Growing up near Chicago has trained me for winter and I’m used to much more snow than we’ve been getting in recent years. What is it about this year’s winter that has everyone I know pleading for it to end? Despite the lack of snow it seems we’re well below average temperature for March. I don’t mind the cold, but I miss the sun.

The day before I insisted I was in Michigan (I was wrong) and that it was Tuesday (it was Monday). Should I take this as a sign I’m traveling too much?

Who knows what sort of travel is in store for me in 2013, but I hope for at least one international trip. I’m still toying with the idea of biking around Iceland but, for now, all I know is I’ll be visiting New York and Atlanta.

January: Washington D.C.

Air and Space Annex Museum at Dulles Airport, Virginia

February: St. Louis

Daytrip to St. Louis

March: Virginia, Syracuse

Small plane from D.C. to Syracuse

We had Dinosaur BBQ twice in Syracuse

Cartwheeling at work in Syracuse

April: NYC, Jersey City

Manhattan by air

Visiting with Sema (who I last saw in Kyrgyzstan), cartwheeling on the High Line

Jersey City sunset

May: NYC, Jersey City

Afternoon spent in parks and museums in NYC

Have I mentioned how much I love the New York High Line?

I managed to get my client to go with a Star Trek theme this trip

Chicago Twilight

July: Washington D.C., Detroit

Modern art, including “The Art of the Video Game” exhibition, in D.C.

Museum hopping and seeing friends in D.C.

My first time in Detroit – one day in the suburbs

August: Denver

My first ever overcast day in Denver, visiting my sister

September: Connecticut, Houston

Connecting flights to Connecticut

Sunrise on the way to Houston

November: Sydney, Pittsburgh

Who knew Sydney was so gorgeous? I can’t wait to go back.

My time in Sydney was way too short, and the flight way too long with no TV in my seatback

SYD > LAX > ORD > PIT

A dreary first visit to Pittsburgh, testing the limits of my carryon with a 16-day trip

I finally reached the lowest level of status on United, halving my boarding number and scoring me an exit row

December: Boston

Business trips to Boston mean cookie cutter hotels and plenty of lobster

Boston’s topography is totally different than I thought

Flying home to Chicago for the last time in 2012

When I’m traveling for work I take a suitcase with wheels and usually don’t get to explore the city. My job in Connecticut had me in the suburbs without a car (an hour taxi ride from the Hartford airport) and in Houston I worked in a meeting room in the same hotel I stayed in. I only left the hotel twice to walk across a parking lot to dinner. Although having your travel paid for sounds great, now that I experience it often I realize it isn’t as great as it sounds to a backpacker counting her pennies.

Luckily I get to visit D.C. and New Jersey a few times a year and always try to arrange an extra day to see the sights. In both cases I can rely on public transportation to get around and there is plenty to see. Hopefully after my next business trip to New York in a few weeks I’ll get organized and post all of the photos of the adventures I had on my past three trips there.

So, if you’ve ever been jealous of my trips and wondered how you could possibly travel around-the-world or long-term get yourself to Austin, Boston, Chicago, Minneapolis, New York City, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, South Florida or Toronto next Tuesday, October 16th.

Our lovely host, Lisa Lubin, was on WGN news last week talking about the Chicago event (watch the video here). The event has historically sold out, so get your tickets now if you plan on going and don’t want to risk door tickets selling out. Still unconvinced? Here’s ten more reasons to attend this year.

Meet, Plan, Go! 2012