The World is a Book...

...and those who do not travel read only one page. – St. Augustine

Don't let the title fool you.  I am by no means a world traveler nor do I think you have to travel to really live life.  Actually I have never even been out of the United States.  Maybe one day but for now there are still places I want to visit within this wonderful country.  Who am I kidding?  I am barely even a US traveler. 
 
I have been all over Virginia of course.  I have hiked through the mountains of Colorado.  I have walked the crowded streets of New York City.  I have been to the United States Capitol in Washington D.C. I have sat on the sandy beaches of Naples, Florida.  I have drank in the bars & sang at the top of my lungs in beautiful Athens, Georgia.  I have played the slot machines & seen some big shows in Las Vegas.  I have been to Nags Head, NC & Myrtle Beach, SC, several times each.  I have been to the massive Hoover Dam, which is on the border of both Nevada & Arizona. I have experienced the exciting night life in Charlotte.  There are lots of post-college graduates in that city. I have survived the scorching hot temperatures of Dallas, TX. In Maryland, I have watched the Baltimore Orioles, been to the aquarium, danced 'til the wee hours of the morning at a piano bar and walked all over downtown Annapolis.  I have been to Pennsylvania several times but sadly I can't think of anything I really remember about the state worth mentioning.  I will even make my first venture to Minnesota this year (Ryan is a groomsmen in a wedding in Grand Rapids).  So I guess I haven't been a complete homebody, right?  
 
But with all of that said, there are still a couple of places I would like to check out...in the near future.  Ever since I was young, I have always wanted to venture to California.  I don't know if it's the fact that I love reading about the celebrities and their lives and I know a large chunk of them live in CA.  Or if it's the fact that it's on the complete opposite of the map and I always thought that was pretty neat.  Or if it's the fact that I know someone that moved out to San Diego right after college and his pictures were so beautiful of the beaches and the city and...well, everything looked beautiful.  Or if it's because my high school basketball coach moved out there this summer with his new wife and wrote me on Christmas day to tell me it was 70 degrees out there.  Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't want to live where it is warm the majority of the time.  I like the seasons.  But one Christmas at 70 degrees would be kinda cool...and different.

San Diego, CA

In the last ten years, I have also added two other places on my "must see" list.  One of those would have to be Charleston, SC.  I really have no recollection of a time where I decided it would be a cool place to visit.  I like the idea of the quaint little town I have heard about.  I looove the style of homes there.  They have a very historic architecture to them.  I love the balconies and the arched doorways.  Charleston apparently has amazing night life, wonderful shopping, pretty beaches and delicious food.  I know several people who have lived there and even more people who have visited who say "You just have to go to Charleston atleast once in your life." 

Charleston, SC

And lastly, I must visit Nashville, TN.  I have a very strong love for country music.  I will say I'm not a true old country fan as much (sorry!) but in general, country music is most definitely my favorite genre if I had to pick one.  However, with that said, Conway Twitty's "That's My Job" is one of my all-time favorites. :)  I would of course have to visit the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Ryman Auditorium, and the Grand Ole Opry.  An added bonus would be running into Carrie Underwood or really any of the hundreds of country musicians I enjoy. :)

Nashville, TN

And after writing this entire post I realized I actually have been out of the United States...once!  How could I forget the amazing honeymoon Ryan and I went on in Cozumel, Mexico?  It was nothing short of the best trip I have ever taken in my life.  There are probably several reasons it ranks as the best trip ever:

1.Being there a whole week with my new husband

2. Being waited on hand & foot 

3. Eating all the food & drink we could possibly consume

4.  It was B-E-A-UUUUTIFUL!

Cozumel Palace Resort (Yes, I took this picture.)

But I will say, no matter where life takes me, no matter where I travel, no matter what vacation I go on...there is no place like home.

Shenandoah Valley, VA