A meme to end the year; a resolution to start the year

[gerisullivan]

I've never been inclined to make New Year's resolutions. Hopes for a coming year, yes. Thinking of things I'm looking forward to in it, yes. But not resolutions.

As this year ends, I find myself feeling rather differently about the whole resolution thing. Much as I like traveling, time away from home went way out of whack this year. Looking at each individual trip, yep, I wanted or needed to take it. Put 'em all together in a 12-month period and it added up to Way Too Much. For values of Way Too Much that add up to 165 nights away from home, plus whatever nights I stayed at debgeisler and benveniste's that I didn't remember clearly enough to count 'em in my tally. Arisia, February, early April, August, all those Wednesday nights in October, and the SFFY stays, I've got. But I know darned well that four months didn't pass without an overnight between April 9th and August 9th. Not a chance. I've already forgotten specifics of other time away this summer, too. I do remember enough to know I was gone at least 45% of the year, and I wouldn't be surprised if it were closer to 50%. Yikes.

I am resolved to spend more time at home in 2007.

For all that time away, I didn't get to all that many places -- fewer than in an ordinary year, actually, and only one out of the country.

List the towns or cities where you spent at least a night away from home during 2006. Mark with a star if you had multiple non-consecutive stays.

Peabody, MA
*Middleton, MA
*Yorktown Heights, NY
*Bronx, NY
Niagara Falls, NY
*Lansing, MI
Boston, MA
*Cleveland, OH
Portsmouth, NH
Toronto, ON Canada
*Minneapolis, MN
*Chicago, IL
*Battle Creek, MI
Milwaukee, WI
San Diego, CA
Anaheim, CA
I forget where, PA (motel en route to MI)
Somewhere between Buffalo and Rochester, NY (motel upon return drive)
Minnetonka, MN
Framingham, MA
Kansas City, MO
DuBois, PA

Shortest stay: 1 night (many places)
Longest consecutive stay: 24 nights (Lansing, during my sister's hip replacement surgery)

Comments

My list is much shorter

[lesliet-ma.livejournal.com]

I have 8 places for a total of 45 days (not counting the "night" on the airplane flying over the Atlantic). That's low compared to you, but my highest total ever since my college days. Many years of working jobs with only 2-3 weeks vacation is one reason. And since I've stopped working full time, I have a cat that needs a pet-sitter when I go away. And of course there's the expense of travel when you're not staying with family or friends. But I think the main reason I don't travel more is that even when I enjoy the trip, I always feel so out of sorts for the weeks surrounding the trip. Before, there's the rush to get ready, and after I always find it hard to catch up with things and get back into my regular routine. So I totally sympathize with your desire to spend less time travelling and more time at home.