Is my bank account drained? Absolutely. Did I make the best financial decisions? Absolutely not. Would I do it again for the experiences I had and the memories I’ve made? You betcha.
Going into 2023, I was not expecting the extent to the traveling that I would complete. Sure, I had 1–2 little trips planned and a week-long vacation that I was saving up for in the summer. But as the year went on, I began to realize that this would be my most traveled year yet.
I’m not saying that this was the best way to travel, or I got the most value for my money. This isn’t a travel guide by any means, and I’m not an expert when it comes to vacation planning. However, there were some pieces of my excursions that I wish to share and memories that I’d like to preserve in some place other than my brain and conversations with those I traveled with.
Some quick backstory to this year’s travels: My friends and family live all over the U.S. and because of this, some of the trips I take to visit them are routine — such as Fort Wayne, IN, Columbus, OH, and Cincinnati, OH (huge Cincinnati Reds fans). I currently live in Indianapolis, IN. However, I also have family who lives in different parts of the country — Oregon, Washington, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Kentucky, to name a few. I did not travel to all of these locations this year, but I am anticipating some trips to commence in the future. Additionally, some of the trips I went on were paid for through school events (I am a teacher) and family members who wanted to take family trips together. I am fortunate that my parents will offer to pay my way on some family trips and am very appreciative for the opportunities I have because of this.
Having said that — here is a break-down of the trips I took in the year 2023:
- January — Fort Wayne, IN
- February — Springfield, OH
- March
- April — Cincinnati, OH; Fort Wayne, IN
- May — Nashville, TN (Taylor Swift Era’s Tour — N3); Rio Grande, OH
- June — Orlando, FL (Disney World); Fort Wayne, IN
- July — Nashville, TN (Ed Sheeran Mathematics Tour); Fort Wayne, IN
- August — Cincinnati, OH
- September — Washington, DC (School Trip)
- October — Seattle, WA; Forks, WA; Cannon Beach, OR (and other various Oregon beaches); Fort Wayne, IN
- November — Anaheim, CA (Disneyland & BlizzCon); Columbus, OH
- December
As for the amount of money spent on these trips, I am unsure what that total would come out to. Something outrageous, most likely. However, the trips I spent the most money on were Disney World, BlizzCon/Disneyland, and both Nashville trips.
It’s difficult to decide on the most memorable trip from this list. Each adventure has special memories tied to them, as well as their own difficulties. But overall, I learned something from each trip I went on. My plan is to dive into each trip I went on over the past year and discuss highlights, qualms, dos/don’ts, etc. More than likely, I won’t expound greatly on the shorter trips, as they are ones I take regularly. But I still would like to give credit and mentions to the things I enjoy when I go to these places.
I hope that this series is both entertaining and informative for whoever happens to read it. If anything, maybe you’ll enjoy the photos!
