New Year, New Passport, and New Travel Goals

Travel has become one of my favorite hobbies, and something I value highly enough to drive a more modest car and live in a more modest home to allow.  I'm ready for a great 2020.

I just renewed my passport in late November and received it back just before the start of the new year.  I'm ready to put this thing to good use, and have really come to appreciate the growth and lessons learned through travel.

Last year, I managed a few visits to special places to me.  Hawaii, Portland, Seattle, and LA were the shorter trips.  These were appreciated and awesome experiences (including more surfing lessons, swimming with sharks, fireworks, and Mariners games).

They provided the perfect break from reality and recharge at times when they were badly needed.  I did some solo, some with family, and some with friends.

The biggest one was another international solo trip, that took me to Europe.  I had one week and a couple bonus days to work with, so it wasn't the extended multi-week trip I would dream of, so I treated it more like a sampler platter.

I decided that I would visit the United Kingdom with stops in London, Liverpool, and Belfast Northern Ireland.  I then moved on to Dublin Ireland, Amsterdam the Netherlands, and then on to Germany.  Germany stops were especially meaningful since I was born there and had not returned since I was two-years-old.

My time in Germany included Berlin and then Frankfurt, and ultimately the village I was born in about 45 minutes outside of Frankfurt.  Seeing that part of my history had a far more profound impact than I expected, and it's lead me to want to visit again, and continue my exploration of a place that is now very special to me.

know it's not possible or not as powerful for all of us, but for me, the chance to expand my understanding and experiences is profound.  I'm hoping to make it back to Europe, perhaps Hawaii, and definitely a few more places around the Northwest in 2020.

Cheers to your travel plans too.