Another Year For The Books
Every New Year’s Day we dedicate time to looking back on the year, recollecting fond memories & funny stories, and thinking of the top people & moments that made the year so special. It’s an important exercise for us in reflection, gratitude, change, and forward thinking, both together & individually.
2018 was a year filled with great company and even greater memories. We crossed a few more destinations off our bucket list, focused on our health, and worked towards achieving our personal and professional goals. We faced new challenges, overcame some setbacks, and learned to find happiness in the simplicity of daily life. We shared quality moments with old friends and family & eagerly welcomed new friends and experiences into our lives.
Overall – 2018 was filled with love, happiness, and growth & we can’t wait to see what 2019 has in store for us!
Our Top 9 Highlights from 2018
Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument
Any trip to Utah is an unforgettable adventure, but Grand Staircase takes the cake as our top highlight from 2018. From our 3-day backpacking trip through Coyote Gulch to the numerous slot canyons and day hikes, we absolutely loved exploring new desert landscapes and experiencing the remoteness of Utah’s public lands. The combination of adventure, wildness, and challenge made our time in GSENM an experience of a lifetime.
Appalachian Trail Section Hike: Great Smoky Mountain National Park
Our newest winter tradition, an Appalachian Trail backpacking trip, brought us to the Smoky Mountains this year. We were blessed with amazing weather & even more amazing views of the Smokies and beyond. We were surprised by the park’s beauty and biodiversity (even in the winter!) and loved the region & park so much that we will likely return for next winter’s trip too!
Launching Travanie Travels
After a year+ and countless hours of hard work & unwavering dedication I finally launched my travel blog, Travanie Travels. In 2018 I chose to follow my passion for travel & writing by investing all my extra time and energy enrolling in online courses, perfecting my writing style, and planning out my blogging future. I attended my first travel conference where I attended days of classes & lectures, learning from some of the best in the business and even meeting some of my travel idols (Nomadic Matt, Wandering Earl, and Be My Travel Muse.) Most importantly, I made new friends from around the world and found a vibrant community of other like-minded bloggers & travelers. 2018 was an exciting year filled with firsts, but 2019 is looking bright with a full content calendar & a long list of goals and improvements!
Grayson William
In January, Travis’s sister welcomed a beautiful baby boy into the world and we quickly assumed the roles of aunt & uncle to Grayson William. We spent all our available weekends driving north to spend time holding him, playing with him, and trying to teach him his first word. We’ve had a ton of fun showering him in love and look forward to continuing to watch him learn and grow.
November Project
In March, we started working out with the Milwaukee November Project crew and truly found our fitness tribe. We got in shape, started taking care of our bodies, developed a new love for running, and competed in our first ever trail run at The North Face Endurance Challenge. We made new friends, ran an unfathomable amount of stairs, and met hundreds of other NPer’s from around the U.S. (& world!) at the 6th annual NP Summit.
First Solo Camping Trip
In September the perfect opportunity arose & I took advantage of a work trip in Washington to embark on my first ever solo camping trip. I planned a three day road trip around the Olympic Peninsula, a long-time bucket list destination, and learned a lot about the area & myself along the way. From the Olympic Mountains to the wild coast and all of the temperate rainforest in between, I loved every minute of my time in the Pacific Northwest.
We Bought A Van
After entertaining the idea of a van conversion for over a year, the perfect opportunity arose & in July we became the proud owners of a 2000 Chevy Astro Van (thanks to the ever-generous Pat & Michelle McCaffrey!) We plan to convert our van into a liveable adventure mobile complete with a bed, kitchen, electric, and storage. While we still have a long way to go, in 2018 we made vehicle repairs, fully gutted & insulated the interior, and started the groundwork for our electric system. Fingers crossed that 2019 will end with a completed van and some adventures on the calendar!
Appreciating Our City
After living in Milwaukee for a few years we finally made it a priority to do some of the iconic tourist things we had never gotten the chance to do before. We attended cultural festivals, shopped at farmers markets, ate at new restaurants, took a river boat tour, explored different neighborhoods, toured breweries all across town, and sampled more beers & cheeses than we could possibly count. We loved spending time in our own city and getting to experience its charm outside of daily life. The best part is – we have a whole new Milwaukee bucketlist for 2019!
New Friends
From building new bonds with existing friends, to befriending co-workers, meeting our fitness tribe, and becoming a part of various online communities, 2018 was a year of branching out and developing new friendships. We loved meeting and getting to know new people throughout the year and can’t wait to continue to grow our circles in the new year!
Cheers to another great year & an even better one on the horizon!
Terrific blog !!
Thanks Jim!! 🙂