In the NEXT year...

Exciting news in the non-rev world. Jason is a rockstar and won Internal Audit employee of the quarter. Along with the title comes...2 GOLD TICKETS! (I'm feeling a little like Charlie.) Gold tickets mean that it's a guaranteed spot! What do you mean Christy? You don't have to get to the airport at 4am to catch the earliest flight? Or sit in the middle seat because you're boarding last? You get a boarding pass the NIGHT BEFORE? Madness! With our impending Euro trip and my new job, I don't have any remaining vacation this year, but we will definitely put that to good use.

So, you guys have read where we've BEEN in my last post, now look where we're (tentatively) going! As always in the world of standby, these things can change. On our list for Jason's 2nd year at SWA (mid 2012 - mid 2013):

Euro Trip with John and Mal: Tickets have been purchased and it's insane how cheap they were. Thanks to airline partnerships, they were only $240/person roundtrip! We ARE paying for some airfare around Europe, but the prices were really good (Like $40 a person good)!

France (Paris, Normandy, and Burgundy)

Switzerland (Geneva)

Hungary (Budapest)

Germany (Munich...for Oktoberfest!)

Austria (Salzburg)

Czech Republic (Prague)

Weekend Trips - still up in the air:

New Orleans, LA

Boston, MA

Portland, OR

Boise, ID

Reno/Tahoe, NV

And the part I'm jumping for joy at...2 weeks of backpacking through Southeast Asia! I convinced Jason to go with me on the condition that I plan everything. What's new? Ha. 

Places we'd like to go:

Thailand (Koh Samui, Bangkok, Chiang Mai)

Laos (Luang Prabang)

Cambodia (Siem Reap to see Angkor Wat)

Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur)

Singapore

We also have a 3 year plan that includes Australia/New Zealand/Bora Bora, going back to Hawaii (Big Island, Molokai), and another couple of trips back to Europe (England, Ireland, Scotland, Netherlands, Turkey, Croatia, Greece). Gotta get while the getting's good, right? Cheap flights can't be beat (except by free ones), and the only responsibilities we have involve our pup.

OH! And a big thanks to Southwest Airlines for providing Jason and I with over $5,500 (!!) worth of free travel so far. After our Europe and SE Asia trips, that number is sure to skyrocket.

Stay tuned for more travel adventures :)

Traveling Personalities

Jason and I are not the same types of travelers. We make a great team, but I'm usually the catalyst with a travel wishlist a mile long. I want to experience as many different cultures, food, and religions as authentically as I can. See places that have lots of historical significance. Understand art in the context in which it was created. Basically, travel is what makes my heart beat faster.

Jason wants to be outside in nature. See natural wonders. Go to places with beautiful beaches and spend all of his time outdoors. He likes to go with the flow when he travels and likes other people to plan for him.

Where we converge is that we are NOT "relax at the beach/pool" types of people. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.) We constantly want to be experiencing something new. We're both problem solvers and don't get ruffled when things don't go our way. Balance is the key for us with regard to activities. Also, Jason lets me plan. This works out great for me because I generally have a pretty specific idea of what I want to accomplish everywhere I go. As long as I include some outdoorsy things, Jason is a happy camper.

We both took this quiz a while back that describes each of us pretty well. It also lists travel destinations that would be ideal for each personality type.

I'm a Mid-Venturer. Jason is a Mid-Authentic.

What type of traveler are you?

http://besttripchoices.com/travel-personalities/quiz/

Chicago, IL, Minneapolis, MN and Las Vegas, NV

Jason and I have been doing a bit of travel separately due to work. I was in Chicago for 5 weeks and got the chance to explore the northern suburbs (haha) and I ventured into Chicago a few times - once to go to a Cubs game at Wrigley Field with my coworkers! That was a lot of fun - the stadium is SO TINY!

For my last travel adventure for work, I went for a week-long trip to Las Vegas! This was a really great way to end my time with Protiviti AND I got to meet up with some high-school friends that I hadn't seen in ages. I'm not a big gambler, but it was fun to watch and absorb the Vegas lifestyle. Of course I did a little shopping there though! "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas", so I'll just leave it with the fact that I had a great time!

For my last trip, I went to Minneapolis to have a fun girl's weekend! What was great about this trip is that we all got there for FREE! Thanks to Jason's buddy passes, the girls were able to fly standby as well. We woke up and set off to kayak in the lake system near Emily and Jake's place. We just had a great day exploring the area that they live in. We also go to meet some neighbors that supplied us with a DELICIOUS meal full of homemade pizza and LOTS of wine :) We had much to celebrate: Rebekah's upcoming wedding, Brittany's move to OKC and house purchase, Emily's promotion, and my new job!

The next day, we went to brunch and walked around a little festival that was taking place. Everyone here seems to always be outside when the weather is nice (which is definitely was - especially compared to Texas!). After this, we ventured to Mall of America. That place was insane! Brittany and I rode a rollercoaster - in a MALL! I can imagine how useful it is to have an indoor mall of that magnitude when it's literally -20 degrees outside.

Stolen from Brittany's Blog :)

http://kbmccalltx.wordpress.com/

Overall, it was a really great trip and I'm so glad we all got to make it there for nothing!