Categories
Blogging

Blogiversary: 3rd Edition!

You know, it’s on days like this that I just can’t believe how fast time passes. A year ago today, I sat in my apartment in New York City, one of the few weeks I’d spend at home in 2012. Today, I sit in an apartment in beautiful (and warm!) Florida, only the latest in what really has been the year of travel. What’s so special about this day? Why it’s the day that this little blog of mine turns three!

It feels like only yesterday that I launched this new incarnation of what had previously been a personal blog (that blog actually dated way back to 2006, when I was a student in Thailand, a semester that was complete with a coup d’etat and the surprise wedding of my parents!). A mere 6 days later, I embarked on an epic 3-month Asian adventure, which included such highlights as China’s Yangshuo, Litang, the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai and, of course, the day I met the King of Bhutan!

Yangshuo
Yangshuo, China

Did I have plans for the blog once I returned? Nope! But here I am, three years later! And a lot has changed around here in that time. Themes change. Photos get prettier and bigger. And my writing has come a real long way!

What did the past year bring? Well…

The Year in Travel

4 countries. 10 U.S. States plus Washington, D.C. And a rather unexpected trip to an unlikely sort of place that few venture: Iraq, where I discovered that the amazing hospitality of the Kurdish minority in the north. I explored Turkey’s fascinating east and spent a pretty memorable night in Vienna.

Mudbrick Houses in Koya
Koya, Iraq

On the domestic front, my spurts of time in cities across the country continued. Des Moines, Milwaukee, Phoenix, Maryland’s DC suburbs, rural Illinois, my hometown of Las Vegas and, of course, New York City, where I make my home.

I also took a pretty spectacular trip to Anchorage, Alaska, courtesy of the Hilton Garden Inn!

The Year in Blogging

The past year was largely dedicated the Middle East, given my recent travels there. I warned you about scammers at the Pyramids of Giza, expressed my somewhat controversial views as to why I disliked Luxor and told you about my crazy adventure leaving Egypt where I thought I might get kidnapped. I expressed my love for Istanbul and talked about just what it’s like to travel in Iraq!

Bringing in the Horses at the Pyramids
Pyramids of Giza, Egypt

Together, we explored the ethics of traveling, as we debated when it’s appropriate to give stuff to children. I shared the fulfillment of a lifelong dream of mine to fly on a Singapore Airlines A380, introduced you to remnants from Saddam Hussein’s brutal Kurdish genocide and brought you views of a powerless Manhattan after Hurricane Sandy.

The coming year holds many exciting tales that I just can’t wait to share with you!

 Thanks to You!

Before I wrap this up, I do want to thank you. Yes, you…the person reading this right now! For if it wasn’t for you, I’d have no reason to keep writing. Thanks for your engaging comments and thanks for putting up with inconsistent posting timeline (my life gets busy with work and I tend to get sidetracked sometimes…). So thanks!

email

By Aaron

Hey there! I'm Aaron and this is my travel site, where I document my adventures to all corners of the world. My love for travel started at the ripe old age of four, when a midlife crisis uprooted my family to Ecuador for five years. Since then, I've been to countries on 4 different continents. When I'm not blissfully on the road, I reside in New York City, where I become the ultimate travel junkie and spend my days dreaming up my next great adventure! Read More...

4 replies on “Blogiversary: 3rd Edition!”

Leave a Reply to Suitcase Stories - Nicole Cancel reply

%d bloggers like this: