Mapping My Month: December 2015

Hello, December BABY month!

That's right, the wait is nearly over. While Baby Gypsy isn't officially due until after Christmas, I'm considering the entire month as fair game for her arrival. We've had enough monkey wrenches thrown into our lives in the past month -- a super-hyper-active itchy outbreak of hives because apparently I'm "allergic" to being pregnant; a very full schedule at work and at home; oh, and a dog that decided she had nothing better to do than get sprayed by a skunk and then track that smell into the house!!! -- that I'm just ready for baby girl to get here so that I can have a small toddy to counteract the stress when needed. My travel bags have been gathering dust since September's trip to London and Germany, but my hospital bag is ready to go. Let's get this new chapter started!

Source.

Much like November's monthly update, I have absolutely zero to report in terms of the travel / adventure department for the past month. Womp, womp, c'est la vie. For that matter, there isn't much in the way of travel plans for the upcoming month either. Next weekend we will be in the vicinity of Manassas Battlefield while throwing / attending my company's Christmas party (which is a James Bond "Casino Royale" themed affair - James Bond always makes me think of travel!), but we haven't yet committed ourselves to visiting the battlefield yet. If we do, it'll be my first "travel" excursion in far too long! Our lives have revolved around baby these past few months: cleaning the house for baby, buying things for baby, getting my work life in order before baby, feeling like I have no life beyond baby! We are excited for her arrival, but I can't wait for a few months into her life when we can finally start balancing our baby and non-baby lives again!

But until that happens, some very wonderful people have volunteered to help keep my blog afloat while I'm on maternity leave juggling baby bottles, nappies, and squeezing in power naps whenever (and wherever!) I can get them. I also have a few posts of my own scheduled, but I am so pleased and excited that these wonderful ladies will be adding their experiences and voices to the stories you've seen here on the Thrifty Gypsy!

2015-2016 Scheduled Guest Writers:

Sara Ann

Karrin Louise 

Camila from Adventitious Violet
Christy from What Up, Swags?!
Jenna from JennaHermle.com

Interested in providing or writing a guest post? Please drop me a line at thriftygypsytravels@gmail.com!

Mapping My Month: November 2015

Where has the time gone?!

Last month, this summer, no - the whole stinkin' year has passed by in such a blur. And while I have no new travel stories from October, I can attest that the nesting instinct of a pregnant woman is a legit thing. When I haven't collapsed on the couch in exhaustion nursing slightly swollen feet, you could find me with duster and vacuum in hand as I've rearranged ALL THE THINGS in our place. Sometimes more than once. My husband is a long-suffering man.

So far pregnancy has actually been fairly kind to me. While I had nausea in the first few months, it was relatively mild and usually eased by eating some fruit. Aches, pains, and a few persistent discomforts have been the only annoyances I've battled recently, and although my waistline has grown significantly, by most standards I don't really look eight months pregnant since I was so tiny to begin with. Here's to hoping I lose it as quickly postpartum as I've been gaining it in these last few weeks!

"Travel Sized" onesie made by my talented sister-in-law &
photo cred to my other b.a. sister-in-law.

As for Baby Gypsy, she's quite the tumbler. When the radio starts blasting the 1950s rock'n'roll, she picks up her feet and throws a rave! And if my cravings have been any indicator, she has international tastes when it comes to food. Greek, Mexican, Italian, and German are all favorites on the menu. Now if only she inherits my genes for sleeping through the night at an early age, we'll be ready for adventures in no time!

The closer the due date draws near, though, the more we continue to evaluate our long-term goals for travel and life plans. We'd like to be able to visit Germany in the early spring so that Danny's Oma, who is now 91 years old, can meet Baby Gypsy, but we're also trying to weigh the financial costs of attempting to buy our first house in the late summer or early fall. We've been saving for a house for a while, and it's time to turn our savings into reality. Of course, as we choose not to fund our travels with debt, buying a house will inevitably curtail our travels to one degree or another. And considering that we had two international trips in 2014 and then again this year, it'll be emotionally tough to cut back to just domestic trips when we've been so spoiled (first world problems, eh?).

While October was quiet in the travel and adventure department, I did manage to visit one new winery for the #252by2022 challenge -- Cooper Vineyards. Although I didn't really allow myself to do more than just a tiny taste of each wine, I think I may have found a post-pregnancy new favorite wine: the Sweet Louisa. It doesn't hurt that this winery is located only a 10-12 minute ride from my house!

So, November, I'm glad you're here, but I'll be even more glad when you leave and December (aka, baby month!) arrives! I feel as though I've been pregnant forever but still nowhere near to the starting line (if you think labor and delivery is the finish line, you're in for a rude awakening); anxious for Baby Gypsy to be here but feeling woefully unprepared for all the changes she's about to make in our lives; excited for a new year with new adventures and new memories and new moments viewing the world through a little one's eyes; and overall just feeling very blessed with all the support and love from our families, our friends, and from the travel blogging community in general. Thanks for sticking with us!

What's in the works for your November?

Temple of Hephaestus - A throwback to our May 2015 trip to Greece.

Mapping My Month: October 2015

It's the end of the month! Time to look back at the past month's travels and announce the next month's adventures. So this October we'll be going....

Nowhere.

And I am more than fine with that!

Last month we took a last-minute trip back to Europe, piggybacking off Danny's business trip to London. While poor Danny was working 12-20 hour days at the office, I wandered around Londontown revisiting my favorite spots like Parliament, the British Museum, and the Tower. I crossed off a bucket list item of attending an Evensong service at Westminster Abbey and got lost multiple times in Harrods (that wasn't quite on the bucket list, but it made for an interesting experience nonetheless!). I had two and a half glorious days in London - more time than my initial visit last February - before Danny and I caught an early flight to Frankfurt, swapping our fish 'n' chips for brats 'n' beer and a visit with our Bavarian family! It had only been three months since our last visit, making this trip the fastest turnaround time yet. Our three and a half days in Germany flew by like the wind, and after missing our initial flight back to London, we finally made it home two weeks ago, tired but so incredibly blessed and thankful for having had such an unexpected trip.

Since our return, I've been playing catch-up. And so far I've been losing! My responsibilities at work have increased due to some exciting opportunities in marketing, which have left me little time or energy to devote to the blog. Baby Gypsy's arrival in less than three months has also kicked some of our home prep-work into high gear as we finally assembled the crib and changing table my parents bought us two months ago.

Oh, and a stray dog showed up at our house last month. We took her to the no-kill shelter this morning, but based on my husband's look of dejection, we may end up picking her back up next week if she hasn't been adopted by then... It would be a sizable financial investment, though, so I really just hope someone wants her!

ATTN #Goochland and central #Virginia! This dog showed up at our house a month ago, and we simply cannot keep her as her owners have not come forward. She is very sweet, craves attention, and submissive, but is too wild (as in untrained) and strong to be a house pet. She's a hound, howls like one, and roughly 2-5 years old. She's been bathed and treated for ticks. If no one adopts her by Friday, I'll have to call animal control or a shelter. We don't want her, can't afford her with a baby on the way, and do not have the facilities to continue caring for her. So if you or someone you know needs another hunting dog, please contact me. #lostdog #founddog #dog #adopt #adoptadog #huntingdog #goochlandcounty #fluvanna #fluvannacounty #henrico #henricocounty #VA #hunt #hunting #adoptme #helpme #animallover #animal #rescue #foxhound#huntclub

A photo posted by Thrifty Gypsy's Travels (@thriftygypsy87) on Sep 23, 2015 at 3:14pm PDT

Life is good, though! I just wish there were more hours in the day to accomplish everything, especially as I have so many untold stories from our trip to Europe this past May and from last year, let alone the one we took last month.

As I stated, though, October will be a quiet affair travel-wise. We'd like to make an autumn visit to Kilmarnock and go up into the Blue Ridge for apple picking, apple cider, and apfelstrudel-making supplies, but that will be weather and schedule dependent. Additionally, our sisters are hosting a travel-themed baby shower in mid-October (they know us so well!), and we're contemplating when to throw our annual pumpkin carving party in preparation for one of Danny's favorite holidays, Halloween! We didn't end up decking ourselves out in costumes last year, so we'll see if we can drum up the motivation this year. So although we may not have any travel plans on the calendar for this month (or realistically, for the rest of the year), that doesn't mean we'll be any less busy!

What're you getting into this October?

Mapping My Month: September 2015

So this post will be nearly as much about life in general/baby stuff as travel! While my Mapping My Month posts have always tended to run more on the personal side, they may continue evolving into more and more of a life recap. #sorrynotsorry

We began our month fishing, swimming, and sunning in Kilmarnock, VA. Oh, that every month could start this way! I considered it an early birthday getaway as my actual birthday weekend was spent cleaning, organizing, and in all other respects starting the nesting process of having a little Baby Gypsy arriving in a few months. And speaking of Baby Gypsy, it's a she! Over the last few weeks, we passed the pregnancy halfway mark, threw a "Dirndl or Lederhosen?" themed reveal party (if you follow me on Instagram, you've already seen some of the decorations!), and started the long four-and-a-half month process of responding to inquiries about names with a "we're keeping that a secret 'til birth" smile. We had a really full house for the reveal as both Danny and I have a lot of people just in our immediate families - and two siblings weren't even able to attend! We had such a great time, though, that I wish we could do it again!

Shout out to Rule of Crumb in Goochland, VA, for these amazing dirndl and lederhosen cookies! Check her out if you're near Richmond and need custom-shaped cookies at a great price!

Shortly after the pink streamers came down, Danny's cousin from Frankfurt came for a ten day visit. When she visited in 2012, we took her on a tour through Washington D.C. with one brief (and chilly!) stop in Kilmarnock. This time the sun and warm weather shone down on us for an extended weekend of relaxation with her, Danny, and his sister among the beautiful Northern Neck setting. Seriously, this is one of my favorite places on earth - and it's right in our backyard!

The hubby's side of the family. Photo by Brittany J. of Bev's Photography.

September will be just as exciting and jam-packed as August and if you follow me on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, you already know that we're embarking on our second-most-last-second-trip-ever this week as we are heading back to Europe! The "Travel Make-Believe" post from July will give you an inkling as to our general itinerary: Danny is being sent back to London on a business trip, and my awesome boss has approved time-off for me to tag along. I'm going back to my favorite city in the whole wide world, y'all!!! I can't even contain my excitement!

Once Danny is finished in London, we'll be taking advantage of cheap airfare to pop in to Germany for a few days to see family, marking the first time either of us have returned so quickly since a previous visit. We are blessed beyond measure for this opportunity. I'm already drooling over the thought of fish 'n' chips and brats 'n' beer! 

After we return to the states, we'll settle back into more quiet living as autumn begins to creep into Virginia, bringing bonfire invitations, apple picking outings, and maybe a winery visit or two. As yet, there are no other plans for September, but with such a last minute trip to Europe already on the books, we probably need an R&R month!

What does your September look like?

2015 Goal Updates:
1. My shoes gained a lot of miles walking up and down the Kilmarnock beaches and around the house as I cleaned for the reveal party and the arrival of Danny's cousin. As the weather cools, I'll become more motivated to take my regular lunch-time walks at work, too.
2. Over 14,500 points on the credit card! Only 185,500 more to go before my goal of free tickets to Europe...
3. Accomplished.
4. I'm going to just cross off the social media goal as being semi-accomplished. We did make the decision this month that we are going to be overly cautious about what we share online about Baby Gypsy.
5. We made zero progress on the #252by2022 challenge this month. Again! (Do I sound like a broken record?) Maybe the tail-end of September will bring some opportunities.

Mapping My Month: August 2015

So it's August. Am I the only one desperately searching for a slow motion button?!

Despite my best intentions, I didn't write much more in July than I did in June. But it's better than not writing at all, right? (The glass is always half full...except when wine is involved.) Every weekend was booked from Independence Day celebrations with family to tubing on the James, to a weekend getaway on the Shenandoah River with more tubing and culminating in a girls' getaway to Ocean City, Maryland, this past weekend. Once again, I've increased my writing topics with no clear idea as to when I'll actually be able to write about them!

This past month I also enjoyed a very successful blog exchange with Julie of Alone with my tea! I shared about the theme behind being a Thrifty Gypsy while Julie wrote about the highs and lows of being an ex-pat in Brazil. I had such fun working with Julie that I'm open to more guest exchanges in the future! Drop me a line if you're interested.

On the banks of the #Shenandoah

A photo posted by Thrifty Gypsy's Travels (@thriftygypsy87) on Jul 18, 2015 at 8:22am PDT

August will be just as eventful as July if not more so. This weekend is shaping up to be beautiful, so we'll probably be lured out to Kilmarnock for a weekend of boating, swimming, and fishing. The following weekend is the best weekend of the whole year - because it's my birthday! We have no set plans, but Danny may have some secrets stashed up his sleeves. After that, we'll be doing a German-themed gender reveal for Baby Gypsy (dirndl and lederhosen-shaped cookies, anyone?) with our families and very close friends before welcoming a little piece of Germany into our homes when Danny's cousin arrives from Frankfurt for a 10 day visit. Her visit will encompass two weekends, which will be spent at Kilmarnock, the beach, the mountains, and various other attractions. It'll be a whirlwind trip! After she leaves, it's Labor Day weekend, and who knows what we might be up to by then? I'm still concocting hypothetical itineraries in case something pops up this fall so we'll be prepared!

2015 Goal Updates:
1. Does walking several miles on the Ocean City boardwalk count? No? Ok, well then, once the weather cools, I'll be back on this goal like a pregnant lady on ice cream and pickles.
2. Over 11,000 points on the credit card! It might take me years, but one day it'll get us free tickets to Europe!
3. Accomplished.
4. The less time I spend online, the more time I'm spending in real life, y'all. It's been a good trade so far.
5. We made zero progress on the #252by2022 challenge this month. Again! And at this rate, September will be the first opportunity to change that and only if I don't look so hugely pregnant that the vineyards bar me entry...

How was your July, and what are you up to in August?

Mapping My Month: July 2015

I wish I could say that June 2015 was a very productive month - for life, the universe, and everything in between - but honesty is the best policy as my mother always says. So the recap will be very brief to reflect the (nearly nonexistent) events of the past month.

Life...
A few weeks ago we went public about my upcoming three month long "vacation" from work. I wish I could say that the time off will be spent on a beautiful Caribbean beach with a tall, cold drink in hand, but in all actuality my hands will be full with baby bottles and diapers. Baby Gypsy is on their way!

Maybe in 5 months...

The Universe...
Despite exhaustion and nausea dogging my steps, we did manage to keep our weekends delightfully full. One weekend of baby showers (preview of our future life) and adult birthday brewery parties (where, sadly, I was unable to partake) in the general Richmond area provided me with a challenge for after #252by2022 has been completed: visiting every brewery in Virginia!

Two weekends of boating, beaching, and being relaxed in Virginia's beautiful Northern Neck helped recharge us after long work weeks. Our five year anniversary fell on one of those weekends, and it was so lovely to spend our anniversary in the same place we spent our mini-honeymoon. Nothing beats the saltwater lowlands of Virginia.

Last weekend was spent waging war on the clutter that has taken over one of the spare bedrooms. I think the clutter won this battle; we still have a lot of work to do in order to make way for crib, changing table, pallets of diapers, and lots of future souvenirs for Baby Gypsy's travels!

And Everything...
I definitely didn't do much travel writing over the past month, that's for sure. Only six other posts in all of June? It's a new record low.

July should be similar to June, but with more writing, a weekend tubing trip to the mountains, celebrating Uncle Sam's birthday somewhere that has water, and maybe a girl's weekend to Ocean City. Still not sure if I have the energy level to attempt that one!


2015 Goal Updates:
1. Hot, humid Virginia days have deterred me from doing much exercise, but technically I'm under doctor's orders to walk at least 30 minutes a day... I'm just going to let that sentence fade off without any excuses...
2. The credit card balance is so low that I may just pay it all off in a fit of financial denouement. Take that, debt monster!
3. No caffeine, no alcohol, no sushi, no deli meat. It's no wonder people are itching to get pregnant all the time! </sarcasm>
4. Although I gave up on cutting back the amount of time, I'm doing well about not posting all the time. Sorry, no dinner selfies or words of wisdom typed while perched on the porcelain god.
5. We made zero progress on the #252by2022 challenge this month. Chalk it up to pregnancy tiredness (although I'm still planning to visit wineries while pregnant and make B do the tasting) and B being on vacation. We shall have to redouble our efforts in the future.

So what epic adventures are you up to this July?

Mapping My Month: June 2015

All good things come to an end, and so May has left us.  If June can bring half as many great moments, then I'll be satisfied!

We did a lot this past month, and if you followed my #EurSoGypsy hash tag on Twitter and Instagram, you've already previewed what I'll be writing about over the next couple of months.  We spent a weekend in Athens getting the dust of ancients on our feet before flying to the island of Santorini (Thira) to wash it off in the crystal clear water of a volcano's caldera.  It was hard to tear ourselves away, but we did, making it to Germany in time to celebrate a few birthdays in Stuttgart!  Hangovers notwithstanding, we took the train to Paris for a whirlwind weekend before returning to Bavaria for some much-needed relaxation and visitations with family.  Before we knew it, it was time to drive back to Frankfurt for our return flight.  Eighteen hours after landing in D.C., I was back in the office, ruing the day I booked the flights without any recovery time before work!

Can you believe we did all that in less than 18 days?!

The calendar for June looks pretty sparse in comparison.  Our five year anniversary falls on weekend, so we may attempt a regional getaway, and I'm sure more events will pop up the closer we get to them.  I think a long weekend at the river or in the mountains is just what the doctor ordered, so I'll probably start planning something for the long July 4th weekend.  Beyond that, I'll just try to extend our European vacation by writing about it over the next few weeks and daydreaming about what our next adventure will be.  That is, if I can stop wistfully sighing over pictures long enough to concentrate!  (If you want a preview of what I'll be writing about, be sure to follow me on Instagram or Facebook as I've been posting a few pictures already!)

2015 Goal Updates:
1. After all the walking we did in Europe, I think I've had enough exercise to cover the rest of the year!
2. The credit card balance is still going down (despite Europe!), and the Venture miles keep going up! We're at 6,500 miles now.
3. Kicked the caffeine addiction.
4. Gave up.  #ohwell
5. B and I squeezed in two wineries for our #252by2022 challenge before I left for Europe.  Some progress is better than none, right?

How's your June lookin'?

Linking up for #TravelTuesday!

Mapping My Month: May 2015

You know what they say - April showers bring May TRAVELS!  The time has almost come, my friends.  Less than a week stands between us and Europe!

As always, I am woefully behind on my "must do before we leave" list, thanks to a busy few weeks at work and my tendency to procrastinate.  Although the list of activities doesn't look like much, April kept us busy!

In the last 30 days, we ...

• Got some epic sunburns while sprucing up the flower and vegetable gardens - life on a hobby farm!  
• Visited EIGHT more Virginia wineries and began the #252by2022 challenge. 
• Went arrow-head hunting and sunburn catching (again!) in Virginia's Northern Neck.

It really doesn't seem like a lot, does it?  Over a week of my life was stolen by allergies this past month, though, and that squashed some of our plans like wanting to visit Appomattox Courthouse for the 150th commemoration of General Lee's surrender to Grant, which effectively ended the American Civil war.  Appomattox is only 90 minutes away, but without a voice and the energy to even sit in a car, some of our valuable weekend time was spent couch-bound.

We're so excited for the next 30 days, though!  Soon we'll be wandering through ancient Greek ruins; dipping our toes in the Mediterranean; feeling vastly less fashionable than the Parisians as we snap selfies under the Eiffel Tower; and soaking up every last precious minute with relatives and friends in the heart of Germany.  We're cramming a lot of action into 18 short days.  Be sure to follow our adventures on Twitter and Instagram with #EurSoGypsy!

2015 Goal Updates:
1. Still hitting the trails hard. Hopefully my feet (and stamina!) are ready for the marathon of walking in Europe.
2. The credit card balance is still going down, and the Venture miles keep going up! We're at nearly 6,000 miles now.
3. I'm going to mark this one as being fully accomplished for the year. Most days are entirely caffeine-free, and I feel great!
4. This one may end up being a lost cause for 2015. Oops.
5. Still no.  But I'm going to let the #252by2022 challenge replace this one.  Let's see how many wineries we can fit in this year!

What are you excited about for May?

Linking up for #WeekendWanderlust!

Linking up for the #SundayTraveler!

Mapping My Month: April 2015

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, where in the world has the time gone?!

March was a busy month for the TGT tribe, even more so than anticipated.  Between the two of us, we visited two state parks for some Sunday hikes; threw together a last-minute camping trip with another couple and their four-legged sidekick where we honed our zombie apocalypse survival skills; added two more Virginia craft breweries to the Untappd list; went hunting for Civil War relics in two different counties; visited the Virginia Holocaust Museum; were transported to the streets of Paris via the Italian lyrics of La Traviata; and took my taste buds on a gastronomical preview of our upcoming Europe trip.  And somehow we managed to both hold down full-time jobs at the same time!  You may call us Superman and Superwoman, if you please.

April already looks booked.  We will celebrate Easter this weekend, which always brings a full schedule.  Other plans include winery excursions, an Appalachian camping trip, and tailgating at the Nascar race at Richmond International Raceway.  And by this time next month, we'll be a week away from our Europe trip!  36 days to go!

We clean up nicely once you get us out of the woods. #opera

A photo posted by Thrifty Gypsy's Travels (@thriftygypsy87) on Mar 27, 2015 at 9:05pm PDT

2015 Goal Updates:
1. I've been incorporating walks in a nearby park during my lunch breaks, but this is somewhat weather dependent.  Because we live out in the country, I'm finding the combination of the commute and the membership costs to be prohibitive to joining an actual gym.
2. No savings this month, but I did put a hurting on my credit card balance instead.  On top of that, my Capital One credit card became eligible for Venture One rewards in the middle of February.  So now I've started putting all my purchases on the card and paying it off every Friday (plus some) to rack up those miles (1.25 miles per every $1).  At this rate, it will take years to accumulate enough miles for airfare, but you have to start somewhere, right?
3. I think it's safe to say I'm no longer addicted to caffeine, although I do still consume it on occasion.
4. Some days are better than others.
5. While I still haven't compiled a bucket list for Virginia, I have started doing items that would be on the list, such as visiting the Holocaust Museum.

How was your March?  Are you looking forward to anything in April?

Mapping My Month: March 2015

March comes in like a lion, they say, bringing the countdown to our big Europe trip to a mere 65 days!  And true to our procrastinating selves, we still have quite a bit of planning to do because we were too busy just having fun in February!

We began the month with a weekend of brewery visits to Midnight Brewery and Champion Brewery in honor of Danny's birthday and celebrated a skin-of-our-teeth Super Bowl win for our New England Patriots (haters gonna hate, hate, hate...).  Then we celebrated an early Valentines day weekend exploring Lexington, VA, and adding two new breweries to our beer passports.  Then Danny jetted off to London on a business trip while I moped at home through a few snow and ice storms which froze our pipes.  (Can spring just hurry up and get sprung already?!)  And yesterday we ended February in style at a 1920s themed birthday bash!  We were bringing sexy back...to the 1920s, that is.

Bringing back the roaring twenties! #partylikearockstar #ttot #ttoi

A photo posted by Thrifty Gypsy's Travels (@thriftygypsy87) on Mar 1, 2015 at 11:17am PST

So far our March calendar is fairly laid-back.  Beyond making day-trip plans for my mother-in-law's birthday, a girl's night excursion up to Washingon D.C., and maybe a local wine festival, the calendar is devoid of overly ambitious plans.  I would complain, but since April and May are already booked and the summer months have no problem filling up, it's nice to just relax.  Oh, and maybe we'll finally finish our Greece, Paris, and Germany itineraries.  Now that we're at the two month mark, the motivation to plan has finally arrived.

Oh, be sure to check back with me on Tuesday, March 3rd for an announcement regarding TGT's first blogiversary!  Hint:  there will be a gift card giveaway!

2015 Goal Updates: 
1.  Still pending.
2.  Managed to save 40% of February's earnings.
3.  I'm having more caffeine-free days than not.  Yay, progress!
4.  Ehhhh..... no progress.
5.  Ditto.

What are your March plans?

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Linking up with Chasing the Donkey, Pack Me To, A Southern Gypsy, The Fairytale Traveler, and Ice Cream & Permafrost for the #SundayTraveler!

Mapping My Month: February 2015

I feel like I ask this every month, but seriously, where has the time gone?!

January came and went just as fast as December.  We took a low-key approach to New Year's by celebrating with close friends at their house, and our month followed that same laid-back tone.  While Danny spent his weekends relic-hunting throughout central Virginia (ladies, if you need to get rid of your history-loving hubbies for a few hours, buy them a metal detector), I took a few excursions to breweries in the Blue Ridge Mountains - Bold Rock, Wild Wolf, and Starr Hill, to be specific.

My birthday boy <3

In between wedding festivities for my sister, a dear friend and I managed to squeeze in a few visits to local attractions in the Richmond area last weekend.  Monument Avenue and Shirley Plantation did not disappoint.  When you can't travel far, travel near!  Backyard tourism is the bomb!

Speaking of backyard tourism, next weekend I'll be whisking my hubby away in honor of his 32nd birthday (which is actually today)!  Itinerary possibilities could include: Virginia Military Institute, Stonewall Jackson's House, Devil's Backbone Brewery, Blue Lab Brewery, Natural Bridge, and walking through downtown Lexington itself.  We may not see it all, but we'll have a good time trying!

February promises to be busy, but not necessarily with travel plans.  Other than spontaneous excursions and backyard tourism, I don't expect that we'll be embarking on major travel plans until our spring trip to Europe.  94 days 'til departure!  (But who's counting?)

What fun activities did January bring you, and how's your February looking?

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Linking up with Chasing the Donkey for #SundayTraveler!

Mapping My Month: January 2015

Is it just me, or did December fly by?  I'm still reeling from the whirlwind of the Christmas season and can hardly believe a new month - let alone a new year! - is now upon us.

Yes, we made a Santa.

As forecasted, our December travels consisted of multiple trips to the mall, grocery store, friends' holiday parties, and back to the mall.  Again and again!  With over twenty immediate family members between Danny's family and mine, there's usually a large spread of presents beneath our seven-foot tall tree.  Between shopping for so many people and transitioning to a new career in a new city, I declared a temporary hiatus from blogging for most of December, and I'm glad I did.  Although I still have so much more to write and share about our big international trip this past summer and numerous regional trips since then, I've felt no inspiration or compulsion to write.  Until the day comes when this blog is big enough to be a full-time job (in other words, probably never!), I have the luxury of cutting back on the quantity of posts until I actually feel like writing something worth reading.

Half of Danny's family

December did bring a first for the blog, though: our "All Roads Lead to Bavaria" Giveaway!  We announced our plans to return to Europe this spring and felt that rather than simply declaring where we were going, we would entertain guesses with the incentive of winning a scratch-off map of the world!  Our giveaway garnered 9 total guesses: 2 for Greece, and 1 each for Ireland, Sweden, Croatia, Belgium, Andorra, England, and Iceland.  We will announce the winner - and by association, our travel destination - tomorrow, so stay tuned!

January will bring a few regional excursions for our travel log.  As my job takes me to a "new" town, there will be more restaurants, vineyards, breweries, and historical attractions to visit and review.  My sister will be getting married at the end of the month, and a dear friend from Boston will be in town for the festivities!  Beyond that, I'm sure my new job will keep me so busy that the end of the month will once again leave me wondering where in the world all that time went!

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What about you?  Any fun activities in store for January?

Mapping My Month: December 2014

ONLY 25 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!!

Yes, I am one of those overly enthusiastic Christmas nutters.  I've been listening to Christmas music on the sly since early November, and I bought the first gift way back in July.  I'd planned to be completely done with my shopping by this time so I could just kick back and enjoy the season, but I'll be out there braving the crowds with everyone else.  'Tis the season!

Because of holiday festivities, November's and now December's travels were and will be confined to local destinations.  Although, in spite of a little snow, we did travel to Pennsylvania for a white Thanksgiving with my dad's side of the family.  It's the first time my immediate family has all been under one roof since my brother's wedding in June!

A photo posted by The Thrifty Gypsy's Travels (@thriftygypsy87) on Nov 11, 2014 at 8:39am PST

November Recap:  Berlin Wall at the University of Virginia, walking down "memory lane" at Charlottesville's Downtown Mall, touring the grounds of Virginia Tech while visiting my sister, experiencing the new tasting room at Midnight Brewery, trying the new BJ's Brewpub in the west end of Richmond, talking for 12 hours non-stop with a friend recently returned from Southeast Asia, driving through the snow-covered battlefield of Gettysburg, and traveling to Amish-country in eastern Pennsylvania.

I'm sure December's weekends will fill up with holiday parties, family gatherings, and Christmas shopping.  Realistically, we won't be doing any traveling this month (although I'd dearly love to sneak up to D.C. to see the Magna Carta while it's on display!).  Maybe we'll be able to do something special for New Year's Eve.  But you know what?  I'm okay with not going anywhere.  Not just because I feel like being close to home and family for the holidays, but also because (drum-roll please)...

We bought plane tickets to Europe!!!

That's right!  We'll be making our way back across the Atlantic in the spring for 17 days of traveling, exploring, visiting family, and making new memories with some dear friends.  It goes without saying that the last leg of our trip will be spent in Germany, but the first six days will be spent in a country we've not yet visited.  Stay tuned for a promo giveaway in a few weeks when we announce our travel destinations and plans!

Where did you go in November?  Got any plans for December yet?

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Linking up with Chasing the Donkey and other travel bloggers for the #SundayTraveler!

Mapping My Month: November 2014

Wait - it's November?!?!

Believe it or not, the time for pumpkin pies, turkey legs, cranberry sauce, and gratitude is fast approaching!  It's time to put away the Halloween ghoul and goblin decorations and break out the autumn garlands and cornucopias.

October brought some highs and some lows.  We lost our new little kitty to some unknown ailment, which crushed me to the point of canceling attendance at an Oktoberfest celebration here in Richmond.  But we did manage to attend the State Fair of Virginia earlier this month, spend a windy weekend at Kilmarnock hunting for arrowheads and pretty shells, and experience the Central Virginia Celtic Festival and Highland Games this past weekend! 

I feel like a broken record by saying that this next month will be fairly quiet in terms of bigger travel plans.  We tend to live frugally, hoarding our money and vacation days for big trips abroad, and we'll be doing more low-key living through November (minus the anticipated bite into my wallet that buying Christmas gifts will bring!).  I plan to kick off November with a trip out to Charlottesville tomorrow to watch my sister's team play a rivalry rugby game against the University of Virginia and then walk the beautiful Grounds of the University reminiscing on my time there as an undergrad.  Later in the month, a dear friend will be returning from her 20-month Asia trip before she moves on to California.  We'll undoubtedly hit up a few breweries and catch up on all her travels!  (I'm anticipating a lot of travel envy after those conversations!)  By then we'll be nearly to Thanksgiving, which means we'll be "headin' to Pennsylvania and some homemade pumpkin pie!"  (Perry Como, anyone?)  We spend every other Thanksgiving in the heart of Amish country, and I'm excited about our first out-of-state trip since late August.  Beyond visiting with family, I'm wondering if we'll have time to sneak a visit to the Hershey Factory while we're there!

Before you know it, we'll be in the swing of the Christmas season. And in just a few weeks, we should be able to announce our 2015 international travel plans!  I can't wait!

How was your October?  Any big plans for November yet?

Perfectly poured if I do say so myself. #beer #hefeweizen #bier #prosit #thirstythursday

A photo posted by The Thrifty Gypsy's Travels (@thriftygypsy87) on Oct 10, 2014 at 3:21pm PDT

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Linking up with A Brit and a Southerner for #WeekendWanderlust!

Mapping My Month: October 2014

Yet another month has come and gone.  Weather-wise, I think September has been my favorite of all the months we've spent at home this year.  The mornings have been cool and refreshing, but we've still enjoyed a few hot and sunny days as summer gives out her last few gasps for the year.

As anticipated, September was a quiet month in terms of travel and events.  Although we began the month in the Outer Banks over Labor Day weekend, our other weekends were spent here in the Old Dominion, celebrating a wedding in the family, showering presents and love onto friends at a "Baby-Que" shower, sneaking in two last float trips on the James River, and enjoying a little bit of Bavaria here in Richmond at St Benedict's 10th Annual Oktoberfest.  And with our foray into the Oktoberfest celebrations, our travel bug has been inflamed once again, and we've started researching in earnest as to where our international travels might lead us next year.

I have a feeling that October (and probably every month until spring) will have only modest travel activity.  International travel is certainly out of the budget for a while as we continue to save, and the holidays will keep us (and everyone else!) quite busy.  But we do plan to pet a few bunnies and coo over some baby ducklings at the State Fair of Virginia, check out the Deutscher Club of Richmond's 46th Annual Oktoberfest celebrations (can you tell I'm a little obsessed with all things Oktoberfest lately?!), sip more than a few Virginia wines at the 12th Annual Powhatan Festival of the Grape, and wrap up October with a little bit of Halloween shenanigans.  Oh, and a little kitten showed up at our doorstep and decided to adopt us, so we've got our hands full with a curtain-climber and dog-tail chaser!

The as yet unnamed feline we refer to as "Kittles and Bits" until we come up with a proper name!

As always, I'm so excited and blessed at all the comments you all continue to leave on my blog posts and am continually amazed by the camaraderie of the travel blogging community in general!  Although our feet may be firmly planted in the East Coast of the U.S. for the next few months, I still feel like we can continue to "travel" vicariously through your trips. too!

So what's on the books for your October?

Linking up with Bonnie Rose and other travel bloggers for #TravelTuesday!

Mapping My Month: September 2014

Kilmarnock, VA

Labor Day weekend always feels like the end of summer.  Never mind that it's 90'F and sunny here in the beautiful Outer Banks of North Carolina!  We had a few brisk mornings in Virginia this past week and I've already noticed a few reddening leaves as Autumn starts to make her presence known.

August was rather sedate in the traveling department for us.  We did some backyard touring here in Richmond, visiting Midnight Brewery and going bowling for my birthday; spent an overcast day tubing the James River and managed to acquire some wicked sunburns; enjoyed another "salt pup life" weekend at Kilmarnock on the Northern Neck; and now we're wrapping up the month - and the summer - here in Kill Devil Hills, OBX, with some friends before September creeps in.

September will probably also be a quiet one as family celebrations, obligations, and jubilations leave us with only one weekend unbooked so far.  Weddings, baby showers, and a "staycation" girls' weekend will keep us close to home, but allow us to keep saving money towards whatever our next trip may be!  We're already back to the drawing board in terms of the next international adventure, and hopefully by Christmas we'll have all the whats, whens, and wheres decided and booked.

But since we're not really going anywhere soon, hopefully that means I'll have plenty of time to finish writing about our past Europe trip!  Stay tuned for numerous posts about Rome, celebrating the World Cup in Germany, visiting Strasbourg, France, and other adventures from our two weeks in Deutschland.

On Wednesday the Thrifty Gypsy's Travels will be six months old!  Where did the time go?  In just a few months I've seen growth and change in my writing style; I smile a little indulgently at myself when I re-read some of my first posts.  What started as a venture to re-open the floodgates of my inner writer has progressed into an addicting little hobby!  I didn't have a clear plan in mind for this blog when I first started, but now I'm wondering whether I ought to come up with some goals as it continues to grow.  I certainly didn't anticipate the great fellowship and camaraderie from wanderlusters and other travel bloggers from all corners of the globe!

Thanks for stopping by!

Do you have any travel plans for September?  Feel free to share them in the comments!

Mapping My Month: August 2014

Where do I even begin?

Bagni della Regina Giovanna, Punta del Capo, Italy

July brought so many travels and adventures, beginning with a whirlwind trip through Italy's Campania and Lazio regions and ending with a more relaxed fortnight in the heart of Germany's Bavaria.  We wandered the ancient streets of Pompeii; swam in the crystal clear water of Roman ruins in Punta del Capo just outside Sorrento; ascended Mt Vesuvius and stared down her steaming throat; experienced the unforgettably packed "cattle wagon" of the Circumvesuviana train line from Naples; got our feet dusty and worn in Rome, gawking over the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Pantheon, and various churches; pilgrimaged to St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican and marveled at masterpieces of artwork by Michelangelo, Raphael, Bernini, and others; reached euphoric levels after having the best gelato of my life on the Piazza Navona and otherwise enjoyed many delicious (and not-so delicious!) Italian dinners.  And this was just in the first seven days!

I also made sure to leave an unforgettable impression on those around us by "throwing" pizza on the floor in Pompeii, stepping on a gooey piece of gum in Sorrento, being baptized by a bird, elbowing a waiter in the groin, frying my hairdryer and our converter at our hotel in Rome.  To just name a few things!

Deutschland ist nummer eins!!!

But we arrived in Germany just in time to experience a World Cup win!  It's becoming our tradition to watch the final matches of the World Cup with our friends in Stuttgart.  Four years ago we celebrated a third place finish for Germany, but this time we were overjoyed to see Germany earn the Weltmeister title! 

We visited Strasbourg, France; drove up windy roads in the heart of the Schwarzwald (Black Forest); ate our fill of wurst and schnitzel; celebrated the Kinderzeche, one of Germany's oldest festivals, in Danny's German home town of Dinkelsbühl; experienced the festivities of a bierzelt (beer tent) with our Stuttgarter friends; toured the aldstadt of Nuremberg; and spent blissful hours on windy Bavarian roads and, of course, testing out our rental car's engine on the autobahn!

There were a few difficult moments, even fewer downright stressful ones, but overall it was a wonderful trip.  I'm still thinking in "Deunglish," feel terribly guilty because we're not (yet) sorting our trash here, but overall I am glad to be back home in the good ol' U.S. of A.  August will be a quieter month for us in comparison.  We may go on a camping/tubing trip for my birthday or spend a few weekends on the Northern Neck, but otherwise it's time to plump our bank accounts and start dreaming of the next big trip.  And, of course, start writing more in-depth posts about July's adventures!

How was your July?  And what's on the docket for August?