It's been a long time coming

I'm a pretty lucky person, at least when it comes to the traveling that I am able to do - and again, at least within the 2009 year. Sometimes when I'm just feeling sorry for myself about my job that I really can't stand, the location where I live, or for really no good reason at all other than a little self-pity, it's very necessary to take a step back and review all the good in the year. For me, I travel when I need that reminder of what "freedom" feels like. My job holds me back in so many ways that the second I get onto the open road or into an airplane I become a completely different person - someone that I used to be before corporate America stole my sense of freedom. Anyway, I've been incredibly fortunate this year to be able to do a lot of traveling. After thinking about it for awhile recently, I think that I've taken more flights this year than almost any other year of my life.
January - March: No flights - Though I did move into a new apartment, attend President Obama's Inauguration concert, celebrate my birthday with dear friends, travel to the Poconos for a weekend, get to have a weekend visit with Ang, my college roommate, and attend the DC Cherry Blossom Festival - to name a few things.
April - Flight to Ft. Lauderdale - 4 days in the sun with some fantastic friends. April was also the month of my very first Coldplay concert. Also started a new job in this month which definitely freed up my weekends!
May - Again, no flights (and the only month until the present where that is the case) - however, I did get to spend a long weekend in NYC and see my best friend graduate from law school; enjoy time on the lake/boat in Annapolis; go to a few bbqs; attend the Vintage Virginia Annual Wine Festival; and visit Shenandoah National Park for the first time ever.
June - June was hectic. No two ways about it. June started off with my flight of the month to Iowa so a wonderful weekend spent at our good family friend's 50th Anniversary Party; visiting with Amy (also in IA); Roadtrip to NY to see Dave Matthews Band; Relay for Life; and a Red Sox/Nationals baseball game in DC.
July - Flight of this month was to home in NY. My cousin got married and it was great to catch up with all the family and meet my newest cousin. I also managed to roadtrip to North Carolina for a long weekend to see Ang; attend an 80's cover band; say goodbye to a good friend moving away; visit the Annapolis beach/outlet shopping; and numerous wonderful nights and bottles of wine over the Bachelorette spent with good friends.
August - This was the big kahuna of flights for the year - SAN FRANCISCO. One word: amazing. August is still young but I've also taken a weekend roadtrip to Rehoboth Beach to see my godmother and her family. It has also held a weekend camping/tubing trip in the Shenadoah National Park region as well as holding the record for the month of the largest bruises I've ever had in my entire life. (Note to self: cliff jumping never ends well.) It'll also contain a baseball game and a couple of birthday celebrations.

The fall is still yet to come but September already has at least two weekends away and the flight of that month will be home to NY for Labor Day weekend. It'll also contain at least one weekend trip to Philly and possible another DMB concert. My flight of the month for October will most likely be to Boston to explore the next chapter of life for me - grad school. It will also hold a weekend roadtrip to NJ for my first "friend" wedding. So weird. November will be a long weekend spent in CT/NYC for ThanksChristmas and December will home again for the holidays and the looming due dates of grad school applications. Scary, but exhilarating all at once.

It's tough to think of how quickly a year can go by. It seems like we were just celebrating last Christmas and now the summer is almost over. I am so lucky....so very lucky.