Day 8: Traveling

(Yes, I'm a little early.  But I couldn't wait!)

I think I inherited my grandpa's love for traveling right along with his love for photography.  Lucky for me, they do go well together.  I love to travel.  When we were kids, my parents took us on several memorable vacations.  When I was seven, we drove in a conversion van with my grandparents all the way to Colorado and New Mexico.  And then there were the all-family trips to Florida.  Those were awesome!  Families that had been going to Daytona since my mom was a girl would all get together for a week from all over the country.  Basically, as kids, we were allowed to just run together in packs between the ocean and pool.  It's because of those trips I grew to love the ocean and Winn-Dixie.

As an (alleged) adult, I've gone on several really great vacations.  One of the most memorable would be Puerto Rico.  There's just something about an all-expense paid trip that is just better than most.  Particularly if you are staying at the Ritz Carlton San Juan.  I'm so thankful Aunt Jane let me tag along!  Here's a peek:

The bravest I've ever been is when I decided that I would go to Washington DC on a special tour for teachers.  I knew I wouldn't know anyone else going on the trip.  Even better, to pay for it I taught English as a Second Language to INS detainees in a prison (note that I do not speak anything close to passable Spanish).  But, it was all worth it when I got to see all of the classic images of our nation's capital.

Lately, my favorite trips have been the ones that Amber and I take.  When Amber was about to graduate college, she shared that she had never seen the ocean.  I decided that was a sight no college grad should miss!  And so, we made our first trip out to Charleston, SC, thanks to our friend Tara's invite!

Since then, we've taken St. Louis and most recently, Gulf Shores, AL.  (Which you can read all about here, here, here, and here.)  And we are already making plans for the next girls-only trip! 

What are some of your favorite vacations/vacation spots?