2014 was a pretty amazing year for me. My year in travel 2014 was focused mainly on work trips but I still managed to get a lot of fun trips in there as well and achieved some really cool travel goals and just goals in general. I also achieved my goal of being home more in 2014!
Business-wise, I had my best year since I quit my Wall Street job way back in 2008! My business has come a hell of a long way in a very short period of time since I started trying to make money with my travel stuff essentially in the last 2 years! I’m very proud of what I’ve accomplished and can’t wait to see where 2015 takes me!
2014 was also a huge year for me on television and in multimedia. I appeared on television, local and national, over 150 times in 2014. That’s pretty good considering I was only home about 140 days in 2014. I am working on some big stuff TV wise and hope to have some big news soon so stay tuned. Now back to my year in travel 2014!
Miles Flown – 176,438
Flight segments – 104
Continents Visited – 6
Countries Visited – 14 (My fewest since 2002)
Keynote Speeches – 5
New TCC Countries Visited – 6
Instead of going month by month as I have in the past I am just going to give the highlights of my year more or less in the order they occurred with pictures from throughout the year scattered around.
I started the year on a 3 week trip around Australia highlighted by an amazing Australian Open experience where I went to the men’s semifinals and both the mens and women’s finals. This was a huge thing for me and I loved every second of it. While down under, I also spent a lot of time in Melbourne; also out in Perth, and doing a massive road trip in Western Australia. I was also finally able to climb my second seven summit by climbing Mount Kosciuszko, the highest peak in Australia and not too far from Canberra-the capital of Australia.
I spent some time in the United Kingdom highlighted by playing golf on the Old Course at St. Andrews; which was a dream come true and a true religious experience for a sports fanatic like me! I also did my first of 3 Via Ferrata courses in Wales while also cycling in Snowdonia during the same trip.
I already mentioned I went to the Australian Open in Melbourne but I also had a pretty epic tennis year in other places as well! I went to the Indian Wells Masters tennis event in Palm Springs, the Cincinnati Masters in Ohio and of course the US Open in New York. Another awesome sporting event that I checked off my to do list was my incredible Indy 500 weekend. I had such a blast and highly recommend it!
In 2014 I did visit a few great islands. I made it back to Aruba for the third time but first in 10 years. It was easy my favorite experience on the island and was really excited to see all the progress made on the island. I also had a great time on the interesting island of Molokai and was even able to squeeze a few days at the Four Seasons Maui-one of the 30 best islands in the world and for the first time ever-the big island of Hawaii! I also visited Grand Bahama Island and basically just ate a lot!
What would a travel year be without a few trips up to Canada including spending a few days in Western Newfoundland and in and around Whistler, British Columbia.
After taking most of the summer off, I really ramped it up for the end of the year starting with an epic trip to Egypt visiting Cairo, Aswan and Abu Simbel.
Then I took a fabulous Azamara Club Cruise around Greece and Turkey. I visited some great places in both countries including Patmos, Greece. Also Ephesus and Pergamon, Turkey. Then it was back to Meteora, Greece followed by Thessaloniki and Kavala and Philippi, Greece. I ended the cruise in Istanbul for an awesome stay at the Raffles Hotel Istanbul and a great time down in Izmir, Turkey too followed by a few days in Marrakech, Morocco!
And then came my trip to the South Pole; which is an likely always will be my favorite trip I’ve ever taken. It was the highlight of my year in travel 2014 and any other year as well. I am still on cloud nine and looking forward to an amazing 2015!
My Year in Travel 2014
January 6, 2015 by 14 Comments
I remember when you were at the Australian Open being quite envious. Quite the year and didn’t realize you went to all those tennis tourneys this year. Any on the horizon for 2015?
Hey Gary, thanks and not sure exactly but the US Open 100% and likely Indian Wells again-love that tournament and setting. I’d ilk to go to the Canada Masters as well. Other than that I really want to go to the Wimbledon and Roland Garros final this year or any year!
Your 2014 is better than my whole life! Happy new year and best wishes for 2015.
haha I doubt that Niall…all the best to you in the new year!
What an awesome and amazing year you had!! So happy for you that things are looking great for 2015! I had an amazing year too, with 17 countries visited and four of them more than once, but I think I want to slow down a bit in 2015! Happy travels my friend!
Thanks Cacinda and all the best to you in 2015! Keep it up and see you in Phoenix maybe soon!
Wow what a year but you ended in the best possibly way at the South Pole!
Emma, truth! Still glowing about it!
Nice work Lee! We all love following your adventures!
thanks Pamela!
As always, I enjoy following your travel stories! Your trip to South Pole was definitely the best. Can’t wait to see how you top that in 2015! 😀
Hey Lee, first of all congratulations for the successful year 2014. And many congos for the first photo you shared. Its a great platform. Loved your photography. A beautiful post and wish you more success in 2015 too. Keep sharing with us ! 🙂
your year 2014 was amazing. I am new to your blog. I just started reading your travel stories and I have started to like them a lot. you are doing a good job. do include places like japan and Russia in your 2015 travel list and especially Petra.
here’s a suggestion: you should also write more about the food and the people along with their traditions that you find interesting. a sentence or two would do! I am more interested in reading about what you think about it.
I have a question for you: how has travelling changed your personality?
good luck and happy travels 🙂
Greeeeeeeeeeet sir beyond of my understanding.I hope you will more fun 2015.I keep visiting your blog.I really like it.