door.

• I miss my life.  This didn't actually hit me until mid-December.  I've been working from home on internal corporate projects and it was during this time home it hit me "I don't live here anymore".  Sure I pay mortgage, have a bed, roommate, pets, etc, but I don't have a life anymore.  I realized, I missed a lot of mid-week birthday celebrations, dinners with friends, and races because 36 hours on a weekend home is enough time to catch up on laundry, buy dog/cat food, and re-pack for the next trip, but not much of anything else.

• Living out of a suitcase taught me what I REALLY need.  Living for weeks out of a suitcase makes it so made it so much easier to declutter my house.  Cleaning out closets and drawers is not the chore it used to be because I've learned what I really need and what is just taking up space.

Still, 2012 has been one of those years that I will look back on with a smile.  So many great memories have been made.  I'm not sure what 2013 will bring but I'm ready, so bring it on!!

Travel Tips For Women

Some tips I've picked up from others and some tips I've had to learn the hard way.

Packing

•  Luggage tag - Clearly label your luggage with your name and address.  If possible use your work address or a PO Box instead of your home address.  You should also have a luggage tag that is unique so you can identify find your black suitcase among the other hundreds of black suitcases.  I have 3 tags on my bag, 1 that tells my airline status, 1 for my address, and this one for uniqueness 

• Makeup Kit - I have duplicate makeup kits, one for home and one that never leaves my suitcase.  The contents of both makeup bags are identical and its one less thing I have to remember.

• Power Cords - Like my makeup kit, I have doubles of all my power cords that never leave my suitcase.  I even have a second cord for my laptop that stays in my laptop bag.  If I'm working from home I simply take my laptop out and plug it into the cord I keep at home.

Hotel

• Room Keys - Always get 2 keys for your hotel room.  There is no reason to announce to the entire lobby that you are staying alone.

• Check-in - When you check in, ask that they just point to your room number instead of announcing it to everyone in listening distance.  Most hotels do this, but I learned this tip from the couple of hotels that didn't.  Nothing like the hotel clerk saying loudly in a crowded lobby "Here you go Ms. Smith, here is your one key, you are in room 316"

• Rewards Club - Even if you don't travel weekly, you should still sign up for your favorite hotel rewards.  The points do add up, but its really the perks that I like, late check-out, guaranteed room reservations, snacks, etc...

Fun on the Road

• Postcard - A tradition I started with my family when I travel is, no matter where I go, I always send a postcard home and it has to be postmarked from the place I'm visiting.  Usually the first I do when I get off the plane is hit the gift shop and buy a postcard then mail it from the hotel (they  can meter it).

• Explore - Don't be one of those travelers that only sees the hotel lobby and client sites.  Go out and explore the town.  Even small towns have something to see.  Ask the hotel clerk/concierge what to see.  Most of my travel is in the US, so my personal tour guide is 1,000 Places to See Before You Die by Patricia Schultz