Passion= traveling

I hate packing.

For the past few summers I have packed up all my belongings in DC in order to travel. The first summer I did this I was able to sublet my spot in my house, and I just packed away my clothes. But now I pack up everything, sell some furniture, and put everything into storage. 

Right now my room is a disaster area. I have Rubbermaids in every corner, boxes and suitcases along my hallway...and my bed is often covered with clothes (I just shift the clothes to another location when I go to sleep). 

Again, I hate packing. 

However, this year my packing situation is a little different. My roommate and I ended our lease early, so I am going to put all my stuff into storage this Saturday, about two weeks before I am scheduled to leave on my trip and sleep on an air mattress at a friend's house (thank you friend!!). So, not only am I packing for my travels, but I am also packing to be able to survive two weeks of living at a friend's.

You may be asking yourself if it is really worth doing this every year. And my answer is yes. 

You see, traveling is in my blood, it is my passion. My grandparents absolutely loved to travel. They were able to travel quite a bit in South America with my grandfather's company (my grandparents were based out of Chile for a number of years), but they also traveled all over Europe. When my grandfather retired, he and my grandmother went to Spain twice a year, usually in March and October. Now that my grandmother has passed away, the grandchildren (and the aunts) have taken over the reigns and often go with my grandfather to Spain (it was great fun when Alina and I lost our grandfather in Zaragoza!).

Beyond that, my aunt lived in Switzerland during college and traveled all over. My mom's first trip to Europe was when she was 16, with my aunt. They went on a adventure, just the two of them, and you should hear some of their stories (particularly the story about the lake in Switzerland, when a storm hit and they were in a canoe).

And then there is me. I was 12 days old the first time I rode on a plane. My first big trip was to New York City at 15. At 22 I went to Europe for the first time. I have traveled all around US and I have gone to South America (ask me about the time I took my grandfather to a tango show in Buenos Aires). I studied abroad in Paris and have been back to Europe 7 times.

And still it is not enough. 

In short, traveling is what makes me tick. I love planning trips (that's half the fun) and I love taking impromptu trips. I have a savings account dedicated to them (seriously, my saving account is named Happy Trip Money). 

So,what is your passion? What do you do (or wish you could) that makes you completely happy?