Tag Archives: new years

2014: A Year in Review

It has been another year of amazing trips, new places I didn’t expect to see, and new places I didn’t expect to love.

There was an overall decrease in my travels. This is partly due to the ebb and flow of my work schedule. I took two big vacations in 2014 (Peru and Northern Asia), but far fewer smaller trips, especially to New York City.

My year in numbers:

  • 1: New states visited: Alabama.  I have now visited 38 states in the U.S.
  • 1: New continent visited (South America)
  • 4: Credit card applications (pretty dismal for me)
  • 5: New countries visited (Peru, China, Japan, Panama)
  • 6: Number of free Amtrak trips I received
  • 7: Countries visited (counting the U.S.)
  • 16: Number of states visited (counting DC)
  • 20,000: Number of Amtrak points redeemed
  • 11,418: Number of Amtrak points earned (4,051 fewer than 2014)
  • 15,000: Number of Amtrak points purchased
  • 27: Number of Amtrak trips I have taken (14 fewer than 2014)
  • 40: Number of flights (five fewer than 2014)
  • 39,676: Number of miles flown (17,890 miles fewer than 2014)
  • 657,560: The number of miles/points I’ve redeemed this year. This includes: One business class seat to Peru; one economy seat locally in Peru; one economy ticket from Peru to DC; six hotel nights in Peru; one business class seat from DC to Beijing; one economy seat from Shanghai to Osaka: one first class seat from Osaka to DC; four hotel nights in Beijing; four hotel nights in Shanghai; five hotel nights in Osaka; two hotel nights in Philadelphia; and four hotel nights in Mississippi.
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WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE: MY 2012 IN PICTURES

I’ve been waiting to post this week’s photo challenge until tonight for a reason. I thought it would be neat to compare New Year’s Eve 2011 with New Year’s Eve 2012. Last year we rang in the new year with fireworks in London. This year, we rang in 2013 with fireworks in Brussels.

London was huge. With so many people, we were at least a mile from the center of the fireworks, and I had to stand on my tip-toes to see anything. The fireworks were amazing, but a short ten minutes. Brussels, in contrast, is a small city. We got so close, my ears hurt from the pounding of the music and the fireworks. The fireworks also lasted much longer, at least 20 minutes. Unfortunately, it was raining so many of the pictures are smeared with rain drops. Both were incredible experiences and I can’t wait to plan our next New Years trip.

Fireworks London

London – January 1, 2012

Belgium - January 1, 2013

Brussels – January 1, 2013

Brussels - January 1, 2013

Brussels – January 1, 2013

 

 

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