The first month of the year flew by even with a few rounds of snow that came to town. The year started off with a New Years party I hosted, complete with a colorful streamer photo wall, plenty of bubbly, and some dancing.

My friend Lauren and I had decided to take advantage of the year-long membership I have to Shenandoah National Park and did an overnight Bed and Breakfast stay in Luray, Virginia, a town nearby, before hiking the next morning.

The Mayneview Bed and Breakfast in Luray was wonderful – we were able to soak in a hot tub overlooking the town and as the only guests, had a home-cooked breakfast to ourselves the next morning. I would definitely like to do a return trip to the B&B in the spring.

With the government shutdown, Shenandoah National Park was open but without facilities (ie. bathrooms) when we visited. It was a bit sad to see the normal busy visitor centers a bit more quiet and some areas of the park roped off. Nonetheless, there were still other hikers we encountered on our 3.6 mile hike on the Snead Farm Loop Trail.

After our getaway to Luray and Shenandoah, we made it home just in time for it to start snowing. We actually got snow a few times this month so I’ve had my fair share of shoveling. This is my first winter with my new car (a Honda Fit), so I’m also figuring out how well it can do in the snow – and how well the heater works!

I did get a brief respite from the snow later in January however, as Mark was in Georgia for a work trip and I decided to fly down to visit him. We spent an afternoon in Tybee Island, Georgia and went out at night in Savannah. It was a quick and laid back trip and the slightly warmer weather was a nice respite.

February is looking to be a bit more adventurous as I have a work trip to Oahu, Hawaii coming up and some friends from out of town visiting.

What did you get into in January? What are your plans for February?