Itchy Feet

I've only been in Shanghai for a few months but I'm already ready to travel again.  Don't get me wrong, I love Shanghai.  I'm really happy that this is the place I've decided to settle down for a while. But unlike Honduras, I haven't had the chance (or taken the opportunity, rather) to leave the city over the weekends because there is too much to see and do here.

I have decided to come home at Christmas because I'm not quite ready to make the leap to travel alone during such a family-oriented holiday, and while I'm really excited to spend time with my family and friends, I can't help but feel like I'm missing out on a great travel opportunity.  I'm right at the hub to jump off to so many exciting places in South East Asia that my plans for the year are all over the place.  I guess its a good thing that I am planning on staying a few years or I would never be able to see everything I wanted to. So in order to make up for my lack of travel at Christmas, I am planning a whirlwind summer tour.

At the moment I do have some trips in the works:

• February- Myanmar to see some good friends from college/Honduras and explore the temples of Bangan.
• April- Malaysian Borneo or the Philippines for some beach/diving time
• Summer 2015: Washington (beginning of the summer), Las Vegas (end of the summer), and...??

So now I need some help decided where to go with my remaining four weeks of vacation.  I know, the life of an international teacher is hard...but I will certainly have worked for that time off and be in desperate need of a holiday.

I've made a few tentative plans to head to Brussels.  I've never been to Belgium and everything I read about it makes me want to book a ticket immediately.  I'd also love to go back to the UK and see some friends.  My current thoughts are to head back to London for a few days and then take the train up north into Liverpool, Blackpool, and Manchester.  I've been to London 4-5 times and everyone knows how much I love it there.  Every time I make it to London, though, I seem to skip out on Northern England and I'm ready to check out a new part of the country.  It will have been a year and a half since I've been in the UK and that is clearly way too long.

My other option would be to head to Scandinavia for a few weeks.  I'm dying to go to Copenhagen and Stockholm and I could only handle the climate that far north in the summer.  I know it will be a lot more expensive than hanging out at home, but I can resist a new adventure. 

Now, during this time I also need to spend some time with my family in Florida and catch up with friends.  It will be a busy 5 weeks no matter what I decide to do, so why not explore a little more before heading back to China?  

Help!  Any suggestions on my summer plans or hidden SE Asian gems?