Mapping My Month: November 2015

Where has the time gone?!

Last month, this summer, no - the whole stinkin' year has passed by in such a blur. And while I have no new travel stories from October, I can attest that the nesting instinct of a pregnant woman is a legit thing. When I haven't collapsed on the couch in exhaustion nursing slightly swollen feet, you could find me with duster and vacuum in hand as I've rearranged ALL THE THINGS in our place. Sometimes more than once. My husband is a long-suffering man.

So far pregnancy has actually been fairly kind to me. While I had nausea in the first few months, it was relatively mild and usually eased by eating some fruit. Aches, pains, and a few persistent discomforts have been the only annoyances I've battled recently, and although my waistline has grown significantly, by most standards I don't really look eight months pregnant since I was so tiny to begin with. Here's to hoping I lose it as quickly postpartum as I've been gaining it in these last few weeks!

"Travel Sized" onesie made by my talented sister-in-law &
photo cred to my other b.a. sister-in-law.

As for Baby Gypsy, she's quite the tumbler. When the radio starts blasting the 1950s rock'n'roll, she picks up her feet and throws a rave! And if my cravings have been any indicator, she has international tastes when it comes to food. Greek, Mexican, Italian, and German are all favorites on the menu. Now if only she inherits my genes for sleeping through the night at an early age, we'll be ready for adventures in no time!

The closer the due date draws near, though, the more we continue to evaluate our long-term goals for travel and life plans. We'd like to be able to visit Germany in the early spring so that Danny's Oma, who is now 91 years old, can meet Baby Gypsy, but we're also trying to weigh the financial costs of attempting to buy our first house in the late summer or early fall. We've been saving for a house for a while, and it's time to turn our savings into reality. Of course, as we choose not to fund our travels with debt, buying a house will inevitably curtail our travels to one degree or another. And considering that we had two international trips in 2014 and then again this year, it'll be emotionally tough to cut back to just domestic trips when we've been so spoiled (first world problems, eh?).

While October was quiet in the travel and adventure department, I did manage to visit one new winery for the #252by2022 challenge -- Cooper Vineyards. Although I didn't really allow myself to do more than just a tiny taste of each wine, I think I may have found a post-pregnancy new favorite wine: the Sweet Louisa. It doesn't hurt that this winery is located only a 10-12 minute ride from my house!

So, November, I'm glad you're here, but I'll be even more glad when you leave and December (aka, baby month!) arrives! I feel as though I've been pregnant forever but still nowhere near to the starting line (if you think labor and delivery is the finish line, you're in for a rude awakening); anxious for Baby Gypsy to be here but feeling woefully unprepared for all the changes she's about to make in our lives; excited for a new year with new adventures and new memories and new moments viewing the world through a little one's eyes; and overall just feeling very blessed with all the support and love from our families, our friends, and from the travel blogging community in general. Thanks for sticking with us!

What's in the works for your November?

Temple of Hephaestus - A throwback to our May 2015 trip to Greece.