Happy Birthday!

Another year has gone by. This hardly seems like a topic worth mentioning on a travel blog... yet here I am. Why? WHY?! Because I'm 25!

If you ask my brother, he'll tell you "this is nothing to write home about." It's merely a marker on the side of the road indicating I'm half way to 30... which is basically 40... which is over-the-hill. Great. (Thanks, Andy.) 

If that's all true & it really is all downhill from here on out then at least I'll be cruising down that hill... in a RENTAL CAR! That's right. The only notable thing about surviving a quarter of a century on this planet are keys to a recently-vacuumed, recently-new-car-smell-sprayed, semi-spacious sedan.  Say good-bye to daily underage fees and hello to the open road. Now, my journeys know no limits. They have no bounds... just as long as I fill up the gas tank before returning my temporary travel companion and heading home.  

So, Happy Birthday to me! Hello, 25. I'm looking forward to the opportunities and adventures you have in store.

Every journey begins with... packing socks & underwear.

The little things are often easy to forget.. & I'm pretty sure everyone forgets one (or both) of these items when packing for a trip at some point in their life. With a HUGE vacation coming up for our fam{dam}ily I have to remind myself about the importance of the little things.

I have to take a break from studying, stressing, and more studying to breathe & be thankful for the journey I'm already on :) I've been looking so forward to this semester being over, for summer to come, and for our trip to begin... that I've missed out on some great things happening around me.  I've been blessed to be a part of a high-ranking graduate program, meet incredible people, and learn a lot about myself in the process. So, despite the stress of everything that is due in the next two weeks (YIKES!)... I have to remember that it's all a part of the journey I'm on.

So, call it whatever you want. Attach whichever cliche you like (Stop and smell the roses," "Enjoy the little things in life," "Count your blessings, " etc.). Just don't forget to relish every moment of the journey.

This space represents a home away from home for our fam{dam}ily and will allow us to share the big & little adventures in our lives with each other, our friends, and family.  So, for as exciting or dull as it may be... thanks for starting this journey with us!