This year I’m celebrating the end of 2012 with my family in Prague. It’s also my 30th country, which was one of my 30 before 30 goals. So it feels like an exceptionally important time and place. Partially, because it is the end of an absolutely epic year. 2012 was certainly a once in a life time kind of year, and I feel incredibly lucky for every day of it. For a visual: Travel Map. Starting graduate school was a big change, mostly because it involved moving to Europe, something I’ve wanted to do for the past decade, but hadn’t anticipated actually doing any time soon. It’s been exciting, challenging and generally nothing like what I expected. Which, generally, is what one would expect when moving to a new country. I’ve learned a lot about myself, and learned just how much I actually love living in the states, and am surprisingly excited to move home in a few years. Some Highlights, with pictures of course:

Miles Traveled: 41,000

Countries visited: 17 (16 new)

Months spent abroad: 9

Pounds of noodles consumed: so many.

Illness while traveling: 1-tonsillitis.

Most major travel mishap: Bus breaking down in Burma for several hours in the middle of the night, and ending with all the foreigners outside push starting the giant tour bus.

-Seeing the Taj Mahal 

-Trekking the Himalayas

-Cruising the backwaters of Southern India 

-Visiting Burma

-Visiting the ancient city of Bagan and Angkor Wat

-Eating Street food in Chiang Mai

-Cruising the Mekong Delta

-Kayaking in Vang Vieng, Laos, the most beautiful country I’ve seen to date. 

-Spending the night on Halong Bay

-Riding a motorcycle through southern Vietnam

-Canyoning in Dalat

-Eating our way through Saigon, Vietnam

-Getting scuba certified in Koh Tao

-Riding a scooter through Rice Paddies in Indonesia

-Eating our way through Penang, Malaysia

-Moving to Dublin, Ireland

-Spending the Holidays with Family in Central Europe

-Started Graduate School

Whew. It’s been epic to be sure, and filled with an incredible amount of adventures. I don’t expect 2013 to be anywhere near as crazy, but that’s probably a good thing. But, I already have a few exciting ventures in the works!

I have no idea what to expect for 2013, but I have the feeling it will be a fantastic year, and I can’t wait to see what it holds!

So, to 2012, you’ve been grand. To 2013-let’s see what you’ve got!

Happy New Years, from Prague!