**This is going to be a long post.**
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always made traveling a top priority. Traveling is the main reason why, despite my ability to afford more, I prefer to live in a living room where I only pay $350 a month for rent and utilities, which I’ve been doing since August 2012. Below is a simple reminder to myself on why I travel.
Travel Highlights
JANUARY: Nashville / Chattanooga / Huntsville
Eating a “Hot Chicken” Sandwich in Nashville.
Hot Chicken from Hattie B’s near Vanderbilt University.
Visiting the Jack Daniel’s Distillery in Lynchburg, TN.
Jack Daniels’ Distillery in Lynchburg, TN.
Walking along the Tennessee River in Chattanooga, TN.
Bridge over the Tennessee River in Chattanooga.
Visiting the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL.
U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL.
FEBRUARY: Zurich / Delhi / Jaipur / Agra / Mumbai
Exploring Zurich on a day-long layover en route to India.
Lake Zurich
Having High Tea in the Imperial Hotel in Delhi.
High Tea at the Imperial in Delhi.
Overlooking Rajasthan atop Nahargarh Fort in Jaipur.
View of Jaipur from Nahargarh Fort.
Gazing at the Taj Mahal in Agra.
Visiting the Taj Mahal.
Walking along the “Pearl’s Necklace” in Mumbai.
Pearl’s Necklace at Chowpatty Beach in Mumbai.
April: New York City / Shenandoah
Chilling with friends during a weekend in NYC.
Hanging out on the steps of the library at Columbia University.
Hiking in Shenandoah, VA.
Hiking in Shenandoah Valley.
May: Annapolis
Feasting on Maryland Crab in Annapolis
Feasting on Maryland Crab in Annapolis.
June: New York / Philadelphia
Celebrating my first NYC Pride Week.
NYC Pride Week 2014
Participating in my first Triathlon Relay (swimming).
Team photo after the 2014 Philadelphia Triathlon.
July: Portland / Seattle / New York
Getting inspired at my very first World Domination Summit in Portland.
WDS 2014 Party along the Willamette River.
Taking in the Seattle city skyline during my off hours.
Seattle City Skyline
Discovering a new side of Manhattan. Walking the HighLine
View from the High Line.
August: Richmond / New York / Orlando
Exploring the James River on a day trip to Richmond, VA.
James River in Richmond, VA.
Catching up with a great high school friend during her visit to NYC. Took her to watch a show!
Watching Phantom of the Opera with Angelica.
Discovering the magical world of Disney during my first visit to Disney World!
Fireworks at Disney World!
September: Hawaii / Southern California
Hanging out at Airport Beach on Maui.
View of Lanai Island from Airport Beach.
Walking the pier in Seal Beach, CA.
Walking the pier in Seal Beach.
November: Cross Country Train Trip / Southern California
Taking in the Chicago Skyline during our stop over in Chicago aboard the California Zephyr.
Chicago Skyline
View of the Colorado River aboard the California Zephyr en route to Emeryville, California.
View of the Colorado River aboard the California Zephyr.
Taking in the view of the Downtown LA Skyline from Griffith Observatory.
Downtown LA Skyline from Griffith Observatory.
December: Boston / San Francisco
Eating this delicious lobster roll in Boston.
Lobster roll in Boston.
Roadtripping up to NorCal and looking out onto San Francisco from Treasure Island.
San Francisco Skyline
2014 TRAVEL EXPENSES
If you’ve made it this far, thank you! Earlier this year, I began tracking how much I’m spending on traveling. The table below includes information for flights, accommodations and transportation. It doesn’t include the cost of activities. Surprisingly, it’s a lot less than I had initially thought. A big part of that is due to the glitch fare I picked up for my trip to Delhi (only $330 for a round trip flight!) and redeeming my frequent flyer points for several trips.
| Month | Destination | Description | Expense |
| January | Nashville | US Airways DCA – BNA | $5.00 |
| February | India | Intrepid Tour | $612.00 |
| India Visa | $200.00 | ||
| Vaccines | $200.00 | ||
| United Airlines IAD – BOM | $321.62 | ||
| UA Economy Plus Upgrade | $153.00 | ||
| Jet Airways BOM – DEL | $292.64 | ||
| ITC Sheraton | $210.00 | ||
| Residency Hotel Fort | $123.98 | ||
| Anjali Inn | $21.70 | ||
| April | New York | Megabus | $52.00 |
| June | New York | Greyhound | $54.00 |
| AirBnb | $66.00 | ||
| July | Portland / Seattle | Delta DCA – PDX | $5.00 |
| WDS Summit | $506.95 | ||
| Greyhound | $43.00 | ||
| AirBnb | $291.00 | ||
| New York | Megabus | $60.00 | |
| AirBnb | $105.00 | ||
| August | New York | Amtrak | $164.00 |
| Megabus | $40.00 | ||
| Orlando | Disney Tickets / Hotel | $400.00 | |
| JetBlue DCA – MCO | $283.00 | ||
| September | Hawaii | US Airways DCA – OGG | $887.90 |
| Hawaiian Airlines | $150.00 | ||
| Sheraton Keauhou | $78.25 | ||
| Los Angeles | US Airways DCA – LAX | $372.70 | |
| November | Cross Country Train Trip | US Airways OAK – BWI | $167.00 |
| Los Angeles | US Airways DCA – LAX | $189.00 | |
| Delta LAX – IAD | $157.50 | ||
| Amtrak LAX – SBA | $60.00 | ||
| December | Boston | US Airways DCA – BOS | $180.20 |
| Los Angeles | United Airlines LAX – IAD | $392.00 | |
| Change Fee | $294.20 | ||
| Rental Car | $127.50 | ||
| Total | $7,266.14 | ||
2014 was an incredibly amazing and memorable year of travel for me. Looking forward to more discoveries and experiences in the upcoming year!