We all dream of getting away. Maybe life is a little hard or you just need a break. It doesn’t matter what your reason is, even the promise of a holiday perks the spirits like nothing else.

I will admit that most of my vacation dreaming comes in the bleary months of winter when all I want to do is escape. I really and truly hate winter. I like nice warm air and sunshine and birds and flowers and all of that good stuff. To be perfectly honest, I sometimes long for an escape during the oppressively hot months of summer as well. I like warmth, not sweltering and blistering heat.

This week I thought about a fun “dream” getaway for this year. What would it entail? Where would I go? What would I do?

So I ask this of you. If you could do anything this year, what would it be?

Ground rule: No guilt. You don’t have to think of the REAL logistics here. Forget about the kids, the money, the errands. This is your DREAM, a pure and unadulterated fantasy. You don’t have to visit the family you haven’t seen in 28 years or go save starving orphans in Africa.

I want to hear about YOUR vacation you dream up. It can be as simple as camping in North Dakota to simply get away or as large as riding in the next shuttle to spend six months on the ISS.

So what is mine? I have plenty of travel listed on my Bucket List, but I think this year I would focus on something smaller than the larger goals.  Maybe it is the winter loneliness speaking or just the fact I discussed this topic with friends, but I think I’d go for an American road trip. When was the last time you took a road trip? I mean a REAL road trip. Like the wild ones from when you were in college where the adventure was just as much in getting there as the destination itself?

Besides, a road trip could pass off some of those Bucket List items if I planned it well.

Let’s clean up the party van and get this show on the road! First stop would have to involve picking up a friend in KY, because I know she wants in on this action. While nabbing her, I could even photograph the LDS Temple near her. It’s only a nine-hour drive to reach her

We’d make our way across the nation to Utah with some pit stops in St Louis which would allow us to jaunt up to Nauvoo, Illinois for some LDS history and two Temples in the two towns.  The great thing is that the trip to St Louis or Nauvoo is not long, only about 4 hours, which is also how far apart those two places are from each other.

The next leg of the trip might get creative. It’s a whopping long drive to the greater Denver area, so we might just need to check out a map to see what we could see along the way. Anyone know if there’s a “biggest ball of twine” or something?

I went to Denver once when I was in the 4th grade. I now have a group of friends living in and around the area. I bet they could show me around and beat the tourist-trap tours I took before. (Hey I LIKED hearing about the Unsinkable Molly Brown!)

It would be another day’s drive to reach the greater Salt Lake area. It looks like that might take me through Wyoming, crossing a state off my list visited. Once in Salt Lake, the feeding frenzy would begin as my various friends fight over who gets me first! (Just a disclaimer for any trip, The Damsel has claimed dibs if I’m ever in her neck of the woods! If any of these locations are close to her, you have been warned!) While there I can party with Cute Culture Chick, crossing off “Spend a day with Nicole” from the Bucket List! However, I’m going to be mean and tell her she has to travel to me to cross off her own Bucket List item: “Spend a day with Oz”. What? This means we have to party for TWO DAYS! This is made of the win.

I figure all of this adventuring will take roughly two months. Who’s up for the Party Van Plan? Maybe we’ll just have to plan for a Party Bus so we can travel around having a grand time.

Please, you know if I’m around it’ll be nothing but a party! That’s just how I roll. What can I say? I’m awesome and I bring the crazy fun where ever I go!

–Lady O