February has been jam packed, as only a month with an extra leap day could be. I took the Greyhound to Chicago twice this month to visit with friends, enjoying the windy city during the day when we had some decent weather. We did very little traditional sight seeing, but a lot of eating and catching up, and atypically, no photos to share!
We had a great work event at the juvenile women’s prison in Northern Indiana, a fashion show to model professional attire. It’s been a while since I’ve attended a HOPE event since I’ve been away and it was nice to get back in the swing of work.
I did a ton of blogging which I’ll leave you to catch up on below if you wish, and but I’ll just say that I’ve really enjoyed being home. Getting into a routine with exercise, healthy cooking, less drinking, and more regular sleep patterns has made me feel a lot healthier. Visiting friends and family more often has been fantastic and much needed.
But I think I’m way less restless than other times because I know I’ll have another extended stay in the Pearl of Africa at the end of the year, and I can’t wait.
The balance I’ve been striking of time at home and time adventuring is feeling just right. Basically I’m in a great mood this month! I hope you’re all staying warm wherever you are, or soaking up the sunshine for me if you’ve escaped winter’s clutches.
This month I wrote four posts:
One Woman of the Week interview
A Peek into Peak Corps: Interview with a Peace Corps Volunteer
Two on Abu Dhabi
The Perfect 4 Day Itinerary For Abu Dhabi
Why I Fell In Love with St. Regis Hotels
And one on sustainability
How to have an Eco-Friendly Valentines Day: 14 Simple Tips
And as for my resolutions…
I made some solid progress toward my resolutions this month.
- posted my first Woman of the Week interview this year
- read Burial Rites by Hannah Kent, set in Iceland and 1000 Hills to Heaven: Love, Hope and a Restaurant in Rwanda by Josh Ruxin
- went to Chicago twice to visit Anna and Melissa
- starting using FluentU for spanish learning
- did more vegan cooking this month (including a delicious lentil, apply, sweet potato, curry dish that I can’t stop thinking about)
- made transit plans for the wedding we’re attending in Cabo, Mexico this June
I was putting in work on Suitcase Six this month! Along with some updates to the site design, I added 12 Global Directory pages for countries I’ve written posts about in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. I even updated four posts that I’d written back in my early Suitcase Six days about Norway trains, Scandinavia costs, and Southeast Asia adventures.
What’s coming in March?
I don’t have any big travel on the calendar next month so I’m planning for a super productive March.
Expected posts include: a collaboration post for International Women’s Day, tips on finding eco-friendly hotels, and a few backlogged posts from recent (and not-so-recent) travels.
Maybe I’ll even sort through my photos from the last few months? A woman can dream.
Hope you’re celebrating the leap day doing what you love today.
Till next time, happy travels.
XX
Sarah
