Happiness is...going on an adventure!

Somehow life always looks a little brighter when you've got a vacation on the horizon.  It makes everything much more bearable when you can say things like, "I just need to make it one more month and then it's off to..." or "Just think, two weeks from today and I'll be..."  And then when you come home you can say things like, "Wow, I can't believe it was just last week that I was..."  And that's in addition to all the amazing things you see, do and experience while you are gone.

My list of places I want to visit is almost as long as my list of books to read. If I ever win the lottery or figure out how to become independently wealthy I will spend some time living in a foreign country, travel to the land of the Hobbits (aka New Zealand), and then hop over to Australia to see the mysterious Ayers Rock. There would also be a trip to the land of my ancestors to hunt for trolls and maybe plan a run-in with the Norse god Thor. Then there's the African safari, the walk along the Great Wall, the trek up to Machu Picchu, seeing the sun set at the Taj Mahal, riding an elephant in Thailand and a host of other dream expeditions.

But, more than any of those places there is one that has held sway over my heart for years.  And I just booked it!  My dream vacation that I will have to anticipate for almost a year, will drain most of my savings account and make it virtually impossible to go anywhere else because I have to save all of my time off for the 3 weeks I will be gone.  Where is this place, you ask?  I will give you three hints...

(Thanks to Fun For Less Tours for the images and the anticipation of a wonderful trip!)

That's right, dear reader, I'm taking a cruise to Antarctica!!  And I am sooooo excited!  It's also a bit liberating in that I couldn't convince anyone else to go with me so I'll be flying solo.  (Well, minus all the people who will be in the tour group.) We'll leave from Santiago, Chile and cruise through the Chilean fjords, then through the Strait of Magellan and Tierra del Fuego National Park in Argentina and Cape Horn before heading to the Last Continent. Then it's off to the Falkland Islands, Montevideo and Buenos Aires and Iguazu Falls before heading home.  What an absolutely amazing itinerary, eh?! I'll get to see glaciers, frolic with penguins, visit some great cities, meet new people. Woohoo!!

So, where are some of your favorite places to visit? Any locations you constantly dream about? Any adventures closer to home on your list of things to do this year?  Find a bit of happiness, wherever you may be or wherever you may go and here's hoping you have a fabulous weekend.