Time Off: My day job has revised its policy on vacation and sick time for this year and the upshot is that I have to take a ton of use-it-or-lose-it time off before 2008 is out. Of all the problems I have ever had in my disturbingly long life, this is probably the best one ever. So I'm starting to line up destinations. Among the potential targets for yet-to-be-visited areas:

• Pacific Northwest. I have been to Portland Oregon, which marginally qualifies. But Seattle and Vancouver/Victoria/Whistler have been on my list for a while. I've even priced them out previously. Truthfully, the big goal for this area would be trolling around the Pacific Northwest for a few days, then making my way, either by car or ferry, up to Alaska for a week. That would be a blast. Expensive as hell, though.

• Southeast Asia. Specifically, the standard Singapore/Bangkok/Hong Kong triumvirate. I have never been to Asia and I would guess this would be a good starter tour. Actually, this is mostly because Anthony Bourdain goes to these places and eats the amazing food that I can only imagine. I'd also bet these places would be have just the right amount of visual and cultural shock, enough to be challenging but not enough to drive me insane. Relative frequent flights are available from Detroit. The big problem is that you can easily burn a day and a half of travel time each way, which I would have to come to terms with. Now, if I could afford Singapore Airlines...

• Newfoundland. Certainly not a place everyone thinks of, but I understand it is quite beautiful. This would be few days with a car to tour the island and maybe even take a side trip up into Labrador. There is not a lot of tourist stuff so it would be low-key, which is fine. Some of my favorite vacations have been about finding interesting, out-doorsy places and just tooling around with my camera.

• Unusual Caribbean. I was thinking something along the lines of Saba/Montserrat/Dominica/Grenada. The islands the most people don't visit. I would do this in summer when nobody is in the Caribbean anyway. The fact that I could do this on the cheap off-season is not the least of its attractions. An alternative would be the out islands of the Bahamas.

• Greenland. No really. Greenland. Same direction as Newfoundland, but only more so. There are direct flights from BWI now and they are just getting the tourist industry kicked up. I bet I never hear, "Greenland? Should have been there 10 years ago." A tour is probably the only way to go with this one since infrastructure is uncertain and logistics troubling. Top of the world, Ma!

• Mexico. I've never really been but I'd sure like to go. Everyone I know who goes there loves it and it is right next door (so to speak). I have no excuses. Mexico is a big place. I'd narrow starter trips down to Playa Del Carmen or the Puerto Vallarta area. I wouldn't argue with that train ride through Copper Canyon either.

For repeat destinations:

• New York City. OK, this isn't really more than a long weekender, but it's been a while since I've been to Manhattan and I really, really need to get back to the center of the universe for a couple of days.

• Hawaii. Specifically the Big Island. I love Maui and Kauai but I've yet to visit the Big Island. My priorities for a Hawaii trip would be 1) a good long time on the Big Island, 2) the Kauai north shore (I was on the south shore last time), 3) Lanai just for a night or two.

• California Parks tour. Only partially a repeat, but the idea would be to fly into Reno, spend a couple of days around Tahoe, then head down eastern California hitting all the parks along the way including Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and my beloved Death Valley, then finishing up with a couple of nights in Vegas and flying home from there.

• Hit the Spa. One of the Canyon Ranches or Mirival. There's also a Green Valley in Utah that I have had my eye on for a while. It's been a couple of years since I hit one of the killer Spas and not only would my body be grateful for the temporary drop in toxins, I could probably get a ton of writing done.

The fact is, just the planning of a serious trip is enjoyable so I'm looking forward to a fun year on that basis alone. If I knock off two of these (three including NYC), I'll declare victory.