Posts Tagged ‘ Travel

Travel Cities 2011

2011 was a record travel year; it’s hard to believe I flew over 80K miles! Here’s my annual recap of my travels by city that I started a 5 years ago:

WINTER
January 25-28 Alexandria, VA
February 4-6 San Francisco, CA
February 10-12 Washington DC
February 13-19 Alexandria, VA
March 10-16 Austin, TX
March 22-25 Alexandria, VA

SPRING
March 31 – April 4 Rome, Italy
April 5-8 Florence, Italy
April 7 Cinque Terre, Italy
April 9-10 Amsterdam, Netherlands
April 18-22 Alexandria, VA
April 27- May 1 Las Vegas, NV

SUMMER
May 26-30 Lahaina, HI
June 20-21 Queenstown, MD
June 22-24 Alexandria, VA
July 22-25 Eden Prairie, MN
July 30-August 10 Eden Prairie, MN

FALL
September 6-10 Alexandria, VA
September 22-26 Eden Prairie, MN
September 27 – October 4 Paris, France
November 1-4 Alexandria, VA
November 23-26 Eden Prairie, MN
December 29-30 Grand Canyon National Park
December 28 – January 1 Las Vegas, NV

Travel stats recap:

  • Spent 106 days away. Flew nearly 2x as much as last year, including two trips to Europe.
  • Visited 16 cities and fulfilled my new year’s resolution in 2011 to visit 3 new countries!
  •  Was most often found working in the DC area and spending time with family in Minnesota.
  • Did more personal travel this year with 58% for leisure, 42% for business (based on days).
  • My Dopplr Travel Profile with Flickr Photos

2012 Resolution - Visit 3 new international cities!

IMG_1529
Arc de Triomphe, Paris, France. Photo by Ryan Prins.

Over the last 5 years, I’ve been on 117 trips. Feeling tremendously blessed to have had travel be a regular part of my life and for the people I’ve gotten to know better because of it!

 “To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.”

– Bill Bryson

Past Travel Cities Posts: 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007

Paris: Sunday Mass in Notre Dame

The Sunday we were in Paris, we had the opportunity to attend mass in Notre Dame. On the way there, we experienced delays on the metro which made me worry that we’d miss the service entirely. So by the time we reached the exit of the St-Michel Notre Dame station, I found myself dashing across the square past the long queue of tourists waiting to enter. At the entrance there was man holding a sign that read “Messe”, and instinctively knowing this was meant for those who came to pray, I nodded my head at him as I walked straight inside.

Paris - Day 5

My eyes searched for the font of holy water as I entered, and after crossing myself, we found seats and a program which contained translations in multiple languages of the day’s readings. It was the 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time.

As the mass continued on in French, I couldn’t help but sit in awe that I was here. I thought I had been to beautiful churches before, but this seemed different. And while I may not understand French, what I do know is the mass. As the light from the stained glass windows and the sound of prayer washed over us, I came to further appreciate how this old tradition is my inheritance. With all its flaws, I love my Church.

Paris - Day 5

Washington DC: Gallery Pl-Chinatown Metro

Queenstown: Wye River


Forum One Retreat 2011
Wye River Conference Center in Maryland

Paia: Lookout Point


Lookout Point | by jamiey

Paia: Outside Mama’s


Paia | by jamiey