A Look Back on 2017

As we start the New Year, I thought I’d dedicate a short post to a few highlights from my first year of blogging via Instagram’s Top Nine! Ironically, many of these photos are not actually from travel during 2017…but part of what I love about blogging is that I can share travel information and stories from years back as long as it is still relevant. Cool, right?

I’ve learned so much in just nine months of blogging, but I still have a long way to go. From Facebook to Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram, social media is a fun and necessary part of blogging. Instagram is a tough nut to crack at times, but I have honestly enjoyed meeting and getting to know my Insta-friends!

I hope y’all stick with me as I navigate my way down this blogging road.

2017 Best Nine

#One

My most popular post on Instagram was actually a throwback to when I officially caught the travel bug. My husband and I did a three week tour of ten countries in Europe through Contiki. Now, say what you will about guided tours or Contiki in general, but it was exactly what we were looking for. We were able to see a little bit of a lot of Europe in a whirlwind vacation of a lifetime! We were able to check a few locations off our list and say “been there, done that” and we were able to decide which cities we would like to return to and spend a lot more time exploring more in depth. The photo was taken fifteen years ago in Saint Marks Square in Venice, Italy.

#Two

My second most popular post was from one of my absolute favorite family vacations through California. Our road trip had us stopping just one day in Napa Valley where we had the chance to see the Old Faithful of California geyser. Read my Napa Valley with kids guide HERE.

#Three

Next is one of my more profound experiences of 2016 visiting the World Trade Center Memorial site in New York City. You can read more about my visit HERE.

#Four

My fourth photo is one of the many amazing sunsets from our annual vacation in North Carolina’s Outer Banks. It is a destination near and dear to my heart and I wrote all about it HERE.

#Five

My next photo is fitting since it includes my most favorite travel buddy and partner in crime: my sweet husband. We have always enjoyed traveling together and I love sharing that passion with our children now. The photo is us at Bixby Bridge in Big Sur, California.

#Six

Next, is a photo I absolutely adore of my kind hearted daughter. If you haven’t noticed, there’s a “day” for everything. National cheesecake day, dog lovers day, siblings day…there literally is a day for anything and everything you can think of! This photo was one I posted for the International Day of Peace and is truly something I can get behind and support.

#Seven

We love to explore both near and far. Sometimes you can find the best adventures just 20 minutes from home, like in this photo of the corn maze my children and I completed this fall.

#Eight

Can you ever get enough sunsets? The detail of the sea grass against the setting sun makes this one of my personal favorite photos from the summer in Duck, North Carolina.

#Nine

The final photo in the Best Nine collage is special since my son took the photo. He has a budding love of photography and travel which makes my heart happy! Stay tuned in the near future for his vey own IG page!

And there you have it: My 2017 Best Nine from Instagram.

If you’re not following me already on Instagram, please join me!! Thanks friends!! Happy New Year!