So. Last time I was talking about our plans for summer 2016. The options I was floating around were Europe, the British Isles, the west coast, a cruise or Canada.
Well. It's definitely not going to be Europe (sobs), or the British Isles (double sobs). The west coast or Canada might be pushing it, we'll see. Becaaaaaauuuusssseee...
We are going to Australia!!!
In 2017.
SO. FAR. AWAY.
But still. We're going to Australia! I'm going home! The reason we are pushing it back to 2017 instead of 2016 is because $$$$. Last time it was much more expensive than we planned, and we didn't do as much as I wanted because of that. Plus, in 2017, I will have a whole extra week of vacation, woo woo.
Guess what else we're gonna do?
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Plus, I want to do another little surprise trip for KC. Last time, we did Cairns (and my Nana ruined it right before, lucky I love her) and I'm hoping he doesn't start reading the blog because I already know where I'm going to take him this time...
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So. I can handle waiting till 2017 (boo) because it's going to be...
I'm pretty stoked. I already have the itinerary all planned out (duh) and I've started planning what I'm going to pack. I managed 2 weeks in a carry on last time, this time I need to fit 3 weeks in a carry on and it will actually be cold-ish in parts of NZ. I learned a lot from packing for NYC, so hopefully I'll be golden. It actually should be really easy considering we'll be able to do washing the majority of the time. But still. I want to look cute, okay?
Obviously I am super excited you guys. Can't even handle my excitement. I can't wait for January so I can start saying 'next year!' instead of '2017 sad face'.
Until then..... 2016.
Mum and her friend (who I love as well) are coming to the US late 2016, so I still have that to look forward to. Mainly Vegas and Venice beach (I think). Basically, we're gonna hire a car (I should probably get my driver's license) and have an awesome girls trip filled with shopping and singing along to bad / awesome music.
That is actually a pretty big reason we are vetoing Europe as well - if we went to Europe, I wouldn't have enough vacation time to spend a week with my mum, and that wasn't something I wanted to sacrifice. This way, I have a week with my mum, and a week or so to go on a summer trip with KC.
Speaking of our summer trip, we decided on a cruise! I know I said I am afraid of open water, and I am, but several people have told me I won't fall off, and KC promises not to leave my side at all, and if you think I will not enforce that, you don't know me when I'm afraid.
Even though I am super excited
I was gonna ask everyone's opinions on cruises (on top of the lovely ladies I've already annoyed with a thousand questions), in particular which ports and which cruise line, but I think we have decided and I don't want to read any more opinions or reviews because then I will question my choice and I don't want to, k thanks.
I am super thankful and lucky that my not-really-a-fan-of-travel husband lets me do all the things, and that he understands how much I want to go home, even if just for a couple of weeks in well over a year.
This will definitely be an incentive to continue working out in the winter, right?
WEEEEEEEEEEEEE, cheers for Australia! So glad you get to go home, lady!!!!! I know 2017 is far away, but it's planned and you're gonna get to go and that is fabulous. And super cheers to mama in 2016, woohoo!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you decided on a cruise, they are a ton of fun and no matter what you pick you will have a blasty. Glad you've gotten the advice you need to make a decision. It can get a bit overwhelming but i know you and your planning, you got this girl! Happy Monday!
So jealous! That sounds like such an amazing trip and how fun is it you get to throw New Zealand in there too!? It seems far away but I bet the time will fly! <3, Pamela Sequins & Sea Breezes
ReplyDeleteAwww, Miha and I are the same. I hated hiking but he LOVES it, and considering all his vacations days are spent on going back to Mexico, I had to sacrifice a couple of weekends a year. You will see that time will fly away and soon you will be in Australia. So excited for you!! Going back home is the best feeling :)
ReplyDeleteYou are going to have a FAB time! My husband lived abroad there for a semester in college and has nothing but good things to say about it! Planning everything will be so fun, and it'll be nice that you have this trip to look forward to, even if it's a little far away.
ReplyDeleteStop! I'm SO jealous! I'm sorry you have to wait until 2017, but saving up is a good plan for sure!
ReplyDeletenice!! i've always wanted to visit australia and now that my friend lives down there, even more incentive but OH MY GOD IT'S SO FAR. why can't they invent teleportation so i can just teleport there???
ReplyDeleteThose plans sound amazing!!! I have an aunt and uncle in New Zealand who have encouraged me to visit since I was a teenager, but I still haven't found the time or $$. When we go, I want to go for at least 3 weeks and do some of Australia too!! Uluru looks incredible!! It will be so nice for you to see your mom next year too!! 2017 will be here before you know it :)
ReplyDeleteso exciting!! yay!! if there's anything i've learned, it's how fast time flies, so it will be 2017 in no time. i went to NZ in the same trip as Australia. Ayers Rock is no joke. I wish I was in that shape again when I climbed that. I'm so happy for you!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteYay for Yall! 2017 will be gere before you know it and 3 glorious weeks! I'm refusing to read the 2 weeks in a carry on bag... Until u need to memorize every word for our trip to Thailand.
ReplyDeletelol correction I need to memorize!
ReplyDeleteAhhh what a great trip to look forward to, Australia & New Zealand, plus getting to see your family! And honestly if 2016 goes by as fast as this year, you'll be on your trip in no time! haha And please report back on your findings from a cruise!
ReplyDeleteSo many exciting travel plans right now!!!!! Our friends did New Zealand and Australia for their honeymoon and it looked gorgeous, which, of course, you already know! And you'll have so much fun on a cruise! It's a great way to relax and you can't beat all the eating and drinking and time for reading by the pool that you'll have! Can't wait to hear all about Disney too!
ReplyDeleteOmg! Yay! That is definitely a trip to look forward too! Always a place I've wanted to visit. You're going to have the best time... and so much fun planning it!
ReplyDeleteCruises are amazing!! My favorite itinerary was Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Belize City, and Roatan, Honduras
ReplyDeleteHow exciting that you get to go home!!!!
ReplyDeleteYAY for Australia!!! That's so exciting... even if it is two years away. But technically, 2017 is only 14 months away so if you look at it that way it's not so bad. Enjoy all of the planning!
ReplyDeleteYayyy for travel! I'm glad you're going home to visit family and also that you're going to Auckland! We can compare notes!!! Cruises are awesome. Just super relaxing and lots of tasty food.
ReplyDeleteIs it weird that I got all excited about this, too?! I can't even imagine how excited you must be, eeeee! Good thing time flies in adulthood so yay, 2017 will be here in just a few blinks.
ReplyDeleteIt's so exciting that you'll be going to Australia and New Zealand! I guess that makes up for the fact that it's in 2017, since it will definitely be worth the wait :) A cruise sounds really nice, though I'm a bit weird about being out in the open water too, it's gonna be such a relaxing vacation!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely an incentive and OMG so much awesomeness in this post!! Can't wait to hear all about the trips as you continue to plan!! Love that Britney movie!!
ReplyDeleteThat's so exciting!! I know how happy you must be about getting home. If you need another travel buddy just let me know ;) I've always wanted to do a cruise since they're so cheap (compared to regular trips) so I can't wait to hear where you decide to go. YAY for traveling! If you ever want to chat about trips, you have my email. I can never get tired of talking about traveling!
ReplyDeleteWell hot damn! That is AWESOME news about Australia... I'm happy for you! And you have a shit ton of other stuff going on, too... I'm jealous/impressed!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHow do you not have a driver's license though??? LOLOLOLOLOL How do you get to work? AND TARGET?!
Ahh that's so exciting! I am glad you get to go home, show KC more, and finally make it over to New Zealand. Now the only hard part is counting down until 2017.
ReplyDeleteummm that still sounds like #allthetravel :) AMAZING! SO SO SO SO EXCITING!! New Zealand! What a dream. I have no idea where the hobbit houses and LOTR things are but how cool would that be?! Also, I totally get the long (ish for me) distance family stuff now (SOBS)... I am super glad you get to see your family!! Also, cruises are great. And my KC loves them because they are low stress, and low planning. The cost is inclusive. The transport is easy, the planning is minimal. Guys like that kind of thing, especially in between more planned out trips. :) I liked it too and would totally do another! That road trip with your mom sounds like a blast!! I looove that Crossroads GIF. What a great movie. Depending on when you go Britney is definitely playing in Vegas! You should look into it! :) We're off to Phoenix to see my family (yay!) right before Christmas. Then April to San Francisco. KC has a conference... so we may be "working" part of the time... but we have friends that live there and there is a lot to see and do! I would love to squeeze one more trip in there... but again.. buying a house... Maybe we'll do some fall/winter 2016 travel! :) XO -Alexandra
ReplyDeleteSimply Alexandra: My Favorite Things
Yay! Travel plans are so exciting! Even if they're far off.
ReplyDeleteAh how exciting!! Okay it might be far but lets be honest time flies and in no time your mom will be in the US and after that in no time you'll be having an amazing trip in AU and NZ!!!
ReplyDeleteI have never been on a cruise. Maybe I'll convince Tom that we need to go on one next year. I'm so excited for you and I'm excited to live vicariously through you! I can't wait for the vacation recap post in 2017!!
ReplyDeletePretty sure KC and I are twinsies... Which is cool, we need people like you in our lives! And yay for trips home! Even though I'm from the US I think you and I get home about the same amount... After you have kids girl, all that travel is DONZO. So get it in while you can! And New Zealand sounds fab too! 2017 is a bummer but hey - at least you have time to plan, right?
ReplyDeleteSo.many.awesome.plans!!!! I'm pumped up for you!
ReplyDeleteoh, it must be soo exciting to know that you have a home trip on the books. I can only imagine!!! my gosh. And you have such a knack for picking gifs, I tell you!!
ReplyDeleteOkay well that is exciting and totally worth not going to Europe for because family! How exciting and plenty of time to save up.
ReplyDeleteGosh girl - you have so many travel plans ahead of you -so awesome! Nothing like having goals ahead & countdowns always happening :)
ReplyDeleteThat is so exciting!! Even better that you have so much time to plan everything! xo, Biana -BlovedBoston
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy that you get to take a trip home!! At first I was confused and thought you were moving there but i guess visiting is the next best thing.
ReplyDeleteYay, yay, YAY!! So many awesome travel plans. Even though it FEELS far away, I think it's fun to have something on the calendar that I get to count down to and look forward to :) Plus the little Vegas/cruise action will keep you satisfied until the biggy! hehe
ReplyDeleteHooray for Australia and New Zealand! I bet you are SO stinkin' excited - if 2016 is anything like this year was, I'm sure it will fly by and you'll be leaving before you know it. :) How fun that your mom is coming next year, too - that sounds like the perfect girls week! I can't offer much cruise advice since I've never been on one either, but if you need help, I can enlist my mom since she's been on two. Just holla at me. :)
ReplyDeleteWait, you dont drive? I feel like I should know this already, yet I am still confused?
ReplyDeleteUmmmm this is the most exciting thing ever!!! How awesome! 2017 will be here before you know it! I am going to sneak in your suitcase, ok? Yeah I am not really asking so much as informing.
I'm with Nadine I'm confused I thought I saw you driving in your snap that other night? :-) Anyways, yeah!!!!!! That is going to be an amazing trip! It will be here before you know it!
ReplyDeleteYAY AUSTRALIA! I wish it wasn't so expensive to go. I studied abroad there in 2012 and I miss it like crazy. I want to go baaaaaaaaaack.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you are going to attempt to overcome your fear of open water and go on a cruise!! You will LOVE it!
ReplyDeleteAnd a huge HOORAY for Australia!! That's awesome! And NZ too! One of my best friends from high school lives there and I am always telling him that I'm going to come visit. One of these days I really will! :)
So many awesome vacations!! Yay for going home and seriously, at the rate this year went 2017 will be here in noooo time at all! And yay again for a cruise! Can't wait to see what you guys decided on!
ReplyDeleteI am so so excited for you! So fun that you are adding New Zealand too! So excited for you to go on the cruise too-I hope you will love it!
ReplyDeleteOoooh so so so excited for you! I know I've told you before that Australia is our dream vacay... We actually need to put a timeline on it so it will happen! And glad you'll get to do NZ too - I've always said if I can find a way to fly to Australia, I feel obligated to go to NZ while I'm there. Of course, that probably means a super-long trip! But yay, so happy for you!
ReplyDeleteWooo so exciting! I've been dying to get to Australia and New Zealand, but like you said, money and vacation time are both limited. Ugh. I can't wait to hear about all the planning!
ReplyDeleteYAAAYYYY!!! You're going home! So excited for you. I've never been to Australia or New Zealand, but my boyfriend has been to both (jealous!) and I would love to go someday. I've never done a cruise either, so I have no opinions anyway. I've done ferry rides though and that was fun haha I have a wedding trip to England and France in early 2017, so I know how you feel about having to wait. It seems so far away, but I bet it will come and go and I'll be like, "Slow down time!"
ReplyDeleteWhat exciting plans! Hooray for a trip home!
ReplyDeleteAustralia and New Zealand are on my travel bucket list so I will be obsessively stalking your travel planning next year. #nopressure
ReplyDeleteEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP! I know, I know, I know what it is like to visit home and family and be pulled in all different directions, but I hope somewhere on this itinerary that you've already created, you have scheduled a date with me. I'll even take a tea date, if that's all the free time you have.
ReplyDeleteYayyyyy for going home!!! You have to make sure you take LOTS of pictures so we can all pretend we are in Australia and NZ with you! Haha.
ReplyDeleteWe took a cruise with Carnival for our honeymoon back in 2010 and it was SO much fun! I'm deathly afraid of open water too, but it was seriously one of the most fun memories and we got to do so much :) Let me know if you've got any questions and I'll be happy to help with whatever bits of wisdom I've got! xo
Yayyyyyyyy!!!! So excited. You will loooooove New Zealand! And maybe we can meet in real life if I'm still in Oz?!
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ReplyDeleteSo so excited for you that you get to go home and to New Zealand! Also cannot wait to see what you've picked for a cruise!!
ReplyDeleteThis is amazing! Going home and New Zealand, it will be so worth the wait!
ReplyDeleteAhh I'm dying to go to Australia! Why does it have to be so far?! Looks like you'll have an amazing time!!! The good thing about packing is that you'll be spending time at home so you can do laundry while you're away!
ReplyDeleteThis is going to be a great trip!! Totally worth the wait!
ReplyDelete~Ashley @ A Cute Angle
acutelifestyle.blogspot.com
So awesome! My friend lived in NZ for a while, it is so beautiful there. But mostly, YAY for going home!
ReplyDeleteAnd I love cruises. I hope you do too!
Woohoo! Lucky you! Take me with you haha. Nothing wrong with planning WAY in advance because it does creep up on your quickly in the last stretch.
ReplyDeleteYay!!!! We're probably going to Australia Nov 2016. We're talking about stopping somewhere on the way too, possibly NZ or Hawaii :)
ReplyDeleteYay!!! Your trip to Australia sounds amazing! You also sound like you have some great things to look forward to in 2016, so it will be time to go before you know it. I need to get on some trip planning :)
ReplyDeleteAhhh I know it's still far away but I am SO HAPPY that you planned a trip home! It sounds amazing and like you are going to get such a great mix of familiar and new places. And you have such great trips to tide you over! 2017 will be here before you know it ;)
ReplyDeleteAHHHHHHHH!!! So happy you get to go home and spend so much time with family. (And don't worry, I'm already planning my next marathon in 2017 so it's totally normal.) And you get to see your mom in the US next year too! You lucky thing! So glad to hear this good news. You guys will have a great time on your cruise too, I'm sure of it! My mom and stepdad took one for their honeymoon and she being a nervous traveler still loved it and had a blast. What cruise line are you going on?
ReplyDeleteJacob is the same way about travel talk. He doesn't even like to plan, he just shows up with his small suitcase ready to go. Haha! You have some seriously amazing trips in the works!!! I know there are horror stories, but I really like cruising and think you'll have fun.
ReplyDeleteJealous! Joey's been talking about going on a trip next year but we also need new couches, a new bed, interior paint, light fixtures, etc. Can I just win the lottery or something?
ReplyDeleteI would love love love to go to Australia. I am trying to book a Costa Rica trip now for February.
ReplyDeleteYAY! So glad for you getting to go home and see your family! Australia AND NZ AND a fun girls trip with your mom and her friend sound like a really good time.
ReplyDeleteAh that's super exciting!! I would love to visit Australia and NZ someday. And yay for girls trip with your mom :)
ReplyDeleteBrainchild
This is SO exciting! I'm so happy for you! And I'm not gonna lie, I'm jealous of all this amazing traveling you do!! I think the decision to go on a cruise, save vacation time for your moms visit, and then going to Australia and NZ is a very wise choice! It all makes sense to me! The hubs and I cruised princess line. Zero complaints! Cruising is great! I hope you love it!
ReplyDeleteOh yay! Alright so I'm a few days behind here but I'm so excited for you! I've heard fabulous things about NZ but whenever I fly over, I'm so loathe to leave my family even for somewhere as pretty as NZ. One day, one day. I'm also interested to hear about your cruise, as I'm planning on booking one for this Sept. I'm a cruise newbie too so I'm hoping you'll have handy hints to share :) And... Let the countdown begin!
ReplyDeleteSounds exciting! I'd love to visit Australia someday.
ReplyDeleteGood gracious! So much goodness about this post! I've been dying to go on a cruise so you'll have to share all your secrets! Isn't it such a bummer when you have to plan something around how much vacation time you have? I just want all the days!
ReplyDeleteAnd do you really not have a drivers license???
I love that you guys are going back to Australia in 2017 (and New Zealand, so exciting!)! I think waiting for a big trip like that is probably best (especially since you get to spend time with your family), AND saving vacation time to visit your mom while she's in America is also very smart. I'm like you, though, and sometimes have trouble giving up on certain things (like going back to Europe) in order to save money and vacation time for other, more important things (like visiting family).
ReplyDeleteI've never been on a cruise, and I've heard mostly good things. I don't know if it's really for me, though. I like being free to explore places, and I think I'd get a little crazy being stuck on a boat. (Though they seem to offer about a million things to entertain you, so maybe I wouldn't even notice.)
Oh, and you don't have a driver's license? I read that part like 5 times, thinking I'd missed something ... But maybe not?