WANDERLUST // WEDNESDAY
I can’t believe that this year is already halfway over! I have had a pretty incredible first half of 2015, I must say! I’ve spent over 115 days traveling so far this year and I’m feeling so great about adventures coming later in the year and accomplishing as many of these goals as possible! Now to the goals, let’s see how this year has been going:
⋘ G E T 1 0 0 H I K I N G M I L E S I N ⋙
I’ve got a bit of a start on this one, but I’m not to the halfway mark, which is where I should be! I hiked 35.53 miles while in Southeast Asia & a bit in the U.S. but I’m really looking forward to getting loads more hiking miles in in my beloved Blue Ridge Mountains! I have less than 65 miles to get by December 31st!
⋘ G O H I K I N G W I T H M Y D A D ⋙
My dad and I have gone hiking together, just the two of us getting quality father / daughter time, almost every year for the last seven years, and they have been times that I truly treasure. We haven’t had this chance yet, but I think my parents are going to come to Asheville in October, so there is still plenty of time for my Papa-Bear and me to get our hike in for 2015.
⋘ R E A D S I X T R A V E L B O O K S O R E S S A Y S ⋙
Every year I get “really ambitious” with this, so this year I decided that I wanted to bring it down to a number, still above what I’ve read in the past, but low enough for me to still potentially attain it. Six months into the year, I have already read 5 travel books / essays and I’m currently reading the third! So far I’ve read Michael Crichton’s Travels, One Year Off, An Idiot Abroad, Off the Map and Amazing Travel Experiences. I cannot wait to accomplish this goal when I finish Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods!
⋘ L E A V E T H E C O U N T R Y ⋙
When I wrote my goals, this one felt a bit like cheating because I already had a trip planned to Southeast Asia, but I would say that I knocked this goal out of the park by not only leaving the country, but traveling for 101 days throughout seven different countries! So much fun!
⋘ S T A R T W R I T I N G A B O O K ⋙
Monday I started a serious dream of mine; I am writing a travel book! Travel, writing and photography are my three biggest passions and I’m so ecstatic to be combining these things in a completely different way. My blog is still a love of mine, this just feels like something entirely different, and I’m excited to be embarking on this new adventure!
⋘ T R Y S O M E T H I N G N E W E A C H D A Y I N A S I A ⋙
While I didn’t do an amazing job at keeping track of this, I definitely had more than 101 new experiences throughout this trip! I did things like light incense at temples, receive blessings, feed macaws, ride elephants and eat new (sometimes extremely exotic) foods!
⋘ H A V E A G I R L S T R I P W I T H M Y M O M ⋙
My mom and I have traveled together to Europe for mother / daughter trips four different times, and while this year’s trip might only be a day trip, I would LOVE to get some one-on-one travel time with my amazing, beautiful mama!
⋘ T A K E A R O A D T R I P ⋙
Matt and I checked this off together last week! We took a road trip down south making stops in Charleston and Savannah on our way down to our final destination: The Florida Keys! We loved getting to see fun sites, lounge at the beach and have some much-needed and awesome time together!
⋘ F I N D I N S P I R A T I O N A N D W R I T E E A C H D A Y ⋙
I have been sure to write daily – it’s actually pretty easy- and I’m really excited about finding more and more new inspiration each and everyday. I have some exciting things planned around Asheville that I’m finding a lot of inspiration from! I love these majestic Blue Ridge Mountains.
⋘ V I S I T T W E L V E M U S E U M S ⋙
I have smashed this one visiting thirteen museums already in the first six months of the year. It makes me want to up my goal for next year- I think I will! So far this year I have visited:
»The Superman Museum (Metropolis, IL, USA) »Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (Phnom Penh, Cambodia) »Islamic Arts Center (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) »City Gallery (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) »Agung Rai Museum of Art (Ubud, Bali) »National Museum (Manilla, Philippines) »Santo Niño Museum (Cebu, Philippines) »Ganduyan Museum (Sagada, Philippines) »Hoa Lo Prison Museum (Hanoi, Vietnam) »Fine Arts Center (Hanoi, Vietnam) »Vietnamese Women’s Museum (Hanoi, Vietnam) »War Remnant’s Museum (Ho Chin Minh, Vietnam) »The Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum (Key West, FL, USA).
⋘ D R I V E T H E E N T I R E B L U E R I D G E P A R K W A Y ⋙
This hasn’t happened yet, but the dates for it have been officially set! Matt and I are going to be driving from Cherokee, NC to Rockfish Gap, VA across & through the stunning Blue Ridge Mountains later this month! I am so excited to watch sunrises and sunsets in the mountains, and dive down into cozy little towns for dinners at local cafes and diners! This is going to be a spectacular trip full of memories with my fiancé.
⋘ I M P R O V E M Y P H O T O G R A P H Y S K I L L S ⋙
This is something I haven’t worked on as much as I should. I’m still constantly taking photos, but I would love to learn more about my camera and maybe look into taking a class! I love love love learning, and it’s great to really learn about something that plays into my passions!
⋘ I N S P I R E T R A V E L ⋙
I never know how to gauge this, but it is truly my passion and desire. I want people to experience life, to learn new things from different people, see natural sites, build their confidence and so much more that travel truly brings!
Thanks for letting me take the time to keep tabs on myself and the things I’ve been doing this year to try to meet my goals! I would love to hear about how you’re meeting your goals! Cheers!
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