“How am I supposed to slow it down so I can figure out who I am?”  This Judah & the Lion lyric resonates with me greatly looking back on this past month, semester and year overall.  It’s true what they say about life getting faster the older you get.  Here’s a quick recap on the month of December with my top 5 highlights:

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1. Los Angeles trip

I love traveling solo, with friends and the whole family, but there’s something about a father-daughter trip.  My dad and I recently traveled to Los Angeles with stops at Catalina Island and Santa Monica in our blink of a trip.  (Posts to come!)  It was nice to escape the chill of the Midwest for *somewhat* warmer weather in SoCal.

2. I released my book in paperback!

Last month I published an e-book, but I took the next steps—and now it’s available in paperback on Amazon!  It is a bit weird seeing my face printed on the cover, but the gratification of simply completing a goal I set out to accomplish is incredible.  Looking to travel better and to maximize your time, money and energy?  I think yes!  Check out my book here.3. Christmas celebrations + goodies

Can we talk about all the caramel corn and chocolate I ate this holiday season for just a hot sec?!  This Christmas was much better than the last—mainly because I didn’t spend it in the hospital with my grandma like last year.  This Christmas saw sweet family time, baking, movie watching and some fun new toys!  I’m very pumped to use my Joby Gorillapod phone tripod for my upcoming trips to Atlanta and NYC to get shake-free video on my iPhone.  And I’m downright obsessed with my new Smashbox eye shadow palette!

4. Catchin’ up on podcasts

Travel forces you to both speed up and slow down—speeding up to see and do many things, slowing down during the journey to and from.  On my flight to Los Angeles, I used this extra time to catch up on some podcasts.  Geek warning: I completely nerd out when it comes to French history.  My favorite podcast easily is The Land of Desire, a series about quirks in French history.  Diana does an incredible job of turning seemingly boring things like French work policy into better appreciation for the French culture.

5. Top posts from the year

I’m a strong advocate for #RealTalk, and several of my posts talked about just that—like when I found the one little monster that followed me all the way to Europe.  And why living abroad isn’t always glamorous.  Practicality is also a huge value here at Round Trip with posts on topics from how to wear a travel backpack and tips to travel journal like a pro.

This year saw trips all over America and abroad.  Looking forward to a happy new year and many new adventures in 2018!