Best of 2015

How is the year almost over?

No, seriously, I have no idea how 12 months could go by so quickly. I feel like I say that every year, but this year has flown by especially quickly! It has been an incredibly full year for us: two trips to Europe, gut renovating almost our entire house, B got a new job. An incredibly blessed, whirlwind of a year! It was fun to go back & dig through thousands of photos & hundreds of post to assemble my favorites – my best – of 2015.

Photography

These were my 10 favorite Instagram photos from my account in 2015:

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Reading on the Interwebs

The five best posts I’ve read written by others this year:

1. This post by Talon over on 1 Dad 1 Kid has be itching to plan an Iceland road trip (thinking next July!)
2. I’ve been reading Cup of Jo for a long time (I love her gift guides!), but thought this post on surviving a long flight had some great tips in it.
3. I have never had a desire to visit L.A. until my friend Spencer Spellman moved there & started doing all these amazing, decidedly non-L.A. type things. This post has me ready to book a plane ticket.
4. I always love reading about my friend Matt Long‘s adventures around the world, but this one in France combined two of my favorite things: kayaking & UNESCO sites.
5. I’ve had some great adventures in my hometown & always look to see what Chris is doing over on Packed Suitcase because she is the queen of Mid-Atlantic travel. Frederick County, Maryland is seriously underrated, as Chris points out in this post.

It was also fun to go back & look at the 10 most popular posts on this blog this year – the posts that you all loved!

Six Hotels to Add to Your Summer Travels

Cruising Myth vs Fact (Round Two) – sadly, round one did not make the cut!

5 Reasons I Love Washington, D.C.

Hotel Review: Adare Manor Hotel

First Thoughts on Ireland

My First Time Abroad

Gettysburg Beyond the Battlefield

Flying Business Class on the Amazing A380

Ultimate London Walking Tour

Cliffs of Moher

Reading a Good ol’ Fashioned Book

I had the pleasure of fulfilling one of my new years resolutions this year: reading 12 books in 2015. Each one was unique – although many were travel narratives – & I’m glad to report that I enjoyed most of them. I also read four books by Bill Bryson, which must make the official president of his fan club or something. Here’s what I read in 2015:

The Martian (not usually my type of book, but everyone said I’d love it – & they were right! And no, I didn’t see the movie) Edit: I didn’t finish The Martian, but I am reading it & LOVING it. I did fulfill my goal of 12 books though with a quick, thought provoking professional development book recommended by my brother-in-law called QBQ! If you are a manager, you should read this book. If you have a manager, you should read this book. If you’re part of a team in any capacity in your professional life, you should read this book. If you work for yourself & interact with clients & vendors, you should read this book.

Notes from a Small Island (the book that started it all for Bill Bryson!)

A Year of Reading Dangerously (although I read the UK edition, so don’t blame me if the U.S. version is strange!)

The Road to Little Dribbling (I feel like I got a sneak peak, since I bought this book in the UK & it doesn’t come out in the U.S. until January!)

Turn Right at Machu Picchu (I never had much interest in visiting Machu Picchu… until I read this book)

What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding (probably my least favorite book I read this year)

The Great Gatsby (my favorite book – I read it every summer)

The Best American Travel Writing: 2014 (I’ve read this compilation for years…) 

A Walk in the Woods (anyone want to quit their job & hike the AT with me?)

One Summer: America 1927 (probably my favorite book I read this year – a fascinating look at America during a three month period that changed our nation & the world)

The Happiness of Pursuit: Finding the Quest That Will Bring Purpose to Your Life (I might read this book every January; it was so motivating!)

Paris Was Ours (short snippets on daily life in Paris – perfect commute reading because you can read a chapter at a time)

Wishing all my dear readers a wonderful start to 2016.