And I answered the call. Next stop: Paris!

I hope you’re reading me at cruising altitude or from the comfort of a warm and cozy living room. My November was a month to remember, yet somehow December topped that.

In a span of four weeks, I celebrated my birthday in Philadelphia and New York City, traveled to Los Angeles for work and had a wonderful stay at L’Ermitage Beverly Hills, booked a short stay in New York City with my fiancé and finally did the touristy things we never got to when we lived in the city. And when I say touristy, I mean it. Think anything from seeing the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, strolling down Fifth Avenue looking at window displays and stopping by the corner of Grove Street in Greenwich Village to look at the famous Friends building to posing in front of Carrie Bradshaw’s brownstone’s stoop in the West Village. We did it all.

If that were not enough, I attended two holiday team outings, one of which took place at Spago Beverly Hills by Wolfgang Puck. This dining experience was superb and made more special as we had the pleasure of meeting Wolfgang Puck that evening. Once back home, we wrapped up the year with a luncheon at Union League of Philadelphia.

The Cellar Room at the Union League of Philadelphia.

Three cities later, I finally found some much-needed rest after the holiday madness. While this all may sound a bit hectic to some people, I am grateful for how full my life is — even when I’m exhausted from it all.

This month will offer the opportunity to slow down a bit and regroup, but as the title suggests, the travel must continue. I’m kicking off the year with my first of hopefully many trips to Europe, and the destination this time is Paris. While I still have some logistics to figure out, I’m counting down the days before I say “wheels up” again.

My travel plans for the year aren’t finalized, but so far I have Dominican Republic; Austin, Texas; Miami, Florida; and Charleston, South Carolina, in the books. I’m hoping I can confirm Southeast Asia next time you read me, but one new continent at a time, right?

This year promises a lot of firsts in travel and adventure, and I can’t wait to take you along on the ride. Here’s to many more stamps on your passports, walks down the aisle and a world of new memories.

— Yasser Ogando, executive director, media