Country #22 and Teen Drivers | Finishing 2024

What a special, amazing year!! This year, I was able to add Belize, Denmark, Turkey, Bulgaria, Iceland, and Norway to my list of countries visited (click the links for more details and photos)!! I crossed several adventures off my to-do list, like riding the Katy Trail in Missouri and completing my first Via Ferrata! I only have 8 states left to visit and I'll have seen all 50! I was able to see Jacob Collier in concert TWICE!! I slept in probably the fanciest resort ever in El Nido, Palawan, and spent several nights in a rental car. It's been a very fun year. :) 

It's hard to pick favorites, but I'll try: 

Best sunset: Palawan, Philippines

Best swimming: Key West, Florida

Best hike: Stolzen to Ulriken, above Bergen, Norway

Best tacos: San Antonio, Texas

Best hostel: Bunks at Rode, Oslo, Norway (with a close second place to Nordic Hostel, Reykjavik, Iceland) 

Best walking tour: Copenhagen, Denmark

Best workout: Manitou Incline, Colorado Springs

Best gelato: Istanbul, Turkey

Best flowers: poppies in Bulgaria

Best time with friends: Via Ferrata, Kentucky

Norway was my 22nd country, and one of my favorites EVER. There are so many places in the world I still want to visit, but Norway demands a return trip. 

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I know it seems like all I do is travel, but I have also been busy this year working a split shift at the airport (who sponsors my flights...thank you Alaska/Horizon Air). My alarm is usually set for around 3 o'clock in the morning and I have just recently completed my deice training, giving me credentials to drive the truck and spray the hot glycol solution on the aircraft to remove frost and prevent ice from forming. Winter ops is the most exciting time of the year! 

If I'm not working at the airport or off on a trip, then you'll probably find me doing dishes/cleaning the house (probably planning a trip, who am I kidding)... :p I do try to keep food in the house and clean clothes in the drawers...

And lately, you'll find me in the passenger seat of our Nissan Leaf, holding my breath and trying to be patient with our 15 year-old student driver!! He's in driver's ed right now and will probably have accumulated 50 hours of driving in time to pass his test ON his 16th birthday (and solo in his plane shortly thereafter, maybe even on the same day)! What a cool kid! Now if he will follow all traffic laws even when no police officers are watching... 

Some of my time is spent driving the 17-year-old up and down 5th Street, but usually he and his e-bike do just fine. He just finished fall quarter at WVC and only has NINE classes remaining before transferring to university. Wow wow wow. He will have taken a total of 32 college classes before graduating from high school, including the Engineering Physics and Chemistry sequences, and Calculus 4. I actually don't know if he's my son. I am sooooooo impressed with him. He must get 95% of his genes from his dad.  

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Okay, back to travel -- LOL...

Back in December of 2023, I decided to put together a sort-of wish list...things I would like to do and places I would like to go in the coming year. I have since deleted a couple things from the list as well as modifying a few things (like where to attend a concert), but I think it's still a fun idea to start a new year with a spicy list of ideas! I have had to push five things to next year's list that just didn't quite fit in anywhere. Hopefully we'll get to Japan in January!!! 

Travel Bucket for 2024: 
Biking in Tucson, AZ
Biking the Florida Keys
Cross country ski near Kelowna, BC
Skiing at Alyeska Resort, AK
Concert at the Orpheum in New Orleans, LA
Jacob Collier concert in Seattle, WA
Manitou Incline in Colorado Springs
Visit the Boston Harbor Islands
Candlelight Concert in Boston
Airshow in California
Bike part of the Katy Trail
Via Ferrata in Campton, KY
Bergen to Oslo train route, Norway

Save for 2025!!!
Skiing in Japan

Northern lights somewhere

Biking in Santa Barbara, CA

Hike a section of the Pacific Crest Trail
Bike the Ohio to Erie Trail

Shall I make another list for 2025???!

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Currently:
Eating | My favorite vegetarian meatloaf recipe! 
Enjoying | Sleeping under warm blankets with cold fresh air on my face
Watching | Survivor Season 47!! 
Thankful for | Super nice coworkers who trade shifts with me!! 
Planning | An Austrian ski vacation!
Anticipating | Even more exciting adventures in 2025!!!

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Stats for 2024 

5 blog posts here, including this one, but 18 posts on my travel site [nearandfar.us]

42 photos on my personal Instagram, 214 posts on @nearerandfarther [my travel Insta]

11 posts on Facebook (should I get on FB more?) 

49 posts on Strava [I should be more consistent here]

2 family photos (we need a fresh one)

Cheers to a new year coming very soon!! Live your best life!!