2014 Gluten-Free Globetrotter Year in Review

Even though 2014 was a calmer travel year than in years past, I still managed to have some pretty great trips this year. I didn’t hop on a plane to Asia like I did in 2013, but I did add Costa Rica to my list of countries that I have been to and also went to my favorite cottage town in Canada. I traveled up and down the East Coast a few times this year, visiting cities I hadn’t been to in many years such as Philadelphia, Boston, and Washington, DC. I also explored New York State and stayed local in New York City and Long Island. I left my job that brought me to Portland every six weeks and launched my own new business. All in all, 2014 has been a big success.

Here were some of my personal Gluten-Free Globetrotter highlights of 2014:

• January: Gluten-Free Globetrotter™ became an officially registered trademark of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. This was a huge milestone for me and this website and my first Portland, Oregon business trip of the year and
• February: My first trip to Madison, Wisconsin to visit my sister and her family. New state!
• March: My 2nd work trip of the year to Portland, OR and a guest speaking engagement with the Celiac Disease Foundation Hudson Valley (NY) chapter in Poughkeepsie, NY.

• April: My 3rd work trip of the year to Portland, OR; A birthday trip to Atlantic City, New Jersey; a blogging opportunity with United Airlines; and my first Spain-based interview about New York City, “Sin Gluten en Nueva York.”

• May: Gluten-Free Globetrotter turned three years old; a second trip to Madison, Wisconsin; and Gluten-Free Globetrotter now on Pinterest; and a staycation exploration day in Brooklyn.

• June: My 4th work trip of the year to Portland, OR; My first time in COSTA RICA!!!! with a fabulous week at Arenas del Mar; and a weekend getaway to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

• July: A friend reunion in Jersey City, NJ; My 4th work trip of the year to Portland, OR; and the beginning of my social media work with Pasta Flyer.
• August: My 5th and FINAL work trip to Portland, OR; A trip to London, Ontario, and Port Stanley, Ontario, Canada via Detroit, Michigan.

• September: A webinar with the Gluten Intolerance Group of Orange County, California; a trip to Seacaucus, New Jersey for the GFAF Expo; a trip to Cambridge, Massachusetts with Pasta Flyer; a gluten-free travel writing project for LARABAR; and a weekend getaway to the New Jersey Shore for my cousin’s wedding.

• October: An overnight trip to New Haven, Connecticut with Pasta Flyer; an overnight with a friend in Jersey City, NJ; and a day trip to Cold Spring, New York. Oh, and I quit my job and launched GlutenFreelancer.com!!!
• November: A two-day trip to Washington, DC with Pasta Flyer and my third trip of the year to Madison, Wisconsin.

• December: A friend holiday gathering in Milford, Connecticut and a staycation of sorts in Amityville, Long Island, NY.

WOW, as I type this all out I realize that I have traveled much more than originally planned for 2014. I added a new country (Costa Rica) and a new state (Wisconsin), bringing my grand total up to 18 countries and 27 states! I love that I started the year with a only few trips planned and ended 2014 with even more travel than I expected and a new job. Funny how life works, huh? I cannot wait to see what 2015 brings to Gluten-Free Globetrotter!

Happy New Year!