Gettin’ Carried Away

I can’t believe it’s New Year’s Day 2010! When I think back to the year 2000, it feels like a lifetime ago.

In 2000…

• I attended high school.
• I learned how to drive.
• I wrote a monthly e-newsletter about the Backstreet Boys.
• I took pictures with disposable cameras.
• I flew on a plane for the first time in my life.

Ten years ago, I was just a kid enjoying life and beginning my journey as a writer and a traveler. In the years ahead, I would continue this journey…which is still far from seeing an end.

In 2001…

• I mourned for all those directly affected by 9/11.
• I played softball at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex in Orland, Florida.
• I sent post card after post card to document my trip.

In 2002…

• I sang with my high school chorus in Buffalo, New York and Toronto, Canada.
• I attended a mass with Pope John Paul II at World Youth Day in Toronto, Canada.
• I stared, in awe, at Niagra Falls…twice.
• I participated in mock trials and the study of law two weeks at the Law & Advocacy session for the National Student Leadership Conference in New York, New York and Washington, D.C.
• I wrote myself emails detailing my travels, because I didn’t know any other form of “blogging.”
• I spent four months learning how to write a research paper…and I loved every minute of it.
• I loved reading The Great Gatsby and The Crucible and chose English as my favorite subject.

In 2003…

• I started college.
• I moved to the Northside of Chicago.
• I explored each neighborhood around every stop on the Red Line from Loyola to Roosevelt.
• I enjoyed school, but my favorite course was English 101.

In 2004…

• I moved back home to suburbia Chicago.
• I enjoyed a week of fun in Orange County and Los Angeles, California.
• I received my first digital camera: a SONY Cybershot.
• I signed up on Webshots.com so that I could share my travel photos with the world.
• I joined MySpace.com and began writing about my travels on my MySpace blog.
• I spent eight days in Rome, Italy.
• I took a day trip to Florence, Italy.

In 2005…

• I rang in the new year, celebrating at Campo di Fiori in Rome, Italy.
• I moved to New York.
• I explored every area of Manhattan.
• I moved back home to suburbia Chicago.
• I became the Features Editor of my college newspaper.

In 2006…

• I spent my first week of being a “legal” adult in Sin City aka Las Vegas, Nevada.
• I went back to New York for two weekend getaways.
• I studied a women’s lit course that required travel to Paris, France.
• I walked the gardens at the palace in Versailles.
• I moved to London.
• I saw breathtaking views of rolling green hills in Wales, UK.
• I walked the same streets as one of my favorite authors, Geoffrey Chaucer, in Canterbury, England.
• I drank Guinness, Bailey’s and Jameson at the original Brazen Head in Dublin, Ireland.
• I dealt with gypsys stealing my camera in Barcelona, Spain.
• I fell in love with Venice, Italy.
• I had a blast with new-found friends in Bath and Avebury in England.
• I saw the iconic Stonehenge.
• I purchased a second SONY Cybershot digital camera.
• I completed a travel writing course, documenting my trips, my thoughts on various pieces of travel literature and my exposure to new cultures.
• I moved back home to suburbia Chicago.

In 2007…

• I rang in the New Year at a cozy cottage in Michigan.
• I became the Editor of my college literary magazine.
• I ventured east again, skipped good ol’ New York and instead opted for New Jersey.
• I started hosting karaoke and DJing at night clubs.
• I went to Chicago White Sox Spring Training in Tucson, Arizona.
• I graduated from Saint Xavier University with a BA in English.
• I celebrated my graduation with a week in New York City…again.
• I landed a job as an Editorial Assistant at a national real estate marketing/advertising company.
• I met up with my favorite British boy in Kansas City, Kansas
• I spent time with my best friend in her hometown of Denver, Colorado.
• I visited London for the second time.

In 2008…

• I spent a relaxing weekend at a friend’s cottage in Michigan.
• I went to Las Vegas, Nevada with all the members of my karaoke company.
• I toured all of Boston, Massachusetts and fell in love with Fenway Franks at Fenway Park.
• I bought a domain and started Gettin’ Carried Away.
• I took a little day trip to Miller Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to see the Brewers/Cubs game.
  
• I celebrated a friend/coworker’s birthday in New York City.
• Gettin’ Carried Away WON the Divine Caroline LOVE! This Site Award for 2008.

In 2009…

• I met several Chicago Blackhawks players in Nashville, Tennessee.
• I became a columnist for HipCompass Escapes Magazine.
• I visited London for the third time.
• I sang karaoke on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana.
• I purchased a Canon Rebel EOS and an additional 70-300mm lens.
• I watched the Bison roam in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
• I beat the heat in Guadalajarra and Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico.
• I spent a gorgeous, sunny day in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
• I watched the Pirates vs. the Diamondbacks at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
• I attended ALCS Game 1 at brand-new Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York
• Gettin’ Carried Away WON the Divine Caroline LOVE! This Site Award for 2009.

My passions for writing and traveling are stronger than ever. I am so happy to spend another year doing what I love. Thank you for making the first 17 months of my travel blog a success. Happy travels and Happy New Year!