I’ve never traveled as much as I did in 2019. The year was jam-packed with 3 separate international trips and 6 domestic. I flew on 30 flight segments spread out over 9 months of the year. I saw the richest of cities and the poorest of towns, and ate my way through them all. Read on for a recap of my recent adventures!
Year of Travel
Destinations
In 2019 I traveled in every month except January, August, and September. It was nice always having an upcoming trip to look forward to, but I’m also happy to be home for the holidays this winter!
| February | Boston, Massachusetts| Bangalore & Kabini, India | Singapore |
| March | Havana, Trinidad, & Vinales, Cuba |
| April | New York, New York |
| May | Siesta Key, Florida |
| June | Las Vegas, Nevada | Zion NP & Lake Powell, Utah | Grand Canyon & Page, Arizona |
| July | Toledo, Ohio |
| September | Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, & Hakone, Japan |
| October | Chicago, Illinios |
| November | Boston, Massachusetts |
Points & Miles
Travel doesn’t have to be expensive. I used a ton of points, miles, travel bank credits, and a free night certificate this year to make travel more affordable. For example- I would have never been able to afford a round-trip business class flight to Japan, but by transferring my Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to United Airlines, I traveled in style for the 14-hour journey!
| Points & Miles Used | Where |
| 40,000 IHG Points | 2 nights Holiday Inn in Singapore |
| IHG Free Night Certificate | Intercontinental ANA Tokyo |
| 25,000 American Airlines Miles | First class flight Richmond – Vegas |
| 10,000 Hyatt Points | Points + Cash for Vegas hotel |
| 7,000 JetBlue Miles | RT flight from Richmond – Boston |
| 320,000 United Miles | RT Business Class from DC – Tokyo |
| $115 JetBlue Travel Bank | RT flight from Richmond – Boston |
| Southwest Companion Pass | 2-for-1 flights to Florida and Ohio |
Favorite Memories
Exploring Mysore Palace on my last day in India. I’m still in awe of the beauty of this grand palace!
Everything about Singapore! It was my first solo trip abroad and I had the best time eating local food and seeing the sights.
Going from a mountain waterfall hike to an oceanfront beach snooze in Cuba on the same afternoon.
Hiking Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park. We hiked along skinny cliffs while holding onto metal chains 1,500 feet in the air. It was nothing short of amazing!
Witnessing a sumo wrestling tournament in Japan. We woke up at 5:30 am to stand in line for day-of tickets and it was so worth it!
Eating pizza in New York City. I was in the city for 3 days and ate pizza each day. This is John’s of Bleeker Street- and it’s worth the hype!
Exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains at home. You don’t always have to go far to experience the world!
Washington, DC’s Cherry Blossom Festival. I spent hours walking around the tidal basin surrounded by the beauty!
Travels & Pizza 