2016 was the year of travel for me. I was able to go to 16 different cities, 10 different states and 2 different countries! I’ve never been to so many places over the course of a year. It was definitely exciting and inspiring. Heck, all this travel inspired this blog! I’ve written travel guides to 8 of the cities I’ve been to and plan to tackle the rest in 2017. Stay tuned.

I wanted to take a moment and reflect back on my wonderful travel journey. Below is the list of all the places I’ve been in 2016 with some of my favorite photos. I’ve hyperlinked the places I’ve created travel guides for if you’d like to revisit those posts.

January

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

My husband and his family have a timeshare here. Due to prior obligations, I have never been able to attend until this year. I can definitely say that I was sadly missing out. Cabo is AWESOME.

Cabo San Lucas Booze Cruise.jpg — Photo op on the sunset booze cruise with my husband and mother-in-law! You can’t really tell in this pic, but we were right in front of El Arco at the tip of the Baja Peninsula.

February

Malibu, CA

My friend Corrie had a work thing out in Cali and my friend Kassie and I were invited to come crash her trip. We had so much fun shopping, lunching, and hitting up a few wineries!

Malibu Wine Tour.jpg — This polaroid was taken of us and posted on the wall at one of the wineries we went to. It turned out cute, so we had to take a picture of a picture.

Bonita Springs, FL

My friend Kim’s parents recently purchased a condo in Bonita Springs. She invited her friend Gillian and I down to stay at the new condo for a girls weekend.

Bonita Bay Sunset.JPG — How gorgeous is this sunset view from the condo??

March

New Orleans, LA

Click Here for Travel Guide

With my dad’s recent passing, my mom and sister were feeling the need to get the F out of dodge. New Orleans is one of my all time favorite cities, so I had to go with. Haha!

Afternoon Tea — Look at these insane desserts we had at Salon by Sucré . They were incredible.

April

Boston, MA

My husband’s birthday is in April and he threw out the idea of going to Boston in lieu of gifts. I was indifferent about going here, but it turned out to be one of my favorite vacations in 2016. I can’t wait to blog about it.

Fenway Park.jpg — My husband was like a kid in a candy store! He was thrilled I got us tickets to sit in the Green Monster section.

May

South Haven, MI

My friend Katy’s bachelorette party weekend was here. This was the second bachelorette party weekend I’ve had in this cute little town and both were so much fun! Such a great girls weekend getaway!

Round Barn Winery Bachelorette Party.jpg — All the girls in front of Round Barn Winery!

June

Denver, CO

Click Here for Travel Guide

On NYE 2015, my friends Jenna and Corrie decided they wanted to go to Denver in the new year. We made it happen. From hitting up a Rockies game in Denver to horseback riding in Estes Park and everything in between. We really tried to experience everything Denver has to offer. It was a blast!

On Top of Pikes Peak Cog Railway.jpg — My girlfriends and I rode the Cog Railway up to the top of Pikes Peak! The views were incredible.

July

Myrtle Beach, SC

My dad was suckered into a free trip to Myrtle Beach before he passed away. My mom, her friend Jan, my sister, and I all went on this trip. We had a great time with each other, but I’m not sure I would ever go back to Myrtle Beach.

Myrtle Beach South Carolina.jpg — We made Jan download Snapchat!

August

Orlando, FL

My brother went off to college this fall and before he went my mom wanted to do something special for him. We took him to the theme parks in Orlando. It was a really, really fun trip.

rip-saw-falls — My mom took this photo of my brother and I on Rip Saw Falls and we could NOT stop laughing. Look how ridiculous his face is. Hahahahahaha, oh my god.

Toronto, Canada

Click Here for Travel Guide

My husband won this trip for us through Draft Kings. They provided us with a City Pass that allowed us access to all the main attractions Toronto has to offer. Toronto is a lot like Chicago. I could definitely move there.

Chris and I with our friends after the Draft Kings event!

September

Door County, WI

Friends of ours planned a destination wedding in Door County. I had never been there before and really enjoyed the quaint, scenic town.

door-county-its-about-thyme-farm-wedding — About Thyme Farm was the cutest venue for a barn wedding!

October

Madison, WI

Click Here for Travel Guide

My husband is a UW-Madison alumni and my brother is currently a student. We frequently visit Madison, but this particular trip we went for the Ohio State football game.

university-of-madison-wisconsin-siblings — We had to get a sibling pic during halftime! Go Badgers!

November

Cleveland, OH

Click Here for Experience Recap

This was the fastest and most exciting trip I went on. We jumped on a plane with our friends and family to go watch the Chicago Cubs win the World Series! We were only in Cleveland for about 12 hours, but it was 100% worth it.

chicago-cubs-world-series — My husband’s family and I flying the W in Cleveland after the Cubs won the World Series in the most epic Game 7 of all time!

Marco Island, FL

Click Here for Travel Guide

My family has a timeshare on Marco Island that we’ve had since I was a baby. This year was a little emotionally charged because it was the first year without my dad being there. We had a great time being with each other, but greatly missed my dad.

Marco Island Fishing Trip.jpg — I’m kind of obsessed with backwater fishing. Of course I would catch a zebra fish! They are the cutest.

December

Las Vegas, NV

Click Here for Travel Guide

My sister turned 30! I can’t think of a better reason to hit up Vegas than that. Although, Vegas is always a good idea.

My husband is a professional poker player, but I’m obsessed with blackjack.

Telluride, CO

Click Here for Travel Guide

Friends of ours planned their destination wedding in Telluride. Everyone else hit the slopes while I explored other options the town had to offer. There is definitely something for everyone in this beautiful mountain town. It was a fantastic way to end 2016 travels.

telluride-wedding-the-peaks-hotel — My husband was the best man! Still can’t get over that background.

I was definitely ready and in need for a much better year. For many people 2016 sucked, but for me… 2015 was the rough, emotional roller coaster of a year. I have to say that even though 2016 wasn’t the best year ever, it was pretty darn great over all. I’d also like to thank all of my readers for supporting me and encouraging me to keep writing. Starting this blog was hard. It’s scary to put it all out there!

My husband and I are really looking forward to 2017. We have big life and travel plans coming up hot and I can’t wait to share them with you in the coming months. I hope everyone has a wonderful, happy, and safe New Years Eve and I look forward to connecting with you in the new year!

With love,

Lauren