Looking back on 2016
Although I know that most of the interwebs are along the lines of womp womp womp can 2016 be over already, it was actually such a wonderful and memorable year for me personally: a pug puppy, getting engaged, a new job and far more travel than I expected! Somehow I managed to squeeze in 29 flights, eight countries, five Northeast weekend escapes and plenty of New York City adventures.
For the sake of tradition (2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 if you’re interested), here’s a look at where I went this year:
January // Costa Rica
We celebrated the start of 2016 with the most wonderful week in Playa Grande, Costa Rica: we basically didn’t do anything other than hang out on the beach, drink cheap beers and eat fish tacos. It was also a rare vacation that was truly a vacation for me: nothing was sponsored and nothing was planned, so I got to just RELAX. So grateful to have started the year on such a high (and tan) note!
February // Mexico
We escaped the coldest weekend of the year on a trip to Cancun with David’s family. It was actually my first time in Mexico, so I tried to eat as many tacos and as much guacamole as humanly possible! We took a really fun day trip out to see the ruins at Tulum and to go snorkeling in cenotes.
March // Quebec City
I popped up to Quebec City for such a lovely snowy solo weekend, full of French speaking and reading by fireplaces. The highlight was definitely going dog-sledding for the first time, but I also loved spending a quiet afternoon at an outdoor Scandinavian spa and wandering through the quaint cobblestone streets.
Also: a weekend in Palm Springs with my girlfriends!
April // Portland, Oregon
Confession: for a hot second, my boyfriend and I were considering a move to Portland, Oregon. I ultimately realized that I could not handle gray and rain every day (I am VERY sunshine-driven) and David realized he didn’t want to deal with a depressed-and-overcast me–but we still had such a fun time exploring Portland for a weekend! We ate so much delicious food, went on a waterfall crawl, hung out with friends, frolicked through a tulip farm and generally just loved the weird vibes of the city.
May // Portland, Maine
My friend Jillian and I took our second annual friendship getaway to Portland, Maine! It was much chillier than we anticipated when we booked the trip–apparently there is no spring in Maine and summer doesn’t start until late June–but we still had a grand time eating all the lobster rolls and searching for lighthouses.
Also: a weekend on assignment in Scottsdale!
June // Aruba
I celebrated my 28th birthday in Aruba, and it was every bit as perfect as it sounds. On my actual birthday, David and I rented a car and drove all around the island: we ate the freshest (and most delicious) fish sandwich in the world, got surprised by a sea turtle while we were swimming at Baby Beach, discovered a secret local cenote and drank so many Aruban rum punches.
Also: took a last-minute work trip to Cannes!
July // Berkshires
One of the greatest parts of dating someone who grew up in New York City: summer weekend traditions. This was the third year in a row that I took part in my boyfriend’s family’s annual weekend in the Berkshires, and it was just as refreshing ever. It was extra fun this year since it was Gertie’s first weekend away: we loved watching her frolic in the grass and learn how to swim.
Also: a weekend in Nyack!
August // Paris + Cambridge
It was such a pleasure to be invited to my wonderful friend Nevin’s nuptials in her hometown of Cambridge. It felt like we were in a Harry Potter movie, surrounded by posh accents and majestic university buildings! And I’m so glad we took advantage of the trans-Atlantic flight to introduce my boyfriend to Paris: I loved having the chance to play tour guide for one of my favorite cities in the world for my favorite person.
September // Sacramento
My annual trip to my hometown! I love going back to Sacramento in September: it’s still warm enough to sit out by the pool, but it’s not sweltering in the triple digits. It was extra fun to go back this year: I got to attend my high school’s annual wine tasting event, which was super fun, AND I had just gotten engaged the week before, so it was lovely to celebrate with my parents and best friends!
October // Catskills + Adirondacks
To make the most of all the upstate foliage, we spent a weekend at a brand-new lodge in the Catskills and spent another weekend at our favorite adult summer camp in the Adirondacks. Even though it involved a lot of after-work driving, it was so wonderful to escape the city and enjoy all the leaves changing and hot apple cider and general fresh air.
Also: I hung out in Laguna Beach with my two favorite Arieses!
November // Barbados
I’m a huge believer in the between-job trip (preferably/usually on an island), and so I splurged on a solo trip to Barbados before I started at Gimlet. It was absolutely fantastic: I basically read Gone with the Wind on the beach all. day. long. and watched incredible sunsets from my balcony and indulged in champagne at breakfast every day.
Also: we popped down to Amelia Island for a weekend and I met Jillian’s new baby at her new house in the suburbs!
December // St Bart’s
I squeezed in one final press trip this year to check out Le Barthelemy, a newly opened five-star resort in St Bart’s that is every bit as luxurious as it sounds. I loved having the opportunity to enjoy all my favorite French things (namely speaking French and eating French bread) in such a magnificently tropical location.
And we’re not done yet! I’m looking forward to spending Christmas in Washington DC with my boyfriend’s family, and then we’re jetting off to spend New Year’s Eve in Austin–with Gertie!
