Happy New Year to one and all! We hope your 2019 has started off with happiness and health. As for my family, we are hanging out here in Tepotzotlan, Mexico, resting a bit after a wonderful holiday visit from my brother and his partner, and gearing up for what is turning out to be a busy year of travel!
Yes, 2019 is shaping up to be quite the year of travel – and not overland travel, as is usually the case. We will be on more airplanes – and in more strange beds – than since I began overlanding with Bruno, back in 2012!
.jpg)
Our family has big plans for 2019!
Here are the trips we have in the works for 2019:
April – May: We will spend a month in France, visiting with Bruno’s family. It will have been almost a year since Bruno’s parents will have seen Phoenix! It seems our trip falls during Easter, so most of the family will be together on the Mediterranean Coast for a nice little reunion. A twist to this yearly voyage is that, on our way to France, we have decided to layover in Miami and make a little holiday of it. We will rent a car for 10 days and visit my aunt, two childhood friends, and a travel friend of Bruno’s in various areas of south Florida. Maybe we’ll even squeeze in a visit to the Everglades?
July – August: I missed last summer on my favorite beach ever, so this summer we are definitely returning to my family home in New Brunswick for a couple weeks! We are thinking of doing a layover in Toronto to visit my brother and his partner as well as some wonderful family friends who have yet to meet Phoenix. Talks are in the works to rent a lake house near Toronto for a couple days of fun in the sun with everyone!
August – September: (This might be the continuation of the previous trip depending on what is more economical, flight-wise.) My best friend is getting married in early September in Greece, so we are trying to combine this trip with some more European family time. We are in the process of organizing a big family reunion in Greece for a week, and my own family might come, too! We will also return to France after the wedding for a couple weeks so Phoenix can have another visit with the grandparents.
.jpg)
We hope to spend a lot more time with family in 2019!
In between these international trips, we plan to be in Mexico and Guatemala (later in the year). We may rent a home near Mexico City for a month or two (more on the reason for doing so in an upcoming blog), and we will welcome my dear friend, Sahnah, to Mexico for a week in February (we’re still waiting to hear back from a few other friends who have expressed interest in visiting us). Otherwise, we will be slowly traveling south. We hope to spend our next holiday season either in the Yucatan or Guatemala.
Our 2019 in a nutshell:
January: slow travel in central Mexico
February: house rental in Cuernavaca (?); an 8-day visit from my good friend, Sahnah
March: house rental or slow-travel in central Mexico; hopefully meet back up with my parents before they leave Mexico
April: 10 days in south Florida; trip to France
May: 15 days in France, then back to Mexico
June: slow-travel in Mexico, heading south
July: trip to Toronto and New Brunswick, Canada
August: family reunion in Greece
September: my best friend’s wedding in Greece; two weeks in France
October – December: slow-travel in the Yucatan Peninsula and Guatemala
.jpg)
We hope to experience lots more culture in 2019! 🙂
If all goes according to plan, then, 2019 will have visiting SIX countries, and two of them (Greece and Guatemala) will be new for baby Phoenix and his mama! Although Bruno isn’t chuffed about leaving our Big Blue Bus for so many months this year (and our wallet isn’t too happy about all these trips!), I’m looking forward to a year of connecting with people we love all around the world! We are so fortunate to have wonderful people willing to host us in various countries, and lucky to have the passports and funds to do the international travel we want to do this year.
We hope that you are feeling as blessed this year as we are, and that you also have a few exciting travel plans in the works! We’d love to hear about your travel plans – or any other exciting blessings happening this year – in the comment section below. Happy New Year!!!
Freya Gnerre - Dear Brittany, Bruno and Phoenix,
Things are well here, but no immediate travel plans. Too busy catching up with house projects and people visiting (Which is also fun!) I’m still waiting for a visit from you!
I’m glad you enjoyed Mexico – one of my favorite places. So much history and things to see. I’ve only made it to Costa Rica and Panama in Central America and Cartegena, Columbia in South America. Enjoyed them very much, particularly the people. Louise and I may take a cruise up the Mississippi River in the fall (from New Orleans to St. Louis). We’re working on that. And, I thinking of going to Norway next year to visit cousins in Tromso (Artic).
I love your pictures, and can’t believe how big Phoenix is getting. He is so HANDSOME! I am looking forward to your next update.
Happy New Year and good health. Enjoy 2019.
Much love, Freya
Brittany - Happy middle of 2019, because that is how long it has taken me to reply to your comment! Eek! In any case, no use in feeling guilty about it, simply hoping your year has been a good one thus far. Mine has been much easier than last year, haha!
Louise - The three photos are wonderful. Thanks for the peek at your plans for this new year!
Brittany - It’s been a good one so far, especially as it has included a visit with you! 🙂
Lisa Sharples - How wonderful that you have 2019 travel plans made. So much to look forward to. Can’t wait to see you in Toronto!
Brittany - Can’t wait to see you all in a couple months!!!