On the Horizon

Every time I make any sort of travel booking, the subsequent confirmation email is flagged and then moved to a Travel folder.  When the trip is finished, I'll un-flag those emails leaving them only in the Travel folder in case I want to check back for reference.  It makes for easy access to all future travel plans.  As 2013 was coming to an end, I clicked over to my Flagged folder to find it nearly empty.  We had a fantastic year of travel in 2013 and while our list of 'places to visit' is always growing, we hadn't put anything into action for 2014.

This year presents some obstacles in terms of travel planning.  Our contracts in any given country are always written 'up to 3 years.'  We were in Gabon for 2 years and when we left, it was because we were ready to go and pursue other opportunities.  We're coming up to 2 years in Stavanger this July and while we aren't anxious to be on the move quite yet, the company might have other plans.  This is one of the hazards of our chosen lifestyle - not necessarily having control over when and where we move.  In any case, our bags aren't packed yet but we also don't have a real guarantee as to how long we'll be here.  We're working off a 3 month schedule as we know Joe's company re-evaluates things quarterly which currently keeps us here pretty definitively until March.  This makes long-term travel planning a little difficult.  

While I like to think we're staying pretty relaxed about the whole situation, it is a bit of a bummer when it comes to bringing travel plans to fruition.  We really can't book anything too far in advance as we could potentially be living on another continent when the trip finally comes around.  But, I'm determined to make the most of the time we do have as it really brings a whole new meaning to 'not knowing what's around the corner.'

Our first trip to Mexico in 2005

Now, Mexico probably wouldn't have been on our travel list in 2014 being that we've already been twice and there are sun destinations much closer and much cheaper while living in Europe but Joe's one and only sister is getting married so we're crossing the Atlantic for the big event.  Joe's entire family will be there so it'll be great to catch up with them and my parents will be at their timeshare up the road so I'll also get to spend some time with them as well.

This was probably the easiest trip we've 'planned' in awhile being that the resort and time was already chosen for us and let's be honest, this trip is more about sun, sand, family & unlimited sugary, slushy beverages than it is about travel.

{Photo Courtesy of Liz Denfeld}

Amsterdam is one of those cities (similar to London) that we didn't go to great efforts to organize a trip to as it seemed like we'd eventually make it there someday.  We often touch down at Schiphol but we have never set foot in the actual city.  A few weeks ago, I was perusing flights and happened to stumble across a great deal for a weekend round trip and we jumped on it.  We're both quite excited to finally walk alongside those canals and check out this iconic European city.

{Photo Courtesy of Liz Denfeld}

I visited Italy for the first time when I was sixteen.  I was with a group of friends and while the trip was certainly a catalyst for future travels, my memories seem to centre around bizarre toilets, Italian men and their catcalls, the ability to consume alcohol legally, shopping at Mango and a plate of fried eggplant that commenced a decade long deterrence to the vegetable.  It is definitely time to revisit this country without my egocentric teenage goggles.

We're taking advantage of some of the public holidays this Spring and will spend 12 days in Italy which seems like a lifetime when we've become so used to jetting off for long weekends.  We'll be visiting Venice, Florence, the Amalfi Coast and Naples for the hopefully perfect combination of city sightseeing and relaxation.

This pretty much brings us to the end of our safe zone - actually, a little outside of the safe zone but we're banking on things taking time even if we do get moving orders.  As for the rest of the year, I've got a pretty cool trip penciled in for my birthday weekend in June and a lengthy list of other European destinations but all of that will have to wait just a little longer.

What do you have on the horizon for 2014?