Travel Destinations 2010

Denver!

Now that I’ve gotten my New Years Resolutions started (getting finances in order and starting a detox- I’m on Day 5)I’ve started thinking about my travel goals. Apparently, I’ve become a bit of  a joke amongst my Dutch classmates who are using their new language skills to ask why I’m always taking trips.  I think my answer is that travel allows me to balance out my 9-5 with something that fulfills my desire to constantly learn and see new things.

So, with only 13 vacations day, this is what I’m thinking for the year.

1. (Denver):  Okay, so this already happened (see last post). The object of this trip was to visit my close friend Elizabeth, but the rodeo on the side was certainly a good idea!
2. February: West Palm Beach, Florida: My former roommate is getting married before heading to Australia. So, I’m going for a long weekend. I just haven’t determined whether to spend time on the beach or take a nostalgic trip to Disney World.
3. Sometime in Spring: Helvetia, WV: Okay, this is probably one of my strangest goals. Helvetia is a town that was settled by the Swiss in 1869 and has very little outside influence. I discovered it on a Food show first (they were cooking a whole deer with bacon and butter inside), but I am drawn to this anomaly only five hours from me!
4. April, Jazz Fest, New Orleans: Yes, I went to New Orleans last year, but between having a good friend down there, being excited about seeing Simon and Garfunkel and Darius Rucker in one day, and being addicted to the
   

   Pat O'Brien's, New Orleans: A piano bar I'm definitely revisiting

   food down there, its likely I’ll go back.

5. July, Machu Pichu, Peru: Okay, you knew it was coming- my first foreign excursion of the year. My sister and I are planning to fly to Cuzco and then hike to Machu Pichu. I also have a priest classmate from Rome who lives near Cuzco, so we are looking forward to meeting up with him and seeing his parish. I’m looking forward to getting odd stares as the American and the Peruvian converse in Italian, but unless my Spanish rapidly improves that will probably be the common language.
6. Summer, Oregon: With Erik’s family to visit, we are hoping to head out there sometime during the summer. This trip I’d like to do more hiking and perhaps spend more time in Boise since thats where we fly into.
7. Fall Europe Trip? This one is still very open. Contemplating biking through Belgium and part of France—use a little of that Dutch we’ve been learning I suppose.

So thats where I’m at. Do you have any great travel suggestions? I’m always looking for day and weekend trips to make from D.C. In fact, I’ll be wandering off somewhere on this holiday Monday.  Also, if you’ve been to Peru, any travel tips would be great!

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