2017 - A Year in Review

2017 was a great year!I added another six countries to my list (Vietnam, Taiwan, Italy, Greece, Malta and Switzerland), finalized my divorce, completed two more cruises, spent numerous days enjoying the mountains (skiing, white water rafting, zip lining, snowmobiling, RZRing and hiking), received a promotion at work and was able to knock off the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix off my bucket list.I'm so grateful for the life I've built for myself, and I guess that's the most empowering thing, I'm doing it myself. I can be free to live the life I've always wanted on my terms. Each place and experience teaches me something new, and I love that feeling.My favourite places I travelled to this year was Santorini and Italy. I really fell in love with these two places. Santorini is just magical. I wish time could just stop when I was there. Italy was a bit different, for me it felt like home. Before I left, I learned a bit more about my heritage and found out I have a great grandmother from the Amalfi region and a great grandfather from the Veneto region. So visiting Italy was actually personal. I loved everything about it, the people, the architecture, the food (and wine) and just the lifestyle. This is a place I can see myself coming back to year after year and definitely a place I can see myself living. I spent my birthday this year touring the Amalfi Coast (Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi and Ravello) and it was honestly one of the best days of my life.2018 is already shaping up to be a fantastic year.I have three cruises planned so far, one taking me back to Alaska for the third time in September on the brand new Norwegian Bliss which is currently still being built, and another cruise round trip Venice, Italy on the Norwegian Star taking me to Kotor (Montenegro), Corfu (Greece), Santorini (Greece, this time for the sunset on the island), Mykonos (Greece) and Dubrovnik (Croatia). I'll be spending quite a bit of time in Venice and in the Veneto region, exploring the hills where the world's best Prosecco is made and visiting the Ferrari factory and museum in the Modena region (also well known for it's exports of balsamic vinegar). I'll also be visiting Paris and Amsterdam.I can't say enough how grateful I am, and can't wait to see how 2018 unfolds.Cheers, and Happy New Year!