The best gift I’ve given myself this year is that of travel. From the weeklong vacation I took to California at the beginning of January to see a dear friend get married, visit my dad, and meet my stepfamily

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to a Memorial Day reunion with my best friend in Chicago

to the impromptu Charleston dinner cruise I took with Hubby during the summer

to our return trip to Charleston over Thanksgiving weekend…

these little getaways provided much-needed mental holidays. Though the trip I’m leaving for today is not purely a vacation – I’m attending the URJ/WRJ Biennial in D.C. as a representative of my temple’s sisterhood – I’m looking forward to one last getaway, catching up with people I haven’t seen in over a decade, having fun with new friends, and OMG hearing the President of the United States speak.

Yes, the best gift – one that I am incredibly grateful for – is being fortunate enough to travel and experience fun times with good friends.