2009 was the year of travel for Janice and me.
Janice and I don’t ever travel as much as we did in 2009. Janice’s calendar was jammed with conferences, meetings and events and I caught quite a few planes myself.
I hate to even list all my trips here because I know I was spoiled… and it’s just not fair how much fun I had. I hope you don’t hate me — but seeing all these trips listed here, I almost hate me… If it’s worth anything, my agenda for 2010 will not be the same!
I started off the year with a family trip to Hawaii for which my husband and I saved up and planned for years! It was a huge treat for us. Then a couple weeks later I took Julia and nursing Sophia with me to Mom 2.0 Summit.
A week after that, I brought my munchkins with me to an SEO conference in Atlanta.
Those weeks were fun, but exhausting, and we stayed home for the next couple months.
We kicked off the summer with a video shoot on a Disney Cruise and in the Magic Kingdom at Disney World. Janice brought her family and while my husband had to stay home and work, I brought my girls and our mom. What a fabulous trip.
But once I’d faced the inevitable and weaned Sophia at 20 months old, I could finally travel solo. It was hard to leave them, but airports and airplanes were a breeze with no baby in belly, no baby in arms and no preschooler dragging me down the airplane aisle.
I had three trips one after another and I had a blast.
I wrote in this post: It’s like coming home from summer camp…
I partied with my peeps at BlogHer 09 in Chicago, went shopping with the girls in Boston at the TJ Maxx event and then hung out with some brilliant folks at Stompernet Live 8.
Christine Koh snapped this shot of a few of us having dinner in Boston at the TJ Maxx event.
The Best For Last
But after my whirlwind of trips with and without my girls, I ended my 2009 travel agenda with a family trip to Italy. My husband’s family lives in Italy, (he actually moved here to marry me!) and so none of them had even met my two year old Sophia!
We spent three weeks with Rob’s family in Italy.
It was bliss for our entire family. Julia and Sophia soaked up the love of their Nonna and Nonno and played from morning to night with their cousin Emily.
Photos of our trip are on Flickr and a few videos are on my Facebook account.
Of all my trips in 2009, our family time in Italy wins first place.
I wrote this post as part of Gwen Bell’s Best of 2009 Challenge. Find out more and play along.
Written by Susan, Professional Mom Blogger and Co-Founder of
5 Minutes for Mom
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Lovely round up! It was so fantastic to meet you in Boston! xo
I’m so happy that you were able to experience so much and see so many new places in 2009. I hope 2010 brings you even more joy and abundance – whether you stay home or go abroad.
WOW! You really took some fantastic trips! (I am a bit jealous.) Wonderful photos!
I’m soooooo jealous! I love to travel and don’t get to do it much. So whenever I’m not traveling I love to read other people’s trip stories. Glad you had a great year, it sounds like you had an opportunity to learn a lot and to create wonderful memories as well.
You did have a great year for travel!!
Thanks for the link to the challenge – I think I’ll try it!
Aww Susan. I feel like I’ve been on all these trips with you through seeing all your great posts and pictures.
You truly have had a beautiful and blessed year!
I love these photos to bits. Especially the last of the four of you – precious shot, Susan.
Hey Christy, that is actually Maria Bailey in that cow print coat. Janice is in the middle and I’m on the right.
But I agree… I love her coat.
Oh Susan, I just love that family picture at the end and the picture of Julia in Venice. What an amazing trip!
Someday I hope to travel more too!
i am loving that cow print coat where did you get that??
Wow! Aren’t you the one with wander-lust?:-) I am happy to say that I read right along with you on all your trips and yes, Italy was the best:-) You guys look so happy there!!
SO fun Susan! And I have to agree — Italy is beautiful. I envy you being able to visit there and spend so much time. Of course, it’s probably hard to be so far from family as well.
wow what a full schedule. I’ve never been on a blogger trip and probably never will. it just seems like everytime it’s the same bloggers that go.