Travel Plans 2015

Hi, my name is Carrie and I'm a planner. That's my middle name, my mantra, my own little compulsion. Sure, it's still 11 months 'til Christmas 2015, but I already know where we're headed. It will be a Smoky Mountain holiday for the family since I just put down a deposit on a really pretty lodge. 

In other travel news, we'll be heading to a pretty villa near Orvieto, Italy, for spring break in about six weeks. The Italian countryside should be a fun change of pace since we've done many of the major Italian cities. This is an aerial view of the place. In the distance you can just make out a small olive grove on the property. The 8th grader and kids of the couple traveling with us will no doubt have a blast exploring everything.

That just leaves summer. I've put a deposit on a Mekong River cruise through Cambodia and Vietnam for me and the husband, but we're not fully committed. The college coed is thinking about study abroad in Costa Rica and we've never been there. It seems Spain wasn't too appealing since she has already visited a few times. Plus Costa Rica would give her the opportunity to do some scuba diving, an item on her bucket list. What 20-year-old doesn't want to have pretty beach access in a country where she can buy her own wine for 10 weeks this summer? 

So who knows. Maybe we'll end up in Asia. Or maybe Costa Rica. The 8th grader has expressed interest in a Spanish immersion program in Puerto Rico since her best bud from her former school in England is also considering it. We've all been bitten by the travel bug, it seems.