So, you'd think someone with that gives herself the name TravelKat would actually travel a lot; it's been a long time since I have written a blog.  Well, I have traveled a ton since the last blog.  Wow!  Looking back, it's been a really long time since I have written and I have been to a lot of places.  I'll try to remember as many as I can before I get into where I am now.

After Austin, I went to Ireland in July 2012.  That October I traveled to Washington, D.C. to run the Marine Corp Marathon.  There was a hurricane on the horizon, and we weren't certain the marathon would be squeezed in, but hooray, it was.  My cousin, Kathleen (cousin-in-law), and I finished it before the so-called hurricane blew in.  I don't mean to minimalize it, but in D.C. it was really nothing.  As my nephew, Ryan, who was living in Ireland at the time said, "sure, it's like that here every day."  Some of my supporters were the last plane to leave D.C. that day; however, my mom and I were stuck.  EVERYTHING was closed.  Trains.  Museums.  Drugstores.  What are a girl and her mom to do? Make friends and drink wine in the hotel bar.

That December was the last one that I spent Christmas in Ireland.  I had been going there for Christmas since 2001.  It was wonderful.  If you ever have the opportunity to spend Christmas in Ireland, take it.  People actually celebrate it.  The country celebrates it.  Businesses close.  People have vacation.  They don't have to work Christmas Eve or the day after Christmas.  That's actually a bigger holiday.  In the South or "down the country" as my husband's family calls it, it is called St. Stephen's Day.  Further north, it is Boxing Day.  I haven't spent a Christmas up further than Galway so I don't know much about that. However, I feel like I can speak freely about a Christmas in Cork City.  Go out to dinner on Christmas Eve.  Hop on the bus and go for Mexican, Thai, or Chinese.  This last one, we went for Chinese.  We means my mom, my sister, Maura, her husband, Tim, the boys, Ryan and Dylan, my great- aunt Kay who journeyed over from New Hampshire that year, and my grandmother's cousin, Anne.  She lives in Cork City and is a reputable business owner.  What a delicious and lovely dinner we had.  Stop into a pub after before you need to catch your bus home so you don't miss Santa.  Spend Christmas Day sitting around in the sitting room after you open your gifts.  Eat lots of chocolate, drink plenty of wine, and stuff yourself on a delicious turkey dinner after pulling at your Christmas cracker.  Continue the party the next day at someone else's house.  This is the day where you celebrate with more than your immediate family.  I'll stop on that for now.  Check back in December for Christmas in Donegal, Ireland.

A couple of months later I headed to Puerto Vallerta, Mexico with the kids (Buntha and Christine). Someone so nicely gave them that endearing name because they frequently hang out with me and my husband, Padraig.  We stayed at a beautiful all-inclusive with lots of activities right on the beach.  Let me know if you want more information because I would highly recommend the hotel but don't remember it off the top of my head.

Two months later, my generous friend, Kara, invited us all to her parents' vacation house in Punta Gordo, Florida.  So... the kids and I flew on down to spend the week with Kara, her partner, Tommy, and their joyful little girl.  Basically, we rolled out of bed every morning into the pool.  We did venture out to Siesta Key which is one of the most gorgeous beaches I have ever been on.  It is just like a beach in the Caribbean.  The sand is white, the water is clear, and it is not crowded.  We enjoyed a yummy lunch at Daquiri Deck along with some tasty frozen cocktails.

Moving on...  that summer, the kids and I went on the road trip of a lifetime.  My wedding was coming up in December, and we decided we needed one last hurrah.  So, we headed north in Christine's Honda CRV. We nicknamed it WOWOW (Work-out-world-on-wheels)!  We brought some hand weights and weight balls so we wouldn't gain a million pounds on the road.  Well, that didn't actually work because after all of our stops, we could have used some liposuction.  First stop was Niagara Falls, followed by Toronto, Chicago, Nashville, Memphis, New Orleans, and Charleston.  It really was an unforgettable experience. We even got to stay in a Four Seasons in New Orleans after many Best Westerns.  Our original intention of one nice meal in every city didn't work either and I would STRONGLY recommend never going to Jerry Lee Lewis' restaurant in Memphis unless you want to be attacked by mosquitoes, INSIDE, get denied lemons by the bartender, and have to watch some atrocious dancing.

Along came December after time in Rhode Island over the summer and Newport in November.  Padraig and I headed to St. Pete's Beach, Florida with approximately 90 family and friends to celebrate our wedding.  I would recommend it to anyone for a vacation or a wedding.  We stayed at the Bay Palms Resort.  It looks a little sketchy from the main street but is actually AMAZING.  The rooms had kitchens and living rooms.  There was a huge deck where we could all hang out to barbecue, play games, fish, etc. There is also a little pool that was perfect for the kids. They have a larger pool across the street at another part of the hotel that is right on the beach.  Where we stayed was on the water too.  They also have a cheesy, yet fun, happy hour every day.  The wedding was at the Grand Plaza Hotel which was amazing. However, I would suggest staying at the Bay Palms because you have so much more room and such easy access to the outside.

Padraig and I honeymooned in Los Angeles and San Diego in February.  Go to Loteria on Hollywood Boulevard for really good margaritas and guacamole.  It really was so good.  The Roosevelt Hotel has tiny rooms but a really popular pool area and bar.  It's worth going for an afternoon if you don't stay there.

In San Diego, we didn't stay at any special hotel but took a unique beer and wine tour.  It's the La Jolla Beer and Wine tour and includes the train tickets as well as tastings in various towns and lunch in Carlsbad, I believe.  It ended in Old Town where we again ate amazing Mexican food.

After so much Mexican, I had to go to the actual country again for the 4th time so the kids and I headed to Cozumel for a week in April.  It was a little different for me that year as I was 3 months pregnant.  I had lots of virgin Mojitos on the beach.  At this all-inclusive we found the beach to be our number one choice over the pool.  They had small sailboats we could take out and snorkeling tours.  The snorkeling was so enjoyable as Cozumel is in the Caribbean.  You can see the bottom of the ocean.  We saw barracudas, sea turtles, and loads of other fish.  I'd love to go back.

I went back to Cape Cod, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island Last summer.

The amazing peanut, my baby, was born in November 2014, and we took our first family trip in March 2015 to Ireland to visit the in-laws.  I didn't know them that well and didn't know Donegal at all, but after this one visit, I felt at home.  Hopefully, I will explain more at another time.

NOW... FINALLY... we are in Quebec City.  At this very moment.  Padraig and I bravely popped the amazing peanut (AP) in the car and headed out of the city as soon as I started summer vacation.  It was supposed to be a 6.5-hour commute but took 7.  The WORST PART was driving through Boston; it took over an hour to get from one side to the other.  Once through, it was easy breezy (mostly).  There were a couple of delays in Southern New Hampshire and the AP got sick just before the border crossing in Vermont.  Unfortunately, the weather was terrible today.  We decided to use the rainy day to take AP to her first aquarium.  The aquarium is very small.  AP, a 7-month old, enjoyed it.  It's good for very small children and outside actually has fun walruses and POLAR BEARS.  It was too rainy for us to spend more than a couple of minutes outside.  It was also expensive for what it was.  Avoid it unless it is the only option you have on a bad weather day.

We are staying at the Best Western in the City-Center.  It is a 20-minute walk to the Old Town.  The hotel is worth it though with kids.  The room is really like the size of two rooms.  It has a decent size pool with comfy couches.  The AP went into a pool for the first time today with Padraig and loved splashing around. It has a good restaurant where we had breakfast and dinner today.  It is much easier to eat here in the bad weather than to venture out.  So far everyone has been so friendly toward the baby.  Quebec seems to have the best high chairs everywhere.  Way better than Boston.  Although I approve of the hotel, I would try to find a hotel with suites the next time we go away.  I am writing so much right now because the baby is sleeping.  Sorry if I've bored you to death!