This Time Last Year…

2012 is coming to a close, so, unsurprisingly, everyone is reflecting on the past year, and hoping for good things in 2013. I can’t help but add my own musings on this last year, particularly with regard to where I’ve been.

This is a travel blog after all.

And I have to begin with where I spent New Year’s Eve last year–in Ecuador.

On December 31st, 2011, I woke up at 5:00 am to hike Fuya Fuya, a mountain just outside of Cotacachi, Ecuador. Although the hike itself was only a few kilometers, at nearly 14,000 ft above sea level, every step was a challenge. I barely stayed up until midnight to ring in the New Year with bonfires and music. I spent three more weeks in Ecuador before returning home to Boston to finish my senior year at Tufts University. And believe me, if I hadn’t had to go back to school, I wouldn’t have left.

It didn’t take long for me to head out on my next trip in February 2012–just a quick weekend away in New Hampshire with friends of mine from high school. We spent one day cross-country skiing in North Conway to celebrate the Mount Washington Valley’s annual chocolate festival–a lovely day spent snowshoeing or skiing on trails between local inns, stopping at each one to relax and sample some chocolate.

Trip number three was also within New England. On the first weekend of my spring break in March, I drove up to Vermont with my boyfriend and a friend of ours to participate in the Green Mountain Film Festival‘s 48 Hour Film Slam. What’s a film slam, you ask? It’s where you write, film, edit, and premiere a 7-minute movie in 48 hours! We came in second place! You can even watch our movie, and check out my sweet acting skillz… if you’re so inclined.

After we wrapped up our movie, I hopped on a flight to Florida to meet up with my mother who had agreed to take me to Harry Potter World as an early graduation present. Yes, to celebrate her 22-year-old daughter’s college graduation, my Mom brought me to Universal Studios.

In May, I did in fact graduate from college, and, if you’ve been following this blog for the last six months, you know that I moved to Washington, DC for the summer. I’ll spare you photos from DC because I’ve already blogged quite a bit about my experiences being a tourist in the US capital.

Instead I’ll jump ahead to the trip you all know about: The Great European Adventure!

I spent the last three and a half months backpacking Europe, but I returned home to enjoy the holidays with my family. Check back later this week for some 2013 blog updates, and maybe even an announcement about my next adventure.

I hope you all have safe and happy New Year’s Eves with the people you love.