While 2021 was by no means a normal year, after receiving the vaccine in April it felt much more normal than 2020. I somehow managed to take a trip every month of the year besides March! I visited 3 new states (Arizona, Oregon, and Texas), 10 in total and made my 3rd trip to Mexico for my honeymoon. Oh yeah, I also got married this year, so on the whole 2021 was a great and memorable year! I have a feeling 2022 just might top it though, and I can’t wait to give a sneak peak into our plans at the end of this post.
January - Destin, FL
I started my year of travel by driving from Indiana to Destin, Florida with my dad. The drive was shorter than I thought it would be at just over 11 hours. The weather definitely wasn’t warm enough to swim but with highs in the mid 60’s and lots of sunshine, it was the perfect winter getaway.
We spent the week eating amazing seafood, fishing, and we visited the Gulf Islands National Seashore. I hadn’t been to Destin since I was a child and didn’t have very high expectations, but I really loved it! Many of the restaurants focus on cajun style seafood which is my favorite American cuisine. I would highly recommend Destin as a relaxing beach destination.
We tried Boshamps Seafood and Oyster House, Brotula’s Seafood House & Steamer, Louisiana Lagniappe, Jackacuda’s Seafood & Sushi, and Fat Clemenzas. My favorite meals were the pan roasted grouper with feta soufflé and citrus butter (above) and everything we tried at Jackacuda’s, however all our meals werre delicious!
February - Scottsdale and Saguaro National Park, AZ
February brought continued cold temperatures at home in Chicago, so Andrew and I booked a super last minute (like 3 days before) trip to Scottsdale! We rented a car and went hiking in a different area each day. We also crossed another National Park off our list by visiting Saguaro National Park, which you can read more about in my blog post below.
This was my first time in Arizona and I fell in love with the desert. It’s just completely different from anything you see in the Midwest, it almost feels like visiting another country.
April - Visiting Family in Los Angeles, CA
Andrew’s family lives in L.A. and we used to go out and visit several times a year. Because of the pandemic I hadn’t visited since 2019 so this was the first time I had seen Andrew’s family since we got engaged. We had a wonderful time catching up with everyone and had a delayed engagement celebration.
May - Scottsdale, AZ Round 2 for a Friend's Bachelorette
After my very first trip to Arizona in February, I went a second time in May! My friend had her bachelorette party in Scottsdale, where we rented a big Airbnb with a gorgeous pool and had fun hanging out and drinking in Old Town Scottsdale. I combined my recommendations from mine and Andrew’s trip in February and the bachelorette weekend to create my post below about planning the perfect weekend in Scottsdale!
June - Annual (excluding 2020) Friends Trip to Washington, DC
One of my best friends lived in DC from 2017-2019, then a different good friend moved there in 2019! I have visited around 5 times in the last 5 years. We always manage to find a good mix of sightseeing, eating delicious food, and enjoying the fun bar scene. This trip I tried Founding Farmers, and had a good lunch near the White House, and did a bottomless food and drinks brunch at Agora.
July - Sibling Road Trip Around Oregon
I visited my second new state of the year in July when I drove around Oregon with my sister, my now husband and brother in law. Click on my post to read more about our awesome road trip. My favorite part was hiking in Crater Lake National Park but the whole state was so beautiful!
August - My Bachelorette Weekend in Austin, TX
My very first trip to Texas (3rd new state of the year) happened in August to party it up for my bachelorette! I chose Austin because I’ve always wanted to go, and it was a central(ish) place for all my friends to meet up! We had twelve friends and family members including me fly in from Chicago, Indianapolis, Nashville, Washington DC, New York City, Denver, and San Francisco. I’m so blessed everyone was able to come and enjoy a fun weekend together.
We pontooned on Lake Travis, rode a mechanical bull on 6th Street, and ate some delicious meals on Rainey Street. We also explored the University of Texas campus where my mom went to law school. I really enjoyed my short time in Austin and can’t wait to come back to explore more of the food scene.
September - Mini Colorado Road Trip with my Dad
Andrew and I visited Denver together in 2019, and I was so excited to come back this year to explore more of Colorado with my dad! We rented a car and stayed in an old mining cabin on the outskirts of Boulder for two days. We explored the area and hiked up two mountains in Rocky Mountain National Park, Deer Mountain and Estes Cone.
Our third day we explored Golden Canyon State Park and the cute town of Golden. We ended the day in Denver where we met up with my friend from college, Kristi, and had a great night out.
October - Honeymoon in Puerto Vallarta and Sayulita, MX
After getting married in Bloomington, Indiana home of our alma mater Indiana University, Andrew and I took an amazing 10 day honeymoon to Mexico. We started our trip with a 5 night all inclusive stay at the Riu Palace Pacifico in Riviera Nayarit. There we took a day trip to snorkel and explore Marietas Islands National Park, got dinner in Puerto Vallarta one night, and enjoyed the sunsets from our balcony overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
After 5 days of unlimited food, beer and pool time, we took a cab to Sayulita, Nayarit to spend 5 nights in an Airbnb. Sayulita was amazing! We took an awesome guided hike north of the town to explore a lesser known beach, and most importantly we learned how to surf! After just two days of lessons we felt pretty confident on our boards and Andrew took some amazing photos of me riding the waves. Read more about our honeymoon in Mexico here: The Perfect 10 Day Honeymoon in Mexico: Sayulita and Puerto Vallarta.
November - Weekend Trip to Nashville, TN
Our shortest trip of the year award goes to Nashville, TN where we packed in as much delicious food as we could in 48 short hours. We visited the Country Music Hall of Fame Museum and of course listened to live music on Broadway. We also had a fun night catching up with my high school friend, Kate, who moved to Nashville, and hung out with my sister who drove in from her college in Kentucky. I’m not sure how we managed to fit so much in in 48 hours, but I’d love to go back and experience more of Nashville someday.
December - Los Angeles Round 2 and Anna Maria Island, FL
December brought a second trip of the year to both California and Florida! We flew to Los Angeles for four days in early December to celebrate Hanukkah with Andrew’s family and his grandma’s 90th birthday! We enjoyed a lot of family time and helping Andrew’s mom make latkes.
The week before Christmas Andrew and I traveled to Anna Maria Island, FL to spend time with my dad and his girlfriend’s family for the holidays. We had really nice weather and got in some beach time and had a fun day fishing on Christmas Eve. It was so funny that my first and last trip of the year was to Florida with my dad! It was my first time to this part of Florida and I was surprised by how many people were enjoying the beach of Christmas day.
2022 Outlook - BIGGEST TRAVEL YEAR YET
Andrew and I have some very special plans in the second half of the year, but before we get there we also have some weekend trips planned for this winter and spring. In January we plan to visit my sister at her college in Kentucky. In February we’re visiting Andrew’s sister and a few friends in New York City. I’ll be headed to New Orleans in March with my mom and sister. In April we’re going to Boston to visit one of Andrew’s friends and attend a Red Sox game and heading to Washington, DC in the same trip to visit one of my friends.
And our big announcement: WE'RE TAKING A YEAR LONG HONEYMOON!!
Andrew and I are taking a year off of work to travel together starting in June 2022! I share our full plans in another post, but will give the short version here. I have been dreaming of long term travel for years and have had this specific date set in my mind for about two years. I can’t believe it’s only five months away now!
Our lease in Chicago is up May 31, and we plan to put our stuff in storage. My mom has graciously agreed to take our dog and car for a year; this trip really wouldn’t be possible without her!
If all goes according to plan and the world stays open to travelers our itinerary looks like this:
June 2022 – Missouri, Colorado, Arizona and Utah road trip
July-November 2022 – Central and Eastern Europe, Turkey, Georgia
November 2022- March 2023 – Nepal, Southeast Asia
April 2023 – Egypt, Morocco
May-June 2023 – Western Europe
Stay tuned for more updates on our year long honeymoon adventure! Let me know in the comments if there are any places we absolutely have to visit in our year of travels.
6 Comments
You got so many cool US trips in this year, and I’m so glad I got to be a part of Austin and your wedding! I can’t WAIT to follow along from afar this year as you guys embark on this trip of a lifetime. I’m super excited to read all about Georgia and Egypt in particular!
Wow, you truly saved the best for last. I was going to comment about how wonderful Puerto Vallarta is, but you blew me away with your announcement to travel for 1 whole year. Nepal is also on my travel list, but it will still be a few years until we get there.
Congratulations on getting hitched! You must be soooo excited about your (YEAR!? :D) honeymoon! It sounds like 2022 will be an even better year. I hope you have a blast! They’ll be plenty for you to blog about. 😉
You had such a wonderful year! I can’t wait to see your full time travel adventures next year!
It sounds like 2021 treated you pretty darn well! I’m a little jealous of how much travel you got in . . . along with getting married. I’m super excited to follow along on your year-long honeymoon. How exciting!
You had such a travelful year. Congratulations on getting married. 2022 looks really promising. Wishing you the best for 2022.