December 31, 2014

Every New Year Has A Plan

It's New Year's Eve.

I definitely didn't expect to be blogging on my iPhone in the lobby of a Holiday Inn Express.

In Spain.

I thought we would already be back in France, toasting up our 4th European new year with our La Fère friends. It would be very cold outside, but very warm together, and an endless supply of food and champagne. It was supposed to be this way . . . it was planned.

This trip has served well as a metaphor for my 2014: a strong start, some unexpected flips in the itinerary, and a surprisingly welcome change in the end.

Volleyball "club hopping" has never been an objective of mine (my history as an athlete proves that), but now I'm at my 3rd club in as many seasons. 2015 will tell us if this La Fère thing is going to last.

Visas are always a tricky piece of the giant puzzle of living abroad. We will know between February and April if our current visas will be granted extensions. Then we'll know what and when our USA travel plans will be.

One best friend is having her second baby. Another best friend is getting married. My cousins are having the first "grandchild" of this Swagerty generation. Families and friends are growing this new year in every beautiful way.

There will be more travels. There will be more adventures and stories, too. Casablanca is hopeful. The rest of my original Spain and Portugal trip still calls to me. My sister-in-law is thinking about Greece. A road trip to Romania may even be on the table. Cultures will be experienced, histories will emerge, and I will learn. 

I turn 29 in a week and a half. It was very pleasing to say I was in my "early twenties" and "mid-twenties" and that Marc and I were "twenty-somethings." At 29 (and Marc at 31), I feel like I should just skip to "we're in our early thirties." So I'll probably lie about my age a few times in 2015. I'm planning that, for sure.

Blogging (just like journaling) keeps your reflections on hand. I love it. But blogging is very much for people who love writing. A bunch of you out there are making those 2015 resolutions. If you want to write, get that blog going (or revive it!), even if it's just for you.

I'm four years into What Up, Swags?!, and so so grateful to have so many recorded memories. Thank you for being a part of these last four years, and let's hope for many more to come!

This #SwagVil2Spain trip has thrown a few curve balls our way, but they keep working to our advantage. Changing our route from Madrid/Málaga to directly into Granada saved us a ton of money. Our December 31 canceled flight back to Paris was all made okay by 3 free hotel nights in the sunny south of Spain. Let's just hope the January 3rd flight really happens, and we can get back to the Picardy chill!

Happy 2015 to you and to whomever you end up spending it with - may you all be friends by the end of the countdown! Plan on it!