Looking Ahead to Vacations & Visitors

Although I was lamenting in an earlier post about our lack of planned travel for 2013 I have to say that the coming months have suddenly shaped up to be very busy-- in a good way.  We have a few trips plans and a few visitors planning trips to Chicago.  We may not be headed anywhere too exotic, but the change of scenery still has me excited.  I can't wait!

April
This April will be one of the busiest on record for me.  I'll be leaving my husband behind for a few days to head to St. Simon's Island, Georgia with my parents and sisters.  It is a family favorite vacation spot and the last time I was there was shortly after I started dating Alex... so it's been a while!  It will be a nice little getaway with the girls (+ Dad) and I'm so looking forward to leaving the snow behind and relaxing in the sun for a few days.

After that we're expecting a quick visit with our good friend Heather from our Boston days.  She is now lucky enough to live in San Francisco and will be in town for a conference.  We plan to offer a little distraction/excuse to leave the conference facilities (boy, do I know that feeling!) during her visit.  And then we'll be jetting off to Erie, PA for my old college roommate Liz's wedding.  Can't wait for her big day!

May
May will bring a much anticipated trip to Alex's hometown of Dallas.  We haven't visited in ages and are looking forward to spending time with family and also to finally stopping into the Meddlesome Moth!

June
In June my brother and his family will be making their way to Chicago and I can't wait to see them!  My sister-in-law will be busy walking the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, so Alex and I will be busy entertaining my brother and their adorable daughter-- the famous Maeve.  She's a little animal lover so I'm thinking a visit to the Lincoln Park Zoo or Shedd Aquarium may be in the cards.

We're also planning a long weekend in Rhode Island, which I am so looking forward to!  The last few times I have been it was en route to a wedding or on the tail end of a work trip, so I can't wait to go and just relax by the ocean for a while.

TBD this summer...
A few other tentative plans for the summer include another summer mini-vacation in northern Michigan.  I'm hoping to make this August visit (around my birthday) to my parents' place an annual tradition.  We took some day trips to Mackinac Island and Traverse City last summer.  I'm hoping to take Alex to Petoskey this time around.

And last-- but certainly not least-- I am hopeful that I'll have at least one (if not two) opportunity for a little reunion with two of my best college girlfriends.  Liz (a different one than the aforementioned) lives in St. Paul and our friend Maggie will be working there this summer.  So, you know what that means?  Girls trip!  Hopefully a 4th of July visit to Chicago for them and maybe a craaaazy Minnesota weekend for me.

What are your summer plans?  Vacations?  Visits with friends and family?