Looking Back on 2017

2017 was pretty much a stable year for me, in terms that nothing too drastic happened and no big life changes occurred. I continued working as an IT auditor and hit my one year anniversary at my company. Although my childhood dog, Furry, passed away, we welcomed 3 new puppies into our family- Flipper, Ellie, and Pongo. I finally convinced my two best friends to visit me (from Seattle and Texas) and we had a blast hitting up all my favorite spots in New York. I hit 4 foreign countries this year and fulfilled my New Year's Resolution of traveling to at least 3 countries this year. Best of all, I launched this blog! It was always my dream to have my own blog where I could share my thoughts and write about things I was passionate about. I'm so happy Toast and Travel became a reality this year.

Although I definitely feel that this year wasn't my biggest travel year, I felt that 2017 was  the year when New York finally became home. I had always though of my time here as temporary- just an escape or an adventure from my Texas life. I didn't make too much of an effort in making new friends and I actively chose not to buy bigger items for my apartment with the sole thought that it would be hard to move back home to Texas. However, this was the first year where I thought of my NYC life as permanent and I began to create a solid community for myself by joining local organizations, volunteering, and having favorite hang out spots. I have high hopes for 2018 and can't wait to see what the year has in store for me, both travel wise and personally.

Just wanted to recap some highlights from my 2017 travel adventures! Most of these happened before this blog was launched so there weren't posts on everything, but you can bet that next year there will be a post for everywhere I travel to.

January

Las Vegas- I spent MLK weekend here with some of my sorority sisters as part of our 1st Annual Alumnae Retreat and... discovered that Vegas isn't my ideal city.

February

Austin- My pledge sister (for whom I was a bridesmaid for) had her first baby! Baby William was born in mid February and luckily I had already booked my ticket to visit and see this little bundle of joy.

March

London- I had a 7 hour layover on my way from New York to India and didn't waste a moment of my time by escaping the airport to see Buckingham Palace. I've always wanted to visit London and this layover only deepened my lust for the city.

Hyderabad and Bangalore, India- Although I was initially scared to venture into this country, my time in India completely overturned any preconceptions I had on the country. I loved every second I had on this adventure!

April

Boston- Met up with 3 other sorority sisters for an impromptu trip to this city! We drank tea off the Boston Tea Party ship, devoured tons of lobster rolls, and walked across the Boston Marathon finish line.

Ithaca, New York- Wedding season finally started! I drove upstate to attend a gorgeous little rustic wedding and had the opportunity to go on a few winery tours.

May

Tampa- Came here for a work trip and throughly enjoyed the sun! Although by week 3 I began to desperately miss the city life...

Portland, Maine- My best friend (finally) came to visit me in New York and we took a mini road trip up to the very photogenic town of Portland. All we did was eat tons of lobster rolls, go lighthouse hopping, and ride boats into the sunset!

June

Columbus, Ohio- My second wedding of the year was held here and I was able to check Ohio off my list of US states that I had not yet visited. Although there wasn't too much to keep us entertained, we enjoyed tasting a little of the Midwest.

China/Taiwan- My family had a huge family reunion here and I was able to meet so many relatives. This is also where I chopped off half my hair... #shorthairdontcare #itwastoohot

July

Houston- I took an emergency flight back home so I could be with my doggy before he passed away.

August

Washington DC- My sorority had its annual National Convention here so I took the bus down for a weekend of history and sisterhood. I loved getting to meet up with sisters that I hadn't seen since last year's Convention.

Montreal, Canada- I passed the quarter of a century life mark in this country and celebrated my birthday with my sister on our annual sisters trip.

September

Savannah, Georgia- My very first blog post! My friend and I relaxed here over Labor Day weekend and ate our fill of Southern food.

Long Island, New York- After touring a few wineries in upstate New York, I decided to check out another two wineries located out in Long Island and discovered the beauty that is there (only an hour from the city too).

October

Chicago- Another work trip, but this one gave me the opportunity to take awesome photos with this shiny bean! I also had tons of fun eating deep dish pizza and taking pictures on a box hanging out over a skyscraper

November and December

Houston- Family time well deserved and well spent. It was nice just having time to relax in my childhood home and see all my old friends from high school.

All I can say is 2017 was a busy year for me! What were some places you traveled to in 2017?