Scotland, here we come!

So my friend and I have been planning a trip for awhile, and we finally booked our tickets...I'm soooooo excited!!!

We are going to the UK for two weeks, to celebrate Hogmanay in Scotland, and finish up in one of my favorite cities, London!

A lot of people question why we would go to the UK in the middle of winter, but honestly, I'm not a beach person. I'd much rather cozy up in warm pubs with a pint and hearty meal.

We have an awesome itinerary planned, with trips to places i've been dreaming of visiting forever, like the Isle of Skye and the Cotswolds. We're going to stay in a haunted hotel, see a show in London, have tea, day trips to Bath and St. Andrews and Oxford!

I can't wait to meet up with good friends and make some memories!

*All images via Pinterest

My Favorite Places

Since I'm stuck home sick, I thought i'd write another blog post!

About travel!

Yay!!!

So as I mentioned before, I wanted to use this blog as a way to document my travels, or what I can remember of them. Traveling is a passion of mine and I want to have a way to remember all my awesome trips other than in my head.

So, to kickstart my travel blogs, a list of my most absolute favorite places in the WORLD.

1. Wolfgangsee, Austria

I cannot even begin to express my love for this place. It is my number one favorite place in this entire world. I just love it with all my heart and soul. When I go there, I feel a sense of home. Pictures just don't do it justice. There is truly a special feeling you get while being there.

Wolfgangsee is a lake about 30 minutes outside of Salzburg. It's in the beautiful countryside, with a few quaint towns bordering it (to include Sankt Gilgen, my favorite). This is one of those places you would not likely discover on your own, because it's out of the way and unknown to many outside of the local area. My great-grandfather, another travel enthusiast, was introduced to this lovely place by an Austrian friend of his, who lives in Salzburg. He loved it so much that he bought an apartment in Sankt Gilgen and had it for many years. Unfortunately, he sold it, otherwise I would have bought it from him :( During my first trip to Europe, he brought us to Wolfgangsee, where I fell in love for the first time (with Wolfgangsee, not a person, because I doubt any man could rival my love for Wolfgangsee). While living in Italy, I made my way here as often as I could, and introduced my friends to this beautiful spot. Sometimes I wonder if that was a good idea or not, because it's one of those perfect places you want to keep secret, to preserve forever.

2. Scotland

I just love Scotland. Everything about it. I've been several times and am currently planning a trip to go back! From the beautiful, Harry Potter-esque old town of Edinburgh, to the gorgeous mountains and landscapes of the Highlands, what's not to love? And Scottish men....in kilts....with those accents...yes. Yes to all of that.

3. London

London is such an awesome city. There is so much to do and see, and I get giddy just thinking about it. I'm so fascinated by this city, that every time I find a blog with someone who lives there, I have to read it. I don't know what it is, but something about London captivates me. It is on my bucket list to live there one day.

4. Loire Valley

I took a Thanksgiving trip to the Loire Valley with a friend a few years ago. It was a perfect trip, and I hold really fond memories of our time exploring the different castles and savoring all of the delicious wine and food. The Loire Valley is such a beautiful area, and it was magical to visit in the fall.

5. Arizona & Colorado

Arizona is my homeland. It's where I was born, where I lived during the beginning of my career, and where I plan to settle down for the long term. Like Wolfgangsee, I just feel a sense of home when i'm there.

Never expecting to love another state as much as I love Arizona, I recently visited Colorado and discovered what an amazing place it is. I think I love it so much because it reminds me a little of Austria. It's probably the closest i'll get to it in the states, so Colorado holds a special place in my heart, too.

While not all inclusive, when someone asks me my favorite place to visit, these are the top places that pop into my head.

Now, back to watching Harry Potter.

What Have I Been Up To?

I've been sick for a week :(

I have a cold, and my throat is sore, and I lost my voice. I just want to be well again!

On the plus side, since I was sent home from work, I got to stay in bed all day, drink hot tea, and watch a mini Harry Potter marathon.

I don't know what it is about those movies, but they always make me feel better.

On another note, the 21 day fix has been going well....when i've been following it.

And my nieces visited me this weekend! We went to the zoo, walked around the mall, visited the Natural History museum, and spent time at the pool. We also tried the homemade ice cream at Pop's Old Fashioned Ice Cream Co. in Old Town. I had a smores sundae, sooooo good.

It's so hard to live away from them, I just love them so much! But at least they're within a 4 hour drive, which is a vast improvement from the 12 hour plane ride it used to be.

21 Days

Today marks the first day of my 21 Day Fix diet.

This is going to be rough.

My sister-in-law is a workout nazi and has recently become a BeachBody coach. So now I get to suffer along with her, as she starts challenge groups and pressures me into joining them :/

I have already been working out to the Chalean Extreme videos. I normally do cardio, so I figured it was time to get some strength training in there.

I really like these workouts! I have a bad knee, so I really needed to start doing something low impact that wouldn't put more pressure on my joints. These are awesome, because I still work up a sweat, and I actually feel like i'm building muscle. 

In a couple of days, i'm flying down to Florida for my friend's wedding. While I definitely plan on enjoying the reception and the open bar, i'm going to do my best to eat clean the rest of my time there. God help me.

What Have I Been Up To?

So what have I been up to?

Started my new job, which I LOVE.

That is definitely not how I dress for work, but it’s fun to pretend like I do.

I met up with friends in Colorado for our second annual President’s Day weekend ski trip!

I met up with a good friend I hadn’t seen in over a year for St Patty’s Day in Philly.

Our staches sparkled.

Spent a month in Middle of Nowhere, Alabama for work, where I traveled to Destin, New Orleans, and Chattanooga on the weekends.

Now I’m back in DC and ready for summer!

The amount of time it took me to make this post was ridiculous, and reminded me why I always think about blogging, but never actually do it.

New Job

I am SO excited! I got a new job! I’m very unhappy in my current position and this new opportunity just kind of fell into my lap at the last moment. I know it won’t be easy and it will definitely be a lot of work, but for the first time I’m actually excited about the work I will do. I’ve never felt that in the past, so I’m hoping this will be a good fit and I will finally have found something I enjoy. Hopefully I won’t be eating my words in the next few months…

*Image via Pinterest

Sunday

Clearly I’m fantastic at this whole blogging thing. Two posts in 4 months, go me!

What have I been up to? Nothing terribly exciting. Work, holidays, life.

I’ve started the Insanity Max 30 program and it is kicking. My. BUTT. I’ve kept up with it for three weeks now, and I am determined to see the whole two months through.

Today will be my last lazy, do nothing day for a while, so I am going to fully enjoy it by being a bum, watching movies, and lounging around with a cup of hot tea. Doesn’t this look cozy? I shall be comfortable, but not in as much style.

*Image via Pinterest