Africa.

I've just returned from South Africa...an amazing journey, well worth the 20+ hours on a plane. 4 nights in Cape Town, sightseeing and then it was off to Kapama Private Reserve for safari. 4 game drives, each more exciting than the one before.  A few things I learned:

1. There is nothing as humbling as a full grown male lion standing 5 feet away from you and looking you straight in the eyes. There is also nothing that makes you feel quite so edible.
















2a. Full grown elephants are scarier than lions, especially when they are walking right towards you. They're incredibly huge, and you do not want to stand in their way.  Rhinos are also large and scary.

2b. Baby elephants are the cutest animals ever, followed by baby lions, baby zebra, and yes, baby Cape buffalo. See #5

3. If you're arachnophobic, you probably should not go on a game drive in South Africa. Golden Orb Spiders are everywhere...and they are BIG.

4. Getting excited over seeing giant piles of fresh poop is acceptable in the bush...especially if it's White Rhino poop.

5.  5am wake up calls aren't so bad if it means that you'll see 15 elephant at a watering hole, or a lioness with her two cubs and a fresh kill. 

2012.

2012...the year the world is supposed to end.  I don't buy it...I have a whole lot more I want to do with my life and it's not all going to get done this year :-)

Holidays.

What a lovely time of year...friends and families gather, wishes for a healthy and prosperous new year are everywhere, good times are had.  It's the time of year to reflect and appreciate on all that you've done over the past 12 months and to start looking ahead.  What can I do better? Who can I see more? What needs to be my priority?  Each year, answers to those questions tend to be the same...at least for me!  Always look to be happier, healthier and surrounded with loved ones. What more does one really need?

Merry Christmas and all the best in the New Year!!

Reminder.

I was recently reminded that I have this blog...and that I haven't used it in almost a year. Unacceptable. I think it's time for me to come back :-)

Year.

It's a new year...2010 was a good year overall...very trying at times but I'm still here. I've thought about this blog a lot over the year, since I never used it, and have decided that I should. It doesn't matter to me if anyone else reads it...as long as I write, it's ok!

Bring it on, 2011.

Job.

Turns out that I'm not that good at keeping up with my blog. Good thing I have a job...I'm now a full-time Travel Consultant with Liberty Travel!!

Please keep me in mind for any travel needs...mcculloughj@libertytravel.com

Home.

After 6 days of driving from CA, my mom and I made it safely to Reading, PA this past Friday evening. We got in just in time for a lovely snowstorm to drop over a foot of snow on us!

On our drive, we made two main stops...first to the Grand Canyon, which is amazing in winter. The day was perfect and weather great, so we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. From there, we drove straight through to TN, and our second stop was to visit a dear friend (and my oldest friend...we've known each other for over 25 years!) in Sewanee, TN, who recently had a baby!!
We left TN and made our way north, with the storm on our tails....I spent the weekend in Reading and am now in Tuckerton, NJ, with my parents. I'll be making the move to Reading around New Year's Day.

Friends.

I'm pretty much the luckiest girl ever...I have the most amazing friends in the whole world. From coast to coast, my friends are my family and I love them dearly. Even though I'll be a few miles from my West Coast family, they're not rid of me!!

And my East Coast family....well, they just be ready to have me back.

Time.

Two weeks...TWO WEEKS!?!?! How the heck did the last 3 months go by so fast? I have been planning this move for a long time and it seems like all of a sudden, IT'S HERE.

Friday.

What a great Friday night with Debbie and Sam!!

Simmzy's in Manhattan Beach, then Pearl Jam Rock Band...we were awesome, especially on Supersonic.

Turns out, we should have all been rockstars, but I guess we missed our calling....

Turkey.

Happy Thanksgiving, All!!

I'm so thankful for my amazing family and awesome friends...I am one lucky girl! Even though I'm 3000 miles from my most of my family, my friends have become my family out here and I feel incredibly loved and happy.

I'm looking forward to being home for Christmas and making our famous stuffing with my Dad!!

Oh, and turkey. I love turkey.

Countdown.

One week from today I will be in Hawaii
One week after that, my parents are arriving CA
One week after THAT Mom and I will be 1/3 of the way across the USA.

We'll be driving on the 40 from Los Angeles...stopping first in Flagstaff and going to the Grand Canyon...then through Albuquerque, Amarillo, Oklahoma City, Little Rock, Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Roanoke, Harrisburg, and on into Reading, PA!

This will be the 4th cross-country drive that I've done in the past 8 years...if you've never done it, you should!! The USA is absolutely beautiful and there are sights that you just can't see anywhere else, especially on the 90...

Kauai.

For my birthday, I'm going to Kauai...all by myself and I'm really looking forward to it. I earned the trip through work and will be staying for two nights at the Sheraton Kauai and two nights at the St. Regis. I'll be going on a mountain tubing excursion, snorkeling, hiking, and plenty of eating and drinking...what a way to turn 31!

Rock.

My favorite band in the world is Pearl Jam...Eddie, Jeff, Mike, Stone and Matt...I've been very lucky to see Pearl Jam play over 30 times since 1996. Their music has gotten me through every type of emotion imaginable and I don't know where I would be had I not discovered them so many years ago.

Their latest album, Backspacer, is fantastic and if you haven't heard it, I think you should...you're missing out!


One of my Pearl Jam concert highlights from Philly 10/30/09...the only time they've ever played "Hold On"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WFZ719pbHc

Hello.

Well, it's about time that I started a blog, so this is my attempt. Good Luck, me!

My passion is travelling and I've been very fortunate to travel a bit in the past few years...Iceland, Australia, Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary, Ireland, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and all over the USA. I'm about to embark on a cross-country drive with my Mom, which I'm looking forward to!!