After an amazing time in Colorado, I hurried back east to spend a week with my family for Christmas in the quiet mountains of rural Virginia. And like most families, we are not without our traditions: we toured the neighborhood decorations, watched George Bailey and Billy Mack find the true meaning of Christmas, ate lots of fudge and cinnamon rolls, and opened one gift on Christmas Eve (new pjs of course). But we started some new ones as well: assembled a 750 piece puzzle that glows in the dark, ate breakfast with our neighbors, and fell asleep together on the couch to carols on the stereo. Next stop: Hawaii!

Follow my trip on Flickr, Dopplr, and Twitter.

I spent the first leg of my Christmas Zoom in snowy western Colorado, joining a dozen of my dear friends who have spent time working together in Nicaragua with incredible organizations including Love Light & Melody, Manna Project, International Justice Mission, and Discover the Journey. We spent three days tucked away in a log cabin on Mount Crested Butte, about four hours west of Denver in a high alpine valley surrounded by 14,000 foot peaks and four feet of fresh powder. It was epic. We shared stories from across the globe (Congo, Iraq, Nicaragua, Birmingham), laughed till it hurt, ate amazing homecooked food (everyone in this group can cook, let me tell ya), danced in our pjs, reflected by the fire, caught some priceless video moments, sang Christmas carols, swapped secret santa gifts, sat in the hot tub while it snowed (and/or attacked the current 'tubbers with snowballs), and flew down the slopes on sleds, skis, and boards.

And then with a quick drive back through the mountain passes, we each said our goodbyes and headed across the country to continue our celebrations at home. Next stop: Virginia!

Follow my trip on Flickr, Dopplr, and Twitter. Update: Jonathan made a short film about our adventures. And we launched our own Flickr Group to share everyone's pics.

I've just booked my wildest ticket to date. What started as a plan to spend a quiet Christmas at home with my folks has turned into a six-city tour over three weeks. I'm not usually much of a jetset personality but it seems my dear friends and family are increasingly living around the world... so I'm going to give it a try. Or as my friend Brad put it: "you can finally see what it takes to go on the road... welcome to my world!" And with that spirit in mind, I'm kicking off a Christmas Tour on December 18 and everyone's invited to follow along! Here's a few highlights:

• Skiing and catching up with my Nicaragua friends in Crested Butte, Colorado


• Celebrating and feasting with my family in Pulaski, Virginia


• Surfing and chilling with my brother in Hale'iwa, Hawaii


• Dancing and enjoying a wedding with NYC friends in Yorkville, Illinois


• Resting safely back at my apartment in Brooklyn, New York

I'm particularly excited to hang with David on his island over the New Year... you just can't beat kicking back and watch the waves roll in on the North Shore! Now I just have to figure out how to pack for five distinctly different climes...