My Top 10 Highlights of 2019

Happy 2020!  I can’t believe it’s a new decade.  So much has happened in the last ten years.  I studied abroad in Milan, graduated college, started my first full-time job, bought a car, moved to Chicago, got my MBA, and traveled to 16 states and 22 countries.  Whew, that’s a lot!

2019 was a great year to top off an amazing decade.  Not only did I take two international trips, but I also had a lot of cool experiences closer to home.  I thought it would be fun to recap the year and my favorite memories.  I’ve always loved reading other bloggers’ year-in-review posts and am excited to have my very own this year!

Here are my top ten highlights, in chronological order, of 2019.

1. Exploring Chicago

As much as I love traveling, I spend most of my time at home in Chicago, so I like taking advantage of all the things the city has to offer.  Looking back, I did way more than I realized!  Here’s a glimpse at some of my favorite Chicago experiences this year:

• Rocking out at the Tedeschi Trucks Band concert at the Chicago Theater
• Going to the Chicago Auto Show for the first time
• Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day at the Southside Irish Parade (so fun!)
• Eating way too many burgers at the Roscoe Village Burger Fest
• Celebrating my 28th birthday at a Chicago Cubs game
• Going to my first Chicago Dogs baseball game
• Drinking hot cider and exploring the corn maze at Jack’s Pumpkin Pop-Up
• Getting into the Christmas spirit at the Christkindl Market
• Ringing in the new year (and decade!) with fireworks at Navy Pier

 

2. Launching Chasing Gina

After mulling it over for months, I finally decided to pull the trigger and launch this blog on March 21st.  Putting yourself out there is scary!  However, the positive feedback I received from my family and friends was encouraging.  Having my own little corner of the internet has been fun.  I wish I would have been able to keep up, but I got busy and stopped posting mid-year.  My goal for 2020 is to be more consistent with my blog posts.  I have so many ideas and am excited to share fresh content with you!

 

3. Taking a girls trip to Los Angeles

In March, I took my first trip of the year out to Los Angeles with my friends Steph and Mel.  We were able to pack in a ton of sights in just five days, including Venice Beach, Downtown LA, Hollywood, Santa Monica, and a day trip to Laguna Beach.  Check out my 5-day LA itinerary to read more.  We had a blast being tourists all over the city, and I was happy to escape the cold Chicago winter for a few days.  I enjoyed LA much more than I thought I would and was pleasantly surprised at how much there is to do there.

 

4. Eating and drinking all the things in New Orleans

New Orleans had been on my bucket list for a while, so when I found out Pat had a work conference there in May, I jumped at the chance to tag along (and take advantage of that free hotel room life!).  I instantly fell in love with the city.  The moment I walked out of my hotel, heard the brass band playing in the streets, and saw the beautiful pastel buildings in the French Quarter, I was smitten.

This vibrant city really has it all, and the food was no exception.  We spent the majority of the week stuffing our faces.  We had the best fried chicken ever at Willie Mae’s, delicious charbroiled oysters at Drago’s, and the famous beignets at Café Du Monde.  When we weren’t eating, we were trying New Orleans’ most famous drinks—the hurricane and the Sazerac.  I will definitely be coming back to New Orleans in the near future.

 

5. Immersing myself in Japanese culture

Going to Japan was an unexpected surprise this year!  My roommate Katie was studying abroad in Thailand and decided to spend some time in Japan beforehand.  This was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up so I decided to join her.  We had a wonderful time seeing all the major sites in Tokyo and Kyoto.

My favorite part though was staying in Hakone at the Fukuzumirō ryokan, which was established in 1890.  Coming from Tokyo, it was a serene escape from the bustling city with its tatami guestrooms and spa-like onsens.  Not to mention dinner, which was a five-course meal.  I ate so much I had to lay down after the fourth course.  Staying at one of these traditional inns is a must-do when visiting Japan.

 

6. Celebrating America’s birthday in Door County

After a whirlwind trip to Japan, I spent the 4th of July in Door County, Wisconsin, with my family.  My grandparents have a cottage there, and I’ve been visiting since I was a baby.  It was a nice change of pace to relax for a few days and soak up some sunshine on the beach.

 

7. Road tripping to St. Louis

In August, Pat and I drove down to St. Louis for a weekend.  I hadn’t been to St. Louis since I was a child, so I was excited to get reacquainted with the city.  Luckily, our friends Matt and Jessica were excellent tour guides!  We rode the Loop Trolley, walked around Forest Park, saw the cutest polar bear at the St. Louis Zoo, and visited the Arch.  It was a short but fun weekend!  I’m hoping to take more weekend trips like this in 2020.

 

8. Camping in Starved Rock

Funny story.  For my 5-year work anniversary, I got to pick out a gift from a list the company provides.  I chose a tent because why not.  My department’s admin told me I was the only one to ever choose that item 🙂

I decided to put the tent to good use and plan a camping trip with my friends.  We camped in Starved Rock State Park for a weekend, and it was very memorable, to say the least.  One friend badly burned her hand on candle wax.  Another friend had a bug fly in her ear, and she had to go to urgent care the next day to get it flushed out.  And then, on top of all that, everyone’s tents (except mine!) flooded the last night because it rained for 10 hours straight.  Hoping for better luck next year!

 

9. Visiting the Lincoln Library in Springfield with my grandfather

At the end of September, I went down to Springfield to see the “In This Great Struggle: The Greatest Generation Remembers WWII” exhibit at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.  This exhibit had videos of people telling their own stories of the war.

My grandfather, who served in the Philippines during WWII and helped liberate his cousins from a POW camp, was featured in one of those videos.  It was an honor to be able to visit the museum with him and his cousin and to see their story shared with so many others.

 

10. Van life in New Zealand

I ended the year in the best way possible—campervanning in New Zealand!  For our first week there, Pat and I rented a van, learned how to drive on the left side of the road (spoiler alert: it’s scary!), and took a road trip around the North Island.  We rappelled 115 feet into a cave to see glowworms, saw geysers at Te Puia, learned the haka at Tamaki Māori Village, went zorbing (aka rolled down a hill in a giant ball), searched for Bilbo at Hobbiton, and camped on the beach in Coromandel.

The second week we traded in our van for other unique accommodations, including a beautiful secluded farm in Te Anau and a tiny house in Queenstown.  Despite getting stranded in Christchurch for a couple of days due to flooding, we were still able to squeeze in a few more amazing activities: hiking in Mt. Cook, climbing up Roy’s Peak, cruising in Milford Sound, and swinging 300 meters on one of the world’s largest canyon swings.

 

Looking Forward to 2020

I’m excited for everything 2020 has in store!  I don’t have any travel plans yet, but rest assured I have a long list of ideas.  I am looking forward to a new year, new adventures, and new memories.  Be sure to follow along here on the blog and on my Instagram!