As we are about to ring in 2019, I wanted to reflect on the past year.  2018 had a rough start, but it was filled with challenges, stress, happiness, adventures, and happiness.

Furthermore, I had a productive year in traveling and checking off some of my Bucket List items. Here are all my accomplishments and ✓ off my Bucket List for 2018.  Some of the items on the list I have already accomplished before (i.e. traveling solo); thus, the items that are bold are new items checked off my list!

General Travel Bucket List

(My entire list)

Travel Experiences 

• ✓ Celebrate a holiday in a different country –  “Fourth of July” in Spain/Portugal (July 2018) and “Thanksgiving” in Luxembourg/Germany/Switzerland (Nov 2018)
• ✓ Drive in a foreign country – Spain (June 2018) and Germany & Netherlands (Nov/Dec 2018)
• ✓ Fly first class (Feb and May 2018)
• ✓ Get a world map and put pins on the places I’ve been (Jan 2018)
• ✓ Go on a cruise – Windstar Cruises (June/July 2018)
• ✓ Go on a vacation somewhere by myself – Spain, Portugal, and on a Windstar Cruise (June/July 2018)
• ✓ Ride in a Limousine – My parental units love their limos! 
• ✓ Take a road trip with my girlfriends – With my friend, Heather Ann, in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, and Germany (Nov/Dec 2018)
• ✓ Travel solo – See above (June/July 2018)
• ✓ Visit a castle – I visited a lot in Spain and Portugal (June/July 2018) as well as many in Luxembourg and Germany!

Entertainment

• ✓ Be in a parade – In the St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Beale Street in Memphis (March 2018)
• ✓ Go see a Broadway Play – “Wicked” in Memphis at the Orpheum (March 2018)

Adventure

• ✓  Explore a cave – Switzerland (Nov 2018)
• ✓ Ride a Segway – Spain (July 2018)
• ✓ Walk on a suspension bridge – Mt. Titlis in Engelberg, Switzerland

Food and Drink

• ✓ Attend a wine tasting – On Windstar Cruises (June/July 2018)
• ✓ Take a cooking class  – A Tapas Cooking Class in Madrid, Spain (June 2018)

Europe Travel Bucket List

(My entire list)

Spain

• ✓ BARCELONA (My entire list)
  • ✓ #16. See Sagrada Familia (June 2018)
  • ✓ #371. Visit the Museu Picasso (June 2018)
• ✓ MADRID (My entire list)
  • ✓ #225. Visit Museo del Prado (June 2018)
  • ✓ Wander around Buen Retiro Park (Madrid’s largest park) (June 2018)

• ✓ SEVILLE
  • ✓ #235. Visit the Real Alcazar (June 2018)
• ✓ #9. See Alhambra in Granada (a place that once was called “heaven on earth”) (June 2018)
• ✓ Watch a flamenco show (June 2018)
• ✓ Drink Sangria (June/July 2018)
• ✓ Eat Tapas (June/July 2018)

Switzerland

• ✓ Eat Swiss chocolate (Nov 2018)
• ✓ Visit Zurich (Nov 2018)
• ✓ Go on a boat ride across Lucene Lake (Nov 2018)
• ✓ Go to the top of Mount Titlis (Nov 2018)
• ✓ Visit Rhine Falls (Nov 2018)

Personal Bucket List

(My entire list)

Life Experiences  

• ✓  Hold a newborn baby –  Levi (April 2018)
• ✓  Keep a journal of my travels –  I am so proud that I kept up with and completed my entire journey to Spain, Portugal, and my Windstar Cruise (June/July 2018)
• ✓  Live without TV for a week – On my Windstar Cruise (June/July 2018)

Education, Certifications, Awards, and Skills

• Become fluent in Spanish – I am not fluent, but I have been studying Spanish this year!
• ✓ Take a cooking class – Tapas cooking class in Madrid (June 2018)
• ✓ Win an award – TWO this year!  I won the “Sunshine Award” (the top peer award) from Lilly Pulitzer (Feb 2018) and my store was honored at Carnival of Memphis’ Business and Industry Lunch (Feb 2018)

Personal Growth and Charity

• ✓ Create yearly and monthly goals – I do this every year! (Jan 2018)
• ✓ Entertain the elderly at a nursing home  – With Carnival of Memphis (June 2018)
• ✓ Help raise a lot of money for a charity – Carnival of Memphis raised over $330,000 for children’s charities this year (June 2018)

Also, I did do a little travel around the USA (three times to King of Prussia, PA; Little Rock, AR; Destin, FL; Palm Beach, FL).

2018 Reflections

2018 definitely had a rough start. First, our family dog went missing (and, in his old age, we have presumed that he passed away).  Next, I had my first client with Semmes Travel traveling on the ONE snow day in Memphis (I was on the phone reorganizing and rebooking things all day)!  And, my little girl, Grace Kelly, had a broken paw that required cast changes (dragging a cat to the vet once a week for cast changes was quite the challenge).  

But, 2018 ended with an adventure through Europe and Christmas markets, a buying trip (I also own a Lilly Pulitzer Signature Store), and filled with my favorite Christmas traditions (from Christmas cookie decorating with my nieces and nephew to Santa Brunch at the U Club with our close family friends to Christmas Eve and Christmas Day traditions with my family).  Here are some of my personal reflections of 2018 in various areas in my life.

Family

I value my family more than anything.  And, I am extremely close to my family.  I was able to spend a lot of time with my family this year.  Moreover, this year was filled with celebrations for my family!  It was a little rough year with our furry friends.  We lost an important member of our family this year — our dog, Chandler.  But, we did gain a new furry friend, Opie.  And, my poor little Grace Kelly greeted 2018 with a broken paw.  But, she rebounded beautifully (and the entire ordeal aged me quite a bit).

I spent a lot of time with my siblings this year.  My sister, Selden, and I spent a lot of Sundays watching movies and hanging out.  I even convinced her to go see “Wicked” with me!  My family also celebrated Selden, who was a duchess for a krewe in Carnival of Memphis, this year.  My entire family attended Selden’s Coronation.  It was quite the evening!  And, Selden also had a special birthday this year!  My little brother, Graham, graduated from High School this year.  And, my little sister, Tennison, moved back to Memphis in 2018.  To celebrate all of us being in one city (first time in 10 years), we had an epic sibling date downtown to see “Love Never Dies.”

And, my step-dad, Jim, was King of Carnival this year!  There were parties throughout the year, my favorite being the Forgotten Woman Party, where we honored my mom the entire night.  During Carnival week, my aunt and uncle and my cousins came into town (they were all in Europe the week before) to celebrate Jim!  It was quite the year.  I am very proud of my parents and my family.  I was very lucky to be able to celebrate, attend, and support Jim and my mom through the crazy adventure of Carnival of Memphis!

My dad had a big birthday this year.  And, to mark this occasion, my step-mom, Janet, and he hosted a huge party at their house in the country.  I loved seeing all my dad’s friends and family.  My dad is a special guy, so it was wonderful to be able to support and celebrate him!

Also, I was able to go down to Destin, FL this year for a couple of days.  My mom’s side of the family goes down to Destin every year.   I LOVE spending time with my aunts and cousins down by the beach.  It holds such a special place in my heart.  Additionally, I was able to spend time with my precious two nieces.  My niece, Eliza, is my spirit animal.  My heart is always so happy when I get to spend time with her!

So, 2018 was a year of celebrations with my family.  And, I was able to spend a lot of time with my family this year.  I hope to continue to spend a lot of time with my family in 2019.

Social

Juggling my two careers, my social life did take a back seat this past year.  However, I was able to see/catch up/celebrate/etc. with my friends through baby showers, wedding showers, weddings, kids birthdays, etc.  Two of my friends had babies — Lauren and Sarah.  Two of my friends got married — Shannon and Mary Helen.  My best friend, Sarah, came into town from NYC.  I spent the weekend in Little Rock with my friends from college.  I made new friends through my travels.  I went on several dates.  I traveled to Europe with a good friend.

Then, there was Carnival of Memphis.  Jim was the King of Carnival this year!  So, I was able to participate in a lot of events!  We were in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, raised money for Children Charities with Krewes for Kids, went on several Day Runs with the court (where we visited various charities, nursing homes, hospitals, etc. to bring a smile to people’s faces), and celebrated at night!  Carnival of Memphis would take up an entire post just to describe, but, needless to say, I had fun with my friends and family this year through Carnival!  For 2019, I want to achieve a little better balance with my careers and my social life.  So, I hope that 2019 will be filled with a lot more happiness and celebrations!

Careers

Semmes Travel. 2018 is when I really started to be a proper “travel advisor.”  Therefore, I had to learn how to juggle two careers and two websites.  And, it was not as easy as I thought it would be.  For Semmes Travel, I gained some invaluable experience.  And, truth be told, the reality of the travel advisor business hit me hard.  So, I am still learning how to find the right clientele and find my niche.  I was able to plan some amazing trips — a honeymoon to Thailand, a bucket list trip to South Africa, a wedding anniversary to Spain and a cruise to the Grand Prix, and a family’s trip to Disney World (these were just some of the trips I planned this year).  I also attended a lot of webinars, took classes, learned a lot, and met a lot of new vendors and people!

In addition to being a “travel advisor,” I am also a travel/Bucket List blogger.  I spent a lot of time this year working on this website.  I started to do my detailed city bucket lists (and, if I do say so myself, they are AMAZING).  And, I have reorganized and redesigned my website.  It is still nowhere close to my end goal, but there is only so much I can do in a year!  And, I get to add “freelance travel writer” to my resume.  Starting in Dec 2018, my first “Bucket List Travel” article was published in Memphis Estate Magazine!  

The Pink Door. For The Pink Door, a Lilly Pulitzer Signature Store,  my other business, it has been a year of highs and lows.  I was awarded the “Sunshine Award” by Lilly Pulitzer.  Lilly describes this award, “This award is the highest accolade and should be awarded to someone who exudes optimism, positivity, and perseverance no matter the situation.” I was nominated by my peers of fellow Signature Store Owners and Managers all over the nation for this #1 peer award.  I am still stunned that I won!  My store was also highlighted at Carnival of Memphis’ Business Industry.  And, we sponsored part of Carnival of Memphis this year.  But, despite all the marketing, the store did not hit our goals.  I am still trying to figure out how to survive as a brick-and-mortar store in the world of e-commerce.  

And, we do have an e-commerce site.  We switched to a new website platform in Nov 2017 with promises that it will be better and faster.  Cut to Jan 2018, during our massive sale, the website crashed.  Cut to June 2018, the company started to overcharge us in fees (something that I am still battling).  Cut to Sept 2018, our website crashed again during a massive sale (losing thousands and thousands of dollars).  That company was a NIGHTMARE.  Therefore, we switched to a new company (LOVE THEM).  But, I had to rebuild the website.  Months and months of work, but I am pretty happy with the result (still have some bugs to work out)!

So, 2018 was definitely a busy and stressful year learning how to juggle the two careers and the two websites (and now a monthly travel article).  My plans for 2019 for Semmes Travel is to be more selective in my clientele, plan more amazing trips for my clients, work on this website with more detailed city Bucket Lists and country bucket lists, grow this website (still trying to figure out the magical formula), and to knock out some awesome articles for my “Bucket List Travel” series. My plans for 2019 for The Pink Door is to grow (and rebound) in our sales, to celebrate our 20th anniversary, to celebrate Lilly’s 60th anniversary, to grow our social media, and to grow our new website!

Travel

Excluding my travels around the US, I went on two amazing trips this year.  And, I traveled to 5 new countries!  First, I went on a solo trip to Spain and Portugal.  I traveled to Madrid, Toledo, Granada, Seville, and then to Barcelona.  In Barcelona, I went on a Windstar Cruise around Spain and Portugal.  I met the most AMAZING people, had the most incredible time, and explored the beautiful Spanish towns on the Meditteranean.

Second, I went to central Europe with a friend.  We went to Amsterdam, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Germany.  I had such fun exploring a few new countries, going into the Swiss Alps, and experiencing the German Christmas markets.  From my Bucket List achievements above, I saw a lot this year!  My plan for 2019 is to explore more of the world and to go on at least one big trip.  I have my eye on a Baltic Cruise and Scandinavia!

Home

I love my home.  Besides traveling the world, there is no other place I want to be.  So, my home is an important aspect of my life, and I have grand plans for my cute home.  This year, I turned a spare room (aka the third bedroom) into an office!  I also hosted a baby shower at my house this year, which forced me to have everything deep cleaned.  I have an epic plan to do this huge addition to my house.  So, I hope that 2019 will bring me one step closer to that goal! 

Personal Development

I grew a lot this year.  I failed a lot this year, but I also had a lot of success.  I tried to create a balance in my life between the two careers (and two websites), spending time with my friends and family, and growing as an individual.  I learned that happiness comes in many forms from hanging out with my kitties at home to spending time with my friends and family to exploring the world.

Charity.  I was able to spend time devoted to helping others.  Carnival of Memphis raised over $300,000 for three children’s charities in Memphis.  Additionally, through Carnival of Memphis, I spent time at children’s charities, nursing homes, and hospitals.  Usually, people associate Carnival of Memphis with parties; however, I was able to witness the joy and happiness that Carnival of Memphis brings to citizens all over the Memphis area.   My store helped to sponsor Carnival this year.  And, my store also helped to raise money for both St. Jude Research Hospital and the Pink Wig Project.  I hope that I have the opportunities in 2019 to bring happiness to people and to raise money for important causes.

Education. I learned a lot this year. Traveling is one of the best forms of education.  I learned a lot about other cultures and histories through my travels.  I also learned a lot about the travel industry through webinars, meetings, and educational seminars.  I tried to pick up Spanish again this year.  I was pretty successful (for about a month) in practicing Spanish every day with Duolingo.  I read some good history books and watched several documentaries.  I love to learn, and I hope to continue to learn more in 2019 through travel, reading, and practicing Spanish!

Physical Health.  Yeah, I did not do that well in this area of my life.  I was a good girl and had all of my yearly health checks (even the dentist!). For several months, I did wake up early 3-4 times a week to go on a 45-minute power walk around a golf course… But, then life got in the way!  I want to continue that in 2019.  And, to drink more water.  Eat healthier.  Blah, blah, blah… You get the drift.

Emotional Health.  This topic may be a little taboo, but I feel like it is an important aspect to address.   In 2018, I did get stressed out a lot, especially with the two careers (and two websites).  I took on too much while trying to make everything “perfect.”  I also had to deal with several disappointments this past year.  I was disappointed that the travel business is a lot different than I thought.  I was disappointed that I was not able to do everything.  I was disappointed that I let some things slip.  I was disappointed/frustrated that some of my employees at the store did not live up to my expectations.  So, I had to learn a lot of acceptance this past year.  I learned to prioritize and accept that things may not be perfect (especially in regards to this website).  I am trying to accept that after a long day at the store, it is okay to come home and just relax.  And, I am trying to learn to delegate at my store.  For 2019, I hope to continue to learn acceptance and to be a little kinder to myself.  I know that there will be stress, I just need to learn to ask for help when I can.

I feel like I grew a lot this past year.  Overall, I am proud of myself.

I think I checked off a good amount of items on my Bucket List this year!  Here is hoping next year is just as (if not more) productive!!!

Travel around the world with Semmes!

xx,

Semmes