Meet this year's "It's Read Everywhere" contest winner

From near to far and everywhere in between, our jet-setting readers did and saw a lot this year.

In the past year, we received 209 submissions from readers who packed their copies of the Sarasota Observer, Longboat Observer, East County Observer and Siesta Key Observer and shared with us their journeys to six continents and dozens of countries across the globe.

We traveled high and low, from atop Mt. Kilimanjaro, Niagara Falls and Machu Picchu to seal level in the Bahamas, St. Maarten and Tahiti.

You took us on a triathlon, scuba diving and hiking. We saw ancient landmarks and modern cities.

You took us to Stonehenge, a sloth sanctuary in Costa Rica and the Kentucky Derby. We went to castles and on cruises. You even took us to the Guinness Brewery in Ireland (and we certainly enjoyed that!).

Our readers saw the world this year, and it was challenging to pick just one winner, but you spoke by voting at YourObserver.com. The winner: Wendy Pittman, whose monkeying around took her to Jemaa el-Fnaa Market in Marrakesh, Morocco, the busiest square in Africa.

Thanks, readers, for bringing us on your journeys, and may your travels next year be as breathtaking and memorable as this year’s. Just don’t forget to save room for us in your suitcase. Bon voyage!