The Top 10 Things I Am Most Excited About In 2013

January 17th, 2013

It's been a crazy year thus far, and I have gone full swing on planning for my Middle East and European Vacation that I am taking from March to May.  You know how much additional planning and prep there is to leave for such an extended period of time?  I have to make sure my taxes are done, I have to take a medical certification class a month early because it expires during my trip, I have to make sure all my bills are set up to be paid, and not to mention notifying banks and credit cards that I will be out of the country.   

Thankfully I have an awesome roommate, my brother, who can take care of my house while I am gone, like making sure the mail is checked, saving my most loved valuables in case a tsunami hits, and that my plants are watered.  You know, the usual house sitting duties.

I started off 2013 in San Francisco....

.....where I was arrested for being too awesome.  Actually the pic was taken in San Francisco.... in a porn studio...where I was a broadcasted live on a porn website.  My parents are so proud of me.   Actually they don't know about my porn site debut yet, I will save that for my upcoming appearance on Maury Povich.  Actually, if you believe that last bit then you don't know me well at all.  Actually, wow, I love saying actually. 

I will have to save that story for another rainy sunny (Southern California) day.

But really, 2013 is going to be great.  2012 was filled to the max with so many losses.  I think I wrote more bereavement cards and attended more funerals in 2012 than I did in all my previous years COMBINED!  Not to mention my little bout with cancer....2012 really entered the hall of fame as the suckiest year evaaaaar!

I have so many things to look forward to in 2013, and here are ten of my favorites...

1. Experience Mardi Gras

 (from the berry)

I scored a free flight with my miles to visit New Orleans for Mardi Gras!  They had to modify the Mardi Gras dates this year because of the Super Bowl, so thanks to the Super Bowl I am going to Mardi Gras for FREE! 

"Hey CeCe, you just didn't win the Super Bowl, what are you going to do next?"  Go to Mardi Gras BITCHES!!!!!!

2.  Visit the Pyramids

I am going to bloody Egypt, and I am going regardless what the media says!  I think Egypt gets a bad reputation, but I have done lots of reading on other travel blogs and they all say it's safe.  I'm riding a camel, kissing the Sphinx, going on a hot air balloon ride over the dessert, and taking a felucca ride along the Nile River.

3.  Visit Petra

 (from The Planet D)

Located in Jordan, it is not only a archaeological marvel, but also one of the Seven Wonders of the World!  Also if you're a movie buff, then you might also recognize it from Indiana Jones.  I am also looking forward to floating in the dead sea ALIVE and staying at a Bedouin Camp in Wadi Rum.

4.  Go on a Hot Air Balloon ride over the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia

The minute I first saw a photo of Cappadocia I immediately placed it onto my life list.  While planning my trip to Turkey I begged my friends that Cappadocia had to be one of our stops, and I must be very convincing because I am going!  As an added bonus, our lodging will be inside a cave that Cappadocia is also popular for!  I hope to see Fred, Wilma and Pebbles while in the caves too.

5.  Go Sky Diving

I am conquering great heights this year!  This is something I should have done two years ago.  I have seen several sky diving deals in San Diego, but I really wanted to do it somewhere extra beautiful.  My best friend is getting married in Maui, and what better way to make the trip extra memorable but jumping out of a plane in Hawaii! 

6.  Hike to Neuschwanstein Castle

I have no idea why it has taken my THIRD visit to Germany to finally make it to this castle.  This castle was the inspiration to Sleeping Beauty's castle.  I found a day trip from Munich that takes you on a hike to the castle while hiking through waterfalls, and picturesque landscapes.  I'm seriously contemplating listening to every Disney Princess song on the way up. 

7.  Relax in Santorini

When my friend and I visited Greece in 2007, Santorini was one of those places that we shook our heads and put on our "What we didn't do but should have done list."  So for 2013 we are putting it on our WE EFFING DID IT(!!) list.  

8.  Visit where the hills are alive with the Sound of Music in Salzburg, Austria

(from Isabelle's Travel Guide)

Similar to Neuschwanstein Castle, it has taken my THIRD visit to Austria to finally make it to Salzburg.  I absolutely adore the Sound of Music, so I can't wait to visit this little piece of movie history.  I am already planning on singing, dancing and skipping around the grounds.  I have no shame, remember?

9.  Visit Istanbul

Istanbul is filled with list items, like shopping at the Grand Bazaar, visiting the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque, and enjoying Turkish Delights.  I am pretty stoked that this is not my last stop, otherwise I would be taking a huge Turkish rug home with me!

10.  Drive the Road to Hana

Near the end of 2013 I will be enjoying two weeks in Hawaii.  One of things I am most excited to do is renting a car and taking the Road to Hana drive.  It is 60 miles of highway in Maui that is literally carved into the cliff.  During the drive it is highly recommended to make frequent stops to enjoy waterfalls, beaches, and lush forests. 

Honorable Mentions:  Visit Luxembourg (my 49th country!), revisit the beer halls of Munich, travel to North Carolina for a friends backyard wedding,  revisit the Acropolis in Greece, visit a friend in Cologne, Germany, and Visit Ephesus in Turkey.

Wowweee.  I'm exhausted just looking at it all!  

So Cheers....here's to a fabulous 2013!!

Also...like me on my new facebook page...pretty please?

(shameless plug over!)

Have Ouzo Shots In Greece

When traveling I love trying the local food and drinks, and in Greece one of the local drinks is Ouzo.  Ouzo is usually drank as a shot, and before meals; apparently having a shot of ouzo before a meal helps digest the food. 

While trying to find a place to eat in the island of Corfu we found this little restaurant hidden on a quiet street.  The restaurant was completely empty, but we had walked for over 30 minutes trying to find a place so we decided to settle for this lonely family restaurant.  We were sooo glad we did!  The owner was extremely friendly, and was so excited to get tourists!  After having dinner he asked if we could sign his guestbook, and even wanted pictures with some of my friends.

Before our meal we were offered a free shot of Ouzo....did you say FREE?  I can never say NO to FREE stuff!    A few friends had tried Ouzo before and said it was "Gross!"  We asked the owner how Greek people typically drink it, and he said it was better chilled.  We were all given room temperature Ouzo, and a pitcher of ice for those that wanted to try it chilled.  As soon as I put in the ice cube, the once clear ouzo became milky white. 

I cautiously watched others drink it before trying it for myself.  I saw many disgusted faces, but you know what they say, "When in Rome..."  So I bravely chugged it, and I was pleasantly surprised.  It had a licorice flavor to it, and having it chilled definitely helped!  Similar to absinthe, it warmed the body (especially the throat) for a good 15 minutes.

Date Accomplished:  September 30th, 2007

Travel With A Traveling Gnome

When gearing for my first international trip I got obsessed with the idea of traveling with a traveling gnome like in the movie Amelie.  It was like a right of passage, an initiation to travel if you will, or maybe I just wanted an excuse to buy a gnome. 

I named him Herman, a traveling Gnome I bought on Amazon, complete with his own passport.  I bought two more gnomes that I creatively named for my besties.  I'm the only one that ended up using the gnome as a traveling gnome.  I'd like to believe he was the secret to my travel success.

Herman easily fit in my purse, and traveled from London to Greece with me.  He was there when I stumbled out of a bus and sprained my ankle in Paris, he held my hair back when I was puking in the toilet after having too much vino in Venice, he was our bodyguard when we were chased through Switzerland by a public masturbator, and he drank it up with us during Oktoberfest in Germany.

Date Accomplished:   October 2nd, 2007

See The First Olympic Stadium

I LOOOOOOOOOOVE the Olympics, and I'm one of the millions that are hooked to the TV screen when Olympic season comes along.  It was no shock that when visiting Athens, Greece I knew I had to visit the stadium where the history of Olympics started.

The first modern Olympic games took place in 1896, and back then the stadium was able to hold 80,000 people.  Nowadays it holds 45,000 people.   The stadium isn't the biggest stadium I have seen, to give you some perspective, the Bird's Nest in Beijing could hold 90,000+ people.

There was an option to tour the stadium with an entrance fee, but I felt like I saw everything I needed to see from the outer boundaries.

When revisiting Athens in 2013 I had an opportunity to revisit the stadium.  This time the barricades had extended out, and was more difficult to get as close as I did in 2007 without paying a fee.  Times are tough in Greece so I'm not surprised with their strategic move to get more customers inside the stadium.  It still didn't get me into the stadium though!

It's not a place to spend hours at....I would say 10 minutes tops!  

Date Accomplished: October 1st, 2007