12/31/98

Since I'm idling around the house waiting for my haircolor to turn me from a redhead to a brunette I think I'll set down my travel goals for next year. I've never been one for resolutions at New Year's, nor do I tend towards a retrospective of the year. Instead, I prefer to organize in my head my top ten travel goals in order of firmness of purpose and likeliness of accomplishment. Then I arrange them by month I'd most likely go. You may use these as predictions if you like. Next year we can all gather round the metaphorical punchbowl and see how far I got.

Palm Desert, California
My parents just bought a computer, and I'm a dutiful daughter. I'll help them when I can drag myself away from the pool.

Acapulco, Mexico
It sounds so 60's, so Rat Pack, so cocktail hour, so faded glamour, so perfect for Denise and I. It's her Christmas and birthday present from me.

Santiago, Chile
And points further south, including Puerto Montt, Torres del Paines, and sailing the Chilean fjords. Alternately, John and I may opt to visit Argentina and Patagonia.

New York, New York
I didn't get there in 1998 and I miss that crazy place, especially my friends who live there. There's no place like it in the world.

The Caribbean
A cruise to anywhere. It's embarrassing to be a travel agent who's never been on a cruise. I'd prefer the Southern or Eastern Caribbean.

Portland, Oregon
Well, Vancouver, Washington. I plan to visit my folks this summer. But I'll cross the river to see friends.

Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin
I love visiting the upper Midwest. It's so quintessentially American. That's where my husband's from. He thinks I'm a nut when I exclaim over silos and cows.

Santa Fe, New Mexico
Late October would be ideal, before the snow but after the autumn settles over the high country. I want to visit the Four Corners region.

Indonesia or Thailand
Absolutely, positively, I need to see Southeast Asia. I'll try to find a familiarization trip for this. I'm not at all intrepid when it comes to the first visit to a new country.

Cabo San Lucas
Just a quick weekend getaway: me, the sun, the sand, the margaritas, the cute young men in skimpy bathing suits, and the luscious cerulean blue of the Sea of Cortez.

I won't be updating again until January 3rd, which will be this diary's second anniversary. Happy New Year!