One of my toxic traits is booking trips while on a trip.  However, whilst on my Munich – Dubai – Maldives adventure in January, I refrained from doing just that.  Instead, I focused on relaxing, enjoying the here and now, and reading 8 books.  So, the next adventure was long overdue with few airfare deals to be found.  I still have the unused ticket from Greece that requires travel to be completed by December and unfortunately work travel and obligations present a scheduling nightmare.  Figuring out where to go is dependent on airline schedules and affordability.  My bucket list is long and with 100 countries now as the goal – the possibilities are endless.  Using google flights, selecting for Star Alliance partners, I did a blanket search from Denver to Europe in August and October to see what deals were available.  While rebooking Greece was top-of-mind, avoiding summer crowds is also a goal – so October quickly became the focus.  Schedules, flight upgrade possibilities, and travel destination plus affordability all rose to the top of the priority list – and so did Egypt!  I can’t wait to embark on this 10-day adventure.  

As the Emirates plane flew closer to Male, the island housing the main airport in the 1,190 island nation known as the Maldives, I captured several images out of my window seat.  (Side note: if you have the chance to fly First Class on Emirates, take it!  I splurged for the 5ish hour flight and it was well-worth it!)

The water is as blue and clear as blogs describe, pictures show, and my mind imagined.  It’s been a long journey, and many failed attempts to get here.  And, we still have a few more hours before we reach the Westin and our over-the-water villa.  

But for now I’ll enjoy the wonder of this view, that doesn’t even seem or feel real.          

Few places rival the juxtaposition of Dubai: man-made white sandy beaches set against a backdrop of an overgrown city skyline.  I took this picture as I lounged in the warm January sun, recovering from a long travel day that included an 8-hour stopover in Munich.  Our flight was direct from Denver to Munich, and I was lucky enough to secure a complimentary upgrade to Polaris.  Once we cleared immigration, we checked our hand luggage at the airport, hopped the train to the city, and began exploring Munich.  The overnight flight to Dubai meant we arrived at 7am – check-in at the Habtoor Grand Resort was flawless and we were treated like royalty.  The room was outstanding with a lovely view of the sea.  After a long shower and unpacking, we were off to lounge on the beach: napping, sampling some drinks, and getting some much needed Vitamin D.  Then of course planning our evening out in Dubai.  We only have a couple days here before we’re off to the Maldives, so balancing relaxation and sightseeing is paramount.

Argentina came at a busy time for me at work yet I didn’t want to miss this trip we had planned for 8 months.  We started off flying into Buenos Aires, where within 5 hours of landing, Matt’s phone was unceremoniously stolen off a table at an our door gluten-free steak house (apparently no good deed really does go unpunished.)  Sigh.  Without a way to get him a phone, we continued our trip to Mendoza aka Aregentian Malbec country.  It’s spring here in Argentina and the days are longer, the flowers are blooming, the birds are chirping, and the afternoons bring beautiful thunderstorms.  Winery visits were a must in Mendoza – and Alta Vista, the one featured in the picture, did not disappoint.  In addition to visiting wineries and tasting their offerings, we stayed at a working winery.  A stunning location within walking distance to some shops, restaurants, and of course more wine.  The winery we stayed at featured cats and chickens milling about the property and often in our room and the on-site restaurant.  It was a bit too cool to swim in the lovely outdoor pool but that didn’t stop me from dipping my toes in after a long day of traipsing through the vines.  

As a lover of the ocean and all things beach, a warmer getaway, in winter, is always on my mind!  Since the grand trip to the Maldives was cancelled, I wasn’t into planning anything – just feeling meh about travel.  But, Matt really wanted to go somewhere in the Caribbean.  So, since I love cheap flights so much I booked Turks & Caicos first ($385 round-trip from Denver), but was less than thrilled at the cost of accommodations – let’s be real, I love a good deal for a swanky place.  The must-haves for a beach vacay are places that are right on the beach!  The prospect of watching sunrises and sunsets by the water are the driving force behind this ideal.  With that in mind, I looked at other destinations and found a better deal to Trinidad & Tobago ($325 round-trip) – with instant upgrades to FC!  From there, Matt took over the planning and landed beachfront accommodations on both islands – Trinidad is the main island, and Tobago is just a 25 minute flight away (or 4-hour ferry.)  The place in Tobago looks fantastic – our own villa with a private pool and full kitchen.  And, now we have a little January getaway to warm up and decompress after 2021!  Sometimes last minute really pays off.