Another year is coming to an end, which is really hard to believe. I feel like time is going by faster and faster with each passing year. That being said, we had some great trips this year! As in years past, we still believe it is possible to travel big without quitting our normal 9:00 to 5:00, and showcase this through By Land and Sea. This is made possible by careful planning, and by utilizing weekends, holidays, and the occasional work trip to maximize our vacation days.
Where We Went This Year
Las Vegas, Nevada
Rome, Pompeii, Naples, and Florence, Italy
Panama City, Panama
Denver, Colorado
New England road trip to Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York.
Aruba
Los Angeles and a west coast cruise
Additionally, I went to Newport Beach, California for a conference and my hubby went to northern Montana for work as well.
As mentioned above, we plan trips over weekends and holidays, schedule flights with evening departures/returns, and try anything else we can do to maximize time. We were able to use minimal vacation days again this year by planning this way. As I’m able to take time off work in one-hour increments, it’s always important to save up vacation time where possible – so if I only need two hours off, I’ll only take two hours. Just like with money, little savings here and there adds up to bigger end results.
Transportation and Accommodation
As the blog name suggests, we travel By Land and Sea, and every method in between! We hit the open roads, the friendly skies, the deep blue seas, and some long and winding tracks. We also stayed at some wonderful places this past year. Our accommodations ranged from luxury, mid-range, and economy hotels to an Italian convent. One thing that was noticeably absent in our accommodations this year was staying at an all-inclusive resort. We had stayed at several of these during years prior, but in the end of 2016 I swore them off for a year. Guess what… didn’t miss them one bit!
Favorite Experiences
I really can’t pick a favorite thing we did this year as everything was great. This year was very different and brought a lot of great experiences our way. If I had to pick a few top highlights, I’d include the following favorites:
- Wasting the days away in charming Casco Viejo, Panama.
- Soaking up the atmosphere in Piazza Navona in Rome, listening to street music, smelling roasted chestnuts, and people watching.
- Getting up close and personal with the rushing waters of Niagara Falls.
By Land and Sea
During the year, I’ve done quite a bit of work on my blog as well. I switched to self-hosted, redesigned the entire theme, changed my posting schedule, branded my content, and am continuing to build my network. There still seems to be a list of things I’d like to do for By Land and Sea, and I’m excited to see what I’ll be able to learn and accomplish moving forward. As with last year, it will be my goal to continue to develop my site and get great content out there. Keep your eyes out for even more destination specific posts coming out in the next year! And, I’d like to thank everyone who supports my blog and blogging efforts. I truly enjoy your comments, shares, and the communities I’ve been able to join.
We are looking forward to our exciting 2018 travel year as well! At this point, we already have two trips planned, as well as several more ideas which are being thrown out there. I’m anxious to see what the year brings!
How was your last year of travel!?! Share in the comments below!
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Another great post with lots of fantastic ideas for those who love to travel. Thank you for sharing your experiences, thoughts, ideas, and suggestions!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for commenting!!
I would like to visit Panama City soon. Heard that it is a pretty beautiful place
It is! And, it’s very cosmopolitan!
Great year! We started in Bangkok, went to the Uk for two visits and Myanmar for two weeks,. Then moved here to Kyiv.
Would love to get to Asia at some point. It’s on our list!!
I keep your idea of Rome and Italy, as I’ve had the same idea stuck in my head since two weeks. Guess you’re just sending me a sign!!
I hope you make it there – Italy is wonderful and Rome is so full of history and culture!
What a great year! Well done on all your hard work.
Enjoy your end of the year cruise and I wish you all the very best for the new year ahead!
Looking forward to reading more posts.
Thank you and same to you!
What a great year! I would love to go to Panama. It’s on my very long list! Hahaha
Our list keeps growing too! We highly recommend Panama though – we loved it there!
These photos are great! It looks like you have had a fantastic year! 🙂
Thank you!
What a great year! You are so right about making ever hour count when you work full time, that’s what we do and it does add up! Good to be connected on #feetdotravel and look forward to seeing what 2018 brings!
Have enjoyed being connected with you and following your adventures too! Cheers to a wonderful 2018!
You are super privileged that you got to visit so many places around the United States and Italy as well.You seem to have a had a wonderful year indeed.I hope 2018 is filled with more fun,travel and adventure
Thank you and same to you!
Awesome post, I love looking at how achievable travel is even when working, if you just plan ahead.
Yep! It takes planning, coordination, and saving, but it really is possible!
Amazing shots. I feel jealous of you guys as you have traveled to so many countries.
I checked out your website – you have spectacular photos!
You have had a great year and looking forward to your article on California. I must say you have hit my favorite places like Niagara Falls, Casco Viejo and Rome. After seeing your photos I want to visit Aruba. Like the new look of your website and branding plus how amazed you are so organized. Looking forward to see where you travel in 2018. Happy Holidays! #feetdotravel
Thanks for another year of digital friendship and support Stephanie! Knowing me, it will be a year before my California posts are ready. However, I’m glad you’ve also enjoyed some of the places we were able to visit this year!
You had a wonderful travel year! Hope 2018 comes full of new adventures! So nice you have two trips planned. I am setting up some plans too. #feetdotravel
Can’t wait to see what the new year has in store for you as well!
Great inspiration guys! Hope this gets a lot more people hitting the road next year!
You have managed to squeeze a lot into this year considering how busy you’ve been! Enjoyed reading your blog and looking forward to all the awesome trips in 2018 and beyond! Keep up the awesome work
What a great year you’ve had. It’s always good to reflect and recall how much we’ve seen and done, you’ve given me inspiration. 🙂