Just a simple layout - pictures and journaling were done in MS Word and printed on a piece of patterned paper (Clouds - Provo Craft). Title lettering is an unknown white alphabet sticker and Stars&Moon Letters by Jillana stickers.<BR><BR><BR><BR>Journaling:<BR><BR>My Dream Vacation<BR><BR><BR><BR>My dream vacation starts with the basics - two travelers, and only two travelers. In other words, my dream vacation is just John and I, no one else. No one else travels with us; no one else is on the other end. I love traveling with family and friends, and visiting them, but that's all we do anymore. We haven't taken a trip by ourselves since our honeymoon, and that was six years ago. We need some serious alone time away from life's everyday pressures.<BR><BR>On my dream vacation, John and I will visit some exotic location that we've never been to before, somewhere with historical significance and plenty of historical and/or natural sites. Places such as Rome, Vienna, the Amazon, the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone National Park, a cruise to Alaska, Ireland (visiting Irish castles and roaming the countryside on horseback), or a tour through Spain top my list. We will have about half our time planned out in advance (tours, sightseeing activities, etc.) and half of our time free for wandering about, lounging around, romantic interludes, and spur of the moment side trips when something catches our eye.<BR><BR>We will explore our destination from dawn until dark, enjoying each other's company, talking about everything under the sun, and learning all about what we were seeing and experiencing and committing every detail to memory. There will be plenty of pictures and video taping, because that's what we do. It won't seem cumbersome because it's already an ingrained habit. We will talk to locals and ask questions, hoping to learn about customs and details that aren't readily available in books. We will marvel over the beautiful scenery, astonished at ancient structures and enthralled by architecture with both form and function. Sometimes John will take a short nap and I will sit on the balcony of our room or near the pool, or in some location where I can read a book, enjoy the sun beaming down upon me, and watch the activities of wildlife or other vacationers or locals, depending on where we are.<BR><BR>I will plan my dream vacation for a mild weather time of year. It would be better to be too hot than too cold, and better to be too dry than too rainy. Still, the weather won't affect what we do other than if something is closed down because of it.<BR><BR>John and I are actually pretty easy to please when it comes to vacation destinations, because we are able to make the best of situations and enjoy the local customs and activities. We like experiencing new things - for example when we visited Cancun on our honeymoon we rode the city bus down to a supermarket located outside of the tourist zone in order to experience their culture more fully and get a better idea of their living conditions, transportation, and everyday life. In Nicaragua we visited a shopping area that is similar to flea markets in the U.S. and interacted with the locals, examining the articles in each booth and learning what different items were used for and made out of (we bought quite a bit, so don't feel too bad for those who had to endure our questions). While staying on Big Pine Key we not only visited Key West and took advantage of the ocean activities, but we also took a drive through some of the smaller keys, locating an unofficial dump (such a shame) and later enjoying a pristine pond that housed alligators, soft shell turtles, and other water fowl. When visiting L.A. we spent time walking the streets of various neighborhoods to get a feel for the town. We also took driving tours through all different kinds of environments - out to Palm Springs through the desert, through a national forest, and up and down mountains - to get a feel for the variety of living conditions.<BR><BR>Of course, we don't just spend all of our time in the ordinary - we also look for the very best that each destination has to offer. Some examples: In Cancun we took whole day tours of several different ruins including Tulum and Chichen Itza. In Nicaragua we traveled up two volcanoes and toured the islands of Granada by boat. While on Big Pine Key we traveled away from shore on a boat and spent half day doing water sports including snorkeling and riding wave runners. In L.A. we shopped on Venice Beach and in Beverly Hills.<BR><BR>Vacations with John are so much fun, and so any vacation with him could be considered a dream vacation, even when things don't go as planned. We balance each other very well, so even if one of us would have been frustrated by an experience when on our own, when together the other is able to point out the bright side and move us on with a positive outlook. Arguments rarely last more than minutes, and laughter is common. I can't wait for our next vacation together; I just hope we're alone!