I spent some time in personal reflection at the end of last year, and it seems like a good thing to continue.

Here are a few special moments, thoughts, travel experiences, and ponderings on the meaning of life as another year comes to an end

8 Memorable Travel Experiences:

1. Coming up from the metro in Rome and seeing the Coliseum looming in front of me
2. color=”#000000″>Throwing three coins in Trevi Fountain
3. Eating gelato (the real thing) in Italy
4. Wine tasting in Tuscany
5. The ruins at Pompeii
6. Making some great new friends in Guadalajara, and practicing my Spanish a little more
7. Pow-Wow in Las Vegas, a wonderful event in and of itself, but also one that gave me story ideas for the year and more
8. The Vatican

8 Favorite Things:

1. Family & friends
2. Misha & Benjamin
3. My passport which opens door to the world
4. My business family and the friends I’ve made at b5media
5. Travel blogger friends
6. Red wine and great cheese
7. Discovering new things, both far away and close to home
8. Leather gloves purchased in Italy

8 Favorite Cities:

1. Guadalajara
2. Paris
3. Washington DC
4. Florence
5. NYC
6. Rome
7. Palm Springs
8. Phoenix

8 Life Lessons:

1. Life is the biggest adventure
2. Friends come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime and it’s sometimes difficult figuring it out
3. A bad economy doesn’t have to eliminate travel, it just takes more creativity
4. Happiness is a personal choice
5. Travel blogging is about relationships more than information.  We want recommendations from people we know and trust, not total strangers.
6. You have to embrace change and deal with it straight on, but forgive yourself the fits and starts that will inevitably happen
7. Sometimes the answer really is no
8. There are not enough hours in the day, and that’s the way it’s supposed to be, so we’ll always have tomorrow to look forward to

Good bye 2008.  I can’t say that I’m sad to see you go.  Here’s hoping that 2009 will bring happiness, personal growth, and fabulous experiences to everyone!

See you in the New Year!

Image credit:  SXC

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