Jamaica

We knew when we went to Jamaica that this would be our last vacation for a while. Three big trips in one year. Can't complain. This was not our normal type of vacation. We stayed at a 5 Star Resort and did very little other than lie by the pool and get pampered at the spa. We did spend one morning visiting the SOS Village nearby. Little did we know that soon we would be adopting our own child. We joked at that time that visiting the orphans may make my wife want to adopt one of the children.

Italia

I must say that Italy was not my first option for a vacation, but Jen was dead set on going. Greece had been my choice, so Italy it was this year. Plus, one of my best friends from college and our California life, is now running his own company out of Florence. How could we pass up a chance to have our own personal tour guide in one of the most beautiful (and photogenic) cities in the world. Out of the ten days we spent in Italy, the most beautiful sights we saw were visiting the thousands of acres outside of Siena that he is working on. Truly stunning.

The Greek Islands

Yes, I admit that I might be forced to watch ‘Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2’ - but only because they were filming it in Santorini while we were there. This was our first big vacation since we moved to the East Coast, and our first trip to Europe. We spent all but one night on the islands - half on Santorini and half on Folegrandros. We saw an feature article on Folegandros in a magazine a few years ago and had been planning to go ever since then. For anyone who is looking for an off the beaten path trip, Folegandros is the island. It was almost like stepping back in time and I can only imagine it might be what it was like on other islands years ago.