GOODBYE 2025 + HELLO 2026! It’s surely been a year… if you can tell from the title of this blog post. I’ll get more into that later, but I truly cannot believe how jam-packed 2025 ended up being – especially considering I was actively trying to slow down. Spoiler alert: I still traveled a lot (I somehow flew almost 100,000 miles), but I did manage to keep my “fun” work a little more under control than in years past.
To be honest, I felt myself shifting a bit this year. I stopped caring about seeing every single tourist sight. I didn’t feel the need to visit a country just to check it off a list. I let go of documenting every single trip on the blog and obsessing over perfect photos. And honestly? It all feels so incredibly freeing, especially after making this side hustle such a huge part of my identity for the last decade.
It probably helps that I have no intentions of writing dozens of in-depth guides here on the blog anymore (sorry friends!). Probably a few here and there when I absolutely feel like it, but I’m letting go of the pressure. I’m starting to find less joy in the process. Once a destination gets added to my (never-ending) back-log, coming back to it just feels like a chore.
I’m ending the year with some newfound clarity. I’m DONE with hustle culture. I’m DONE feeling like my worth is tied to my productivity (or money made). I’m DONE with constantly being busy, busy, busy.
I’ve been genuinely enjoying being more present in my everyday life at home and slowly leaning into hobbies outside of travel. I read 65 books this year. I completed a full year in my 5-year journal. I finished an entire scrapbook (still proud of that). I took long coastal walks with friends, saw a bunch of Broadway shows, did a few 1,000 piece puzzles, and started dreaming about learning how to cook and crocheting my own sweater. For the first time in a long time, I’m starting to really crave more time at home – and not feel guilty about it.
At the same time, I’m tired. Tired of back-to-back long-haul flights. Tired of cramming destinations into long weekends. Tired of packing, unpacking, and packing again. Tired of overly complicated trip planning. Does it scare me to admit that? A little. But I know the places I want to see (and there are many) will still be there when I’m ready. That said… I already have six long-haul flights booked for 2026 (albeit to places I’ve already been and love), so we’ll see how committed I actually am to slowing down.
You may have noticed I wrote way less on this blog than I have in the last ten years. I promised myself I’d only work on it when it truly felt fun – and I stuck to that. Why? Because I experienced real burnout this year. From travel. From my 9-5. From the blog. From life in general. I’m starting to seriously think about what the next chapter should look like and how to actually recharge – because something clearly needs to change.
Phew. That got deeper than originally planned. Let’s get into it.
I’ve been writing these year-end recaps since 2013 (yes, over 10 years ago), and they’ve become my favorite way to document my life – the big moments, the quiet seasons (or lack there of), and everything in between. If you’re curious, you can read past years here.
2025 by the Numbers:
- Countries Traveled To: 8 – Switzerland, France, Mexico, El Salvador, Australia (again!), Turkiye, UAE, USA
- States Traveled To: 5 – California, Nevada (x2), Florida, Hawaii (x3), New York (x2)
- # of flights: 36, with 16 being long haul
- Miles flown: 96,000
- Books read: 65
- Candy Crush Level: 4479
- Goods Sort Level: 395
- Duolingo Streak: 1284 days
- Broadway shows seen: 6! — SIX (very meh), 9-5 The Musical (so good!), Shucked (corny and silly), SUFFS (the best!), Into The Woods (nostalgic), Golden Girls Live Christmas (hilarious!), plus ECHO Cirque du Soleil!
- Concerts: Dave Matthews Band, Thomas Rhett
- Days traveling: 136 (including red-eyes straight into work… oof)
- Solo travel days: 43 (Mexico, El Salvador, Australia, Turkiye)
- Scrapbook spreads made: 52!
Somehow, I made it to Hawaii three separate times (Oahu, the Big Island, and Maui), celebrated my niece turning ONE (how did that happen so fast?), spent a lot of time solo traveling, and leaned hard into scrapbooking as my new cozy hobby.
And now… let’s get to it – here’s my 2025 year in review, month by month!
January
The month started in Switzerland, ended in Palm Springs, and Noah got LASIK in between! There were the devastating fires down in southern CA that wreaked havoc for over a week. And somehow, miraculously, all my blog traffic came back in mid-January. Don’t ask me how or why, because I hadn’t touched the site in over a month, haha. Knock on wood and fingers crossed it sticks (spoil alert – it didn’t haha).
Switzerland
We rang in the New Year in Switzerland (the Jungfrau region to be specific), a country we’ve been trying to visit in the winter for a few years now. AND IT WAS MAGICAL. Beyond magical if I’m being honest. So much snow, and just the perfect mountain conditions – we got oh so lucky! The first few days were spent up the mountain exploring Lauterbrunnen, the storybook towns of Murren (LOVED this tiny town) and Gimmelwald, and feasting on delicious lunches of rosti overlooking the mountains (our new favorite).
Before leaving, we wandered around Interlaken – tried on watches, indulged in Swiss chocolate and cheese fondue, and saw the ancient folklore parade – very unique and interesting to say the least, haha, and watched the New Year’s Day fireworks! Our final night was spent watching our bestie Mel graduate from flight attendant school over a fondue dinner! So proud of her!
Paris and Disneyland Paris
Before heading home from Europe, we made one last stop – in Paris! While I’ve been to Paris a few times before, I had never been in the winter and it definitely felt a little grayer, but still charming in its own way.
We spent an extra day in Paris gallivanting around the city, where we indulged in macarons from all the best spots (Carette and Pierre Herme), watched sunrise at the Eiffel Tower, wandered around Montmartre, the Louvre, and the Jardin des Tuileries Christmas market, did some shopping, then watched the Eiffel Tower SPARKLE while it SNOWED! Such a magical day despite freezing a bit…
AND we spent two days at Disneyland Paris! Unfortunately the park ended up being a tad underwhelming (and still SUPER crowded despite kids being back in school), but we made the most of it!
The rides weren’t as exciting/thrilling as Universal Studios Hollywood (which we loved last year), and we couldn’t find as many festive Disney treats (plus the lousy weather didn’t add to the fun). But the park was gorgeous with Christmas decor, I LOVED the fireworks show and Christmas parade, and prices were wayyyy less than Disney in the states. All in all, not terrible, haha.
Palm Springs
Like every year, I plan a fun birthday getaway for myself. This year was down to Palm Springs (after finding insanely cheap flight prices a few months back).
We spent the few days lounging at our stunning hotel pools, enjoying the warmth, walking down Palm Canyon Drive and The Gardens on El Paseo, sipping Great Shakes, and sneaking into the Thompson Palm Springs. Our day trip to Pioneer Town was all kinds of quirky, where we had delicious BBQ at the ever-so-popular Pappy & Harriotts and roamed around the Noah Purifoy Desert Art Museum (so weird and wacky).
I celebrated with FOUR birthday dinners (Bar Cecil, Sandfish Sushi, Birba, and The Pink Cabana), sipped pink drinks at the eclectic Trixie Motel, had a Dutch baby pancake the size of my head at Elmer’s for breakfast one morning, the most delicious date shakes ever at Hadley’s, and finally saw the Marilyn Monroe statue!
February
Guadalajara
Finally – back to Mexico! I spent a long weekend down in Guadalajara (I hadn’t been to the country since August 2023, which is a long time for me to stay away). It was my first (of many) solo trips of the year, and unbeknownst to me, I visited during Guadalajara’s birthday, which meant a whole week of celebrations and extra fun!
While I explored the actual city (centro, Colonia Americana, markets, etc), I actually spent most of my time taking a bunch of fun day trips!
In Tequila I wandered through an agave field, learned the entire tequila making process, was given about 10 shots in less than 30 minutes (which I gladly did not participate in fully, haha), and stopped in the colorful town for lunch and a quick wander. Ended the day at Cantaritos El Güero, and whoa, the drink we ordered was MASSIVE and such a show just watching them.
I LOVED Chapala, admired all the color and murals in Ajijic, ate lunch overlooking the lake, and even took a short boat ride. It was unfortunately the cloudiest day on my trip when I visited Tlaquepaque, so the cute town didn’t seem as vibrant. I ended up at a one-time special artisan’s market, walking down the main strip, and getting the most delicious mango ice.
But the main highlight? Eating my way throughout the city and trying tons of local specialities, like jericalla flan, torta ahogada (drenched sandwiches), the best fish tacos in the city (easily La Paz Fish Tacos), and birria!
I also had an insanely innovative dessert that resembled the ocean at Postrería GDL, stuffed my face with chilaquiles and fresh juice most mornings, and had my fair share of al pastor. I’m all about the food whenever I visit Mexico if you can’t tell, haha.
March
The beginning of the month started off slow, but then ended with some long weekend trips (to Vegas and LA). I also started a 5 year journal (so excited about that!), accomplished a 1,000 day streak on Duolingo, and took some long coastal walks with friends here in the Bay.
Vegas with Laura and Andrea
Early in the month I took a girls trip to Vegas with some friends I met in Peru last summer – and I swear, it was the best weekend. We belly laughed so incredibly much and came away with tons of inside jokes. The weekend filled my cup SO much, and I wanna make an effort to go on more meaningful friend trips in 2026.
A few highlights: spending a morning exploring Red Rock Canyon (the colors were unreal and the vistas – wow!, plus we loved crawling inside the rocks), making a quirky stop at Cactus Joe’s, and devouring the most delicious road side burritos.
One night, we got all dolled up and walked the strip, sipping slushy drinks at Best Friend and admiring the gorgeous display at the Bellagio Conservatory. AND THEN we got impromptu tickets to Magic Mike – what a fun and sexy show! The unicorn! So much girl power! On International Women’s Day no less!
We also hiked and had a picnic lunch overlooking Lake Mead – the best day! Before heading home, we wandered around the Arts District with lots of murals and ice cream, then took silly pics at the Vegas sign. Love these gals so much and can’t wait for our next weekend meet up!
LA for Noah’s Marathon
The very next weekend, Noah and I drove down to LA for him to run the LA MARATHON! Still cannot believe he chooses to run this much for fun, haha. The expo was chaotic but full of energy, rainbow popsicles, and fun race photos, and lunch with Jotan and Caroline at Homage Brewing was the perfect pre-race fuel. And OMG that PB&J donut from The Donut Man was by far the best donut Noah’s ever had (or so he says!).
And then it was race time! I got picked up at 5am, and Jotan and I spent the morning spectating the race together! We had so much fun together and we wanna be spectating buddies again! Honestly such a fun race to watch – so much excitement and energy. Noah even got to run down Rodeo Drive – so cool!
I also spent a day galavanting around Little Tokyo (while Noah worked), getting mochi from Fugetsu-Do Bakery, cute buns from Okayama Kobo, and popping in and out of the little shops downtown. This was the trip Kona got new babysitters, and they really spoiled him, haha (he went out to dinner at Blue Line, took a field trip to San Carlos, and to Burlingame for Salt and Straw)!
April
El Salvador
My 51st country and second solo trip of the year! I spent half my time in the cute little surf town of El Tunco, and the rest taking day trips from San Salvador.
To be honest, I had a tough first few days, as I typically plan lots for myself to do and I was kinda at a loss as to what to do in El Tunco solo. Also, my phone broke, I fell out of a hammock, the AC leaked on all my stuff, and there was a crazy rainstorm one night. But, I thankfully finally found my groove and ended up leaving the town on a super high note. Finally I felt the magic of el Tunco. I think I’ll wanna fly back just for the pupusas and sunsets and beach walks and friendly locals.
I got into a routine of waking up for sunrise on the beach, enjoying the simple desayuno típico at my hotel, going for a morning beach walk and watching the surfers, pool hopping in the afternoon, having smoothie bowl and watermelon juice for lunch, watching sunset on the beach, $1 pupusas con frijol y queso for dinner every night, live music, then hanging in the AC and watching YouTube/listening to Libby books.
Back inland, I hiked one of the most active and highest volcanoes in all of El Salvador – Santa Ana Volcano — followed by a stunning seafood lunch overlooking Coatepeque Lake (the way the lake glimmered… swoon). I joined a day trip to Ruta de las Flores, where I slid down the Rainbow Slide (so fun!), visited the colorful town of Ataco, explored a local market in Nahuizalco (got some granadillas!), and toured a 100-year-old coffee farm!
I also took a free walking tour of downtown San Salvador (saw the famous rainbow church!), admired El Boquerón Volcano, and learned so much about bitcoin (over a 3 hour chat) with some new friends. My last day was spent at some miradors (namely Puerta del Diablo and Planes de Renderos with some pupusas), and having a super spontaneous lunch overlooking Lago Ilopango – STUNNING (with people I met at the viewpoint, then to their family’s house and Walmart, haha).
Florida to Visit Family
Later in the month we flew to Florida to visit my in-laws, and had a relaxing long weekend filled with lots of family time. We got lucky with an almost-empty economy plus section and had entire rows to ourselves on the plane going there!
We honestly didn’t do tons besides taking lots of walks around their neighborhood, even more beach walks (oh so pretty and it felt so nice to put my feet in the ocean and look for shells!), and indulging in my father-in-law’s famous challah French toast.
Other days were spent at the pool, wandering around the boardwalks of the Wakodahatchee Wetlands (we saw an alligator, huge iguanas, and tons of loud baby stick birds), and a family sunset dinner on the pier at Benny’s on the Beach – stunning!!!
We also spent a few hours chatting and catching up with some of my family who live in Florida, and more who just so happened to be visiting at the same time as us! We had some great sushi and talked for hours and just reveled in the uninterrupted family time. Love you guys (and that pb fudge ice cream we got afterwards!).
May
This month was spent having big talks about where we want to live next (Portugal, west coast of Florida, San Diego, Hawaii?), and even started learning Portuguese on Duolingo (and started calling Kona a baby menino, haha). I took walks with friends at Lands End and Half Moon Bay (always so gorgeous), and spontaneously watched graduation at the high school I teach at.
Long Weekend in Waikiki
Zero plans, zero alarms, zero agenda – our favorite kinda weekend, and exactly what we needed. We were able to relax as much as we wanted, totally forgot about work, zero stress. Hawaii just does that to us (it’s definitely our happy place) – the place just instantly calms us.
We decided not to rent a car so we stayed put in Waikiki (which we’ve never done before!), and we ended up loving it.
We spent so much time playing in the gorgeous turquoise waters, taking a lei making class, sipping sunset drinks at the Laylow (where we stayed; love this little boutique hotel), indulging in melty shave ice by the pool, coco puffs in bed, and all the fresh poke, and of course watching sunset every single night – so many colors! Easily the best weekend all year so far.
June
June was the start of my practically nonstop summer of travel (I was only home for 10 days the entire few months – no wonder I was beyond exhausted later in the year). But before taking off, Noah and I celebrated 13 years (!!!) with a delicious anniversary dinner with gorgeous views at Madera in Palo Alto. So much yum!
AND Noah turned 40 this month, which meant fun decorations and a yummy steak dinner at TOWN (one of our fave spots).
New York to See Family
After celebrating our anniversary, I was off to New York to see some family! These trips aren’t about seeing the sights, but about seeing family and friends who I miss so much. This June was actually the longest I’ve been in NY since moving to California (I spent 10 days there!).
It was such a wholesome trip – I got to spend tons of quality time with my sister and parents, but best of all, my tiny little bestie (!!!) who is now rolling over nonstop and loving putting French fries in her mouth, haha. We went strawberry picking, hung out at the Cradle of Aviation museum, and had lunch overlooking the water. Plus even more extended family time with a fun dinner (lots of fun family time this trip!).
I also had a fun Tex-Mex dinner with some old high school besties (hi Tara, Liz, and Alli!), gallivanted around NYC with an old camp/college friend (and had the BEST pesto of my life and 27 layer lasagna), another lunch with a view with my first ever friend (!), and got to see some cousins I hadn’t seen in forever!
And of course I had my fair share of NY bagels, pizza, Ralph’s Italian ices, and Italian food – can’t go to NY without getting those!
Kona for (another) Marathon!
Yup – back to Hawaii already! This time, for Noah to run the Kona Marathon (yes, his second full this year). He was actually planning on running this in 2020… but we all know how that went!
And I’m proud to say that Noah finished his TENTH full marathon! The race was so much smaller and intimate that the others, and we both loved that aspect of it. So crazy he’s now ran a full marathon on all the Hawaiian islands that offer it! He started off strong, but once the sun came out and it got super hot, he had to slow down – no PR’s here, but hey, he finished!
Unfortunately the weather wasn’t perfect (lots of clouds in the afternoon and some rain), but thankfully plenty of bursts of sun too.
We had a perfect morning at Magic Sands (my fave spot near Kona) where I swam with so many sea turtles (and watched them for over an hour), then lost my sunglasses in a ridiculously huge wave and miraculously got them back after a young boy found them and handed them right back!
And boy did we eat well! A few faves: a Kona coffee shake, melt in your mouth sushi (from a sweet sushi chef in Tokyo), poke from our fave spot on the island (Da Poke Shack), spicy garlic furikake chicken, and more.
Spontaneously, we decided to rent a car on our last day and went to all our fave spots outside of Kona! Including BISICO for shave ice, sea turtle beach for sunset, Lava Lava Beach Club, and a few new ones, including a beach we needed a pass for!
Hardly crowded, super calm water, and GORGEOUS. I must say the Big Island really grew on us this second time around, and it’s actually a spot I can see us going back to for years and years (we didn’t have the best first impression of the island last time around).
Australia (Sydney and Outback)
Less than 48 hours after getting home from Hawaii I was off again, this time to AUSTRALIA! Last year when I went to Sydney and Melbourne I couldn’t believe I was already making it to Australia, and here I am going again, twice in 2 years! Crazy how life works out! This time, to the Outback and far North Queensland!
But first, I landed at 6am after a 15 hour flight to a gorgeous sunny brisk winter day in Sydney. I spent the day taking it easy with views of the Opera House, walking the full length of the Harbor Bridge (twice), devouring some fantastic avo toast, and watching sunset at Mrs. Mackeries chair with more views of the Sydney icons. I got super lucky because the next day there was a torrential rainstorm in Sydney, just as I was off to the middle of the country.
Outback (Uluru and Kings Canyon)
My Outback adventure in Australia’s Red Center was as epic as they come, and even just reflecting on it gives me all the feels (and then some). It was such a wholesome, special, and truly authentic experience, and I got oh so lucky with an amazing group of people from all around the world.
When I was first planning my Australia trip, I couldn’t decide if I wanted to make the trek over to the outback. It’s not easy to get to (with nonstop flights only multiple days a week) and kinda pricey… so once I found a decent flight ($300ish vs. the $800ish I was typically seeing), that was my sign to go. I actually rearranged my entire 3-week trip just to fit this in!
And boy was it worth it.
We spent the mornings waking up at 5am to catch sunrise and then hiking in gorgeous landscapes (base of Uluru, Valley of the Winds, and Kings Canyon Rim Walk – all spectacular) all while learning about Aboriginal culture. Nights were spent gathering around the campfire chatting, drinking hot cocoa, and admiring the Milky Way and shooting stars.
I went swag camping (no tent!) under the stars for three nights and loved it way more than I ever expected. It was surprisingly comfy and warm – and the amount of stars I saw?! Absolutely unreal. I’ve never seen a night sky so vibrant and mesmerizing (and nope, it never got old). The sunsets were also some of the best I’ve ever seen (and you know I’m a sucker for a good sunset!).
The tour was organized so well, and I got to see so much in such a short period of time. The food was also shockingly good – especially the pasta bolognese on the last night. It’s wild what you can make with limited supplies in literally the middle of nowhere. The facilities were less than ideal (no running water or electricity at the last “campsite”), but that just made it all that much more fun.
I don’t know anyone back home who’se explored Uluru or the Northern Territory, but it now holds such a special place in my heart. <3
It was a life changing experience for sure. I had so many firsts this trip – swag camping, trying camel burgers and kangaroo steaks, sleeping under the Milky Way, seeing camels in the wild, and fully trusting a group of complete strangers in the middle of the Outback.
These are memories I’ll carry with me forever – set in the most spectacular landscapes with the most special people. This trip officially made me a camping person (still cannot believe how much I genuinely loved it), and now I’m determined to find similar experiences in the states and elsewhere.
Highly recommend if you’re looking for something beyond the typical tourist sights. Raw, wild, and as wholesome as it gets. Such incredibly fond memories.
July
Airlie Beach/Whitsundays
After sleeping outside in the Outback for a few nights, I flew back to Sydney and made my way to PPP. I spent a few days in Airlie Beach, and what a little gem it is! I got incredibly lucky with the weather, as locals said it was raining nonstop up until 2 weeks before I arrived! I had 3 picture-perfect clear blue-sky days.
And the amount of bucket list moments I scheduled in was INSANE:
- I saw kangaroos on the beach at sunrise in Cape Hillsborough — even saw a baby joey (then went for a short hike up to a stunning viewpoint)
- snorkeled in the GREAT BARRIER REEF! I was super impressed and it was easily the best snorkeling I’ve ever done (and I’m hard to impress). The coral was so healthy and vibrant and colorful, and saw tons of colorful fish of all sizes.
- Took a scenic flight over the reef, saw the famous Heart Reef, Whitehaven Beach, Hamilton Island, and soooo many blues (STUNNING and so worth the money)
- Stepped foot onto the silky white silica sand of Whitehaven Beach and hiked up to Hill Inlet for draw dropping views of the entire beach.
I also spent a day in Hamilton Island where I hiked up to the highest point on the island, Passage Peak (with stunning views of the Whitsunday Islands), wandered around the marina, and had some delicious fish n chips.
Staying at the cutest little guesthouse with great views and a super friendly owner was the icing on the cake.
Airlie Beach was magical – I watched the sunset every single night, had 2 for 1 pizzas from Sorrentos (which lasted me 3 nights in a row, haha), daily acai bowls, and took so many stunning walks (the Bicentennial Walkway was my fave!). I’ll be back!
Townsville/Magnetic Island
I took the Greyhound up the coast to Townsville for Magnetic Island for 2 nights, mainly to see KOALAS in the wild! And thankfully I saw the cutest one on the Forts Walk on Magnetic Island (and hung out with him for almost two hours). Such a sweet sleepy guy! I also watched some rock wallabies for a while; so cute and curious, and went to a few scenic bays as well.
Over in Townsville I took long walks along the water at The Strand (ice cream! Homemade pasta!) and got lucky with gorgeous views at Castle Hill Lookout. I stayed on the wrong side of the water in Townsville (whoops!), so walking anywhere took over 20+ minutes – safe to say I easily got my steps in every day!
Cairns
Ahhhhh – I SNORKELED IN THE OUTER GREAT BARRIER REEF! Beyond amazing (10/10) and once again, it felt like swimming in an aquarium. I didn’t see any large sea creatures, but the colors of the coral and the literal thousands of colorful fish and creatures I saw (starfish! Giant clams! Parrotfish! Nemos!, etc, etc, etc). more than made up for it. This really awakened my desire to go on more reef-based snorkeling trips!
I also took a brief day trip to Fitzroy Island, with a short hike to Nudey Beach (stunning), a glass bottom boat tour of the reef, then swam with a turtle (pretty shitty snorkeling overall). It was honestly a little meh compared to my other experiences, so if you’re short on time, I’d skip it.
My last few days were spent in the Daintree Rainforest and Atherton Tablelands, where I went for walks in the rainforest, took a short stroll on Cape Tribulation Beach, saw a CASSUARY, went on a crocodile cruise (saw plenty), admired Milla Milla waterfall, gazed up at the famous Curtain Fig Tree (in Avatar!), dipped my toes in Lake Eucham, and watched others slipping and sliding at Josephine Falls.
The rest of my time in Cairns was spent strolling the night markets, treating myself to foot massages and churro sundaes, taking myself out for a nice brunch at The Chambers, some Aussie brand shopping (Ghanda!), and acai at Rusty’s Markets.
Phew, what a trip! And I thought my first trip to Australia was already magical enough (this one blew that one outta the park).
However, (of course there’s a however), coming home from Australia was pretty rough. I’m pretty sure I got some nasty food poisoning the night before my almost-14-hour flight home, so putting it mildly, that was not a fun time.
It was one of the worst 24 hours I’ve had in a very long time, and I even had a few cries at the airport and on the plane; I truly forgot how much it sucks traveling (especially solo) while sick.
I was restless the entire flight (despite watching 3-hour Wicked) and just felt pretty shitty overall (didn’t eat a thing and nursed a can of ginger ale for over 8 hours). The only positive was that my friend’s FA friend was working the flight and gave me little goodies which were greatly appreciated. I came home and slept for a full day and was better thankfully.
Turkiye
And just 4 days after getting home from Australia, I was off to the airport (again!) to head 15 hours in the opposite direction – this time, to Turkiye! I’ve been wanting to visit for oh so long, and I’m thrilled we finally made it happen. Another trip filled with bucket list moments (like paragliding above the turquoise waters of Oludeniz and riding in a hot air balloon over the fairy chimneys in Cappadocia).
Plus, the hospitality really blew me away (I was not expecting that)!
Istanbul
The trip started in Istanbul — a city I’ve heard amazing things about, and it definitely lived up to my expectations! I don’t typically enjoy large European cities anymore (they all kinda seem to blend together), but Istanbul’s vibe and culture felt entirely different! I was hooked!
We started with our first Turkish breakfast (the spread was HUGE and everything was unbelievable!), and overall, we ate SO well in Istanbul – tons of delicious Turkish sweets (baklava! Turkish delight! Dondurma!), so much fresh pomegranate and orange juice, and yummy kebabs and hummus and pitas and fish wraps and simits.
All the typical tourist hotspots were checked off; we wandered around Galata and Istiklal Street, watched sunset from the Galata Bridge (stunning), shopped at the Grand Bazaar, and went into our first mosques (complete with headscarf and all – the very iconic Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque, which we thought was absolutely stunning, even more so at night).
I also spent a few days solo in Istanbul at the end of the Turkiye trip once Noah went home. My days were filled with hours crafting my very own Turkish lamp with beads and mosaic pieces, exploring the colorful, artsy neighborhoods of Balat and Ferner, indulging in a massive loaded baked potato in Ortakoy Square, and even sailing over to ASIA for the day, complete with markets in Karaköy and cafe hopping in trendy Moda.
Turkish Riviera
We then spent a little over a week roadtripping the Turqouise Coast – and wow was it unbelievably beautiful! And ridiculously hot (well into the high 90s and 100s), which made the heat unbearable at times.
In Kas, we watched sunset at the famous amphitheater, had a boat day with tons of time swimming in the sea and UNREAL views everywhere, an exceptionally yummy mezze dinner, relaxed on the ever-so-stunning Kaputas Beach, and spent an afternoon at Zest Beach Club overlooking the town of Kalkan. We LOVED it!
In Fethiye we took another boat out to Aquarium Bay, St Nicholas Island, and Butterfly Valley (the water was so clear it looked fake!). We swam in blue Gatorade water at Oludeniz Beach, went PARAGLIDING at Badabag Mountain (!!!), and even had a power outage at our hotel because of the intense heat!
Our last stop was Alacati, where we did some market shopping, had a delicious octopus dinner at Fava, wandered around the photogenic (but busy) town, took refreshing swims at Ilika Beach, then had our favorite meal of the trip at Od Urla – a farm to table dinner eating under olive trees (where they surprised us with 3 desserts!).
August
Cappadocia
The last stop on my Turkiye trip – Cappadocia, a place that’s been on my bucket list for years! I stayed 4 nights here (split between Sultan Cave Suites and Koza Cave) with hopes of seeing the balloons and even going up in them – and thankfully I stayed that long because the balloons were cancelled a few times due to weather! After 3 tries, I finally got to go up in the hot air balloon over Cappadocia on my last morning! Such a magical feeling!!!!
Besides floating away over Cappadocia, I relaxed with some pool time at Aza, had manti for dinner with a view, explored Ushuir Castle, Zelve Open Air, Love Valley, and more on the Red Tour, tried traditional testi kebab at Dibek, walked through tunnels in the Ancient Underground City, Pigeon Valley and more views on the Green Tour, took a mini hike to a secret viewpoint of town, and wandered around Gerome (popping into carpet shops, sipping watermelon juice, feasting on gozleme, and taking cave showers)!
NY for Ella’s First Birthday
How is my little niece ONE already?! We flew to New York for a low-key long Labor Day weekend to see family and celebrate my niece’s 1st birthday! I loved spending so much time with my little niece, who at the time was standing up (assisted), babbling, and waving! Such a cute age!
We celebrated her actual birthday with some dessert with immediate family, then my sister and BIL threw a giant party a few days later with dozens of friends and extended family! SO MUCH FUN! Only the cutest decorations for the super cute birthday girl and the cutest theme: one sweet peach. The most beautiful frosted sugar cookies, a gorgeous hand painted sign, and super fun peach balloons.
We also got to see my husband’s babysitter from way back when – she’s 103 now, so wild!
September
Phew – September was a breath of fresh air, and it felt so fantastic to finally slow down a bit after such a fun yet hectic summer. I eased into the new school year (I’m a SLP at a high school), tried some new healthy recipes, and truly enjoyed spending time with friends at home (Two broadway shows! Baseball game! An afternoon with the trolls at Filoli! Seeing Thomas Rhett in concert!).
It was the first time in a LONG time I didn’t have any travel plans for the entire month, and it was honestly much needed time at home. I truly had a slow September and LOVED it, and kept busy with all my cozy crafty hobbies (still SO into scrapbooking and lots of audiobook reading like always).
A few other fun tid-bits: I scored some great points redemptions which we’ll get to enjoy next year, joined a food tour in Chinatown SF (we always love it there!), we watched our friend’s little dog for a week (hi Poochie!), and I starting blogging again (after unexpectedly taking most of the year off — burnout is real).
Noah had a minor surgery done (he’s ok thankfully and recovery wasn’t as bad as we had thought!)
October
It’s fall, y’all! We had no air travel until the very end of the month, so we filled our weekends with lots of friend dates and festive fall activities. Noah and I spent a day at some pumpkin patches in Los Gatos (taking cute pics of Kona), I did a solo drive around SF hunting for the best Halloween houses, and had a magical night with friends at Filoli for their autumn Nightfall event.
I also went to the Life of a Showgirl album launch movie premiere (and yes, I listened to the album about 2553353 times). We celebrated one of my coworkers at her wedding (so much dancing and too many photo booth pics), another friend at her baby shower, and Kona’s 6th birthday!
But honestly, I was feeling an insufferable amount of burnout all around, mostly from work and past and upcoming travel. I spent a lot of time quietly thinking about the next phase of life and what I need to feel more calm and grounded.
Apple Hill
We took a cute little road trip a few hours away to Apple Hill for the weekend to celebrate all things fall. We’d visited a few years ago and loved it so much we decided to go again, and it did not disappoint (despite the crazy traffic).
Day 1 consisted of caramel apple pecan pie, a micro mini highland cow (!!!), apple cider shakes, pumpkins, the BEST apple cider donuts, and even some unexpected fall foliage (we thought we visited too early!). Plus bbq burgers from Burger Barn in bed.
Day 2 saw more apple treats like apple turnovers, the most delicious French apple pie a la mode, pear cider (my favorite), and even Dutch Brothers coffee on the way home!
Andaz Maui
Back to Hawaii we went — yes, for the third time this year, haha. What can I say?! It’s our favorite place in the entire world!
This trip marked our first real points redemption since learning more about points and miles, and I still can’t believe we stayed at Andaz Maui for FREE! The check-in girl was so sweet and even gave us free breakfast every morning (which would’ve cost us hundreds, crazy, right?!).
Maui felt like a test run for what life could be like living here (minus the Andaz, haha). We actually ended up looking at some condos super unexpectedly and spontaneously — it’s always fun to dream a little!
We had no major plans (my new favorite), and our days were filled with tons and tons of beach time, countless ocean dips (hello, sea turtles!), and nightly sunset walks. We revisited favorite foodie spots, discovered some new ones, and really took advantage of the gorgeous resort.
The absolute highlight was finally meeting Nicole and her husband Joe after years of chatting on IG (whoops, we forgot to take a pic!). We had a delicious dinner at some food trucks in Kihei, talked for HOURS, and then ended up seeing them again (and meeting their neighbors!) the next day! So grateful for local Maui friends to start giving us the ins and outs of island life.
While we ultimately decided to most likely keep Hawaii for trips only (island fever is a huge thing), we no doubt will keep returning to Maui.
November
It’s officially rainy season (it poured a bunch of times and the power even went out!), meaning I did a few puzzles and cozied up at home. I also had a bunch of friend dates (new and old), saw some Broadway shows and a really fun Cirque du Soleil performance, and we continued thinking about where we want to live next year (Maui? Vegas? San Diego? — stressful but also kinda fun to envision a new life).
I experienced so much stress at work and felt so over the monotony of it all (plus the horrible traffic is really getting unbearable and these long meetings, OMFG). Really taking a toll on my mental health and stress levels. I was just trying to get through it all. Thankfully we had some exciting travel coming up which meant a nice long break from work.
Dubai
We ended the month in another new country – the United Arab Emirates! We made the long journey on Emirates (shockingly comfy for a 15 hour flight!) and spent a few days exploring a brand new-to-me city! It felt hyper-modern, ultra-polished, visually striking, and a tad overwhelming.
We checked off all the classic Dubai sights: the Burj Khalifa (still wild that it’s the tallest building in the world), the Dubai Frame, the Museum of the Future (that exterior alone is worth the hype), and wandering the Dubai Mall before watching the fountain show. Lounging around the highest infinity pool in the world was of course another bucket list check, with 360 degree views above the Palm Jumeirah.
We also got incredibly lucky with a hotel upgrade and ended up with a perfect view of the Burj – such a futuristic skyline to wake up to every morning.
And wow those beach areas! Kite Beach and Marina Beach were both kinda reminiscent of beach vibes in Australia which I absolutely love. I was totally not expecting that! Of course we watched the sunset here for two nights!
One sticky afternoon, we wandered around Old Dubai in the Al Fahidi Historical District, popping into little shops and admiring the architecture. We had an incredible meal at the Arabian Tea House (dates! hummus! mint limeade!), then hopped on a five-minute abra ride across the creek to explore the Gold and Spice Souks.
I braved the heat for a morning at the Miracle Garden (flowers and over-the-top displays everywhere) while Noah went golfing. Another day brought full desert adventure mode: riding camels, sandboarding (so much sand in my face), dune bashing, and watching the sun set over endless waves of sand. Unreal.
What surprised me most was how diverse and truly multicultural Dubai felt, plus how clean and safe it all was. Admittedly, I loved Dubai way more than I expected to (and left genuinely impressed), especially since it was never high on my bucket list.
December
Somewhere in the Abu Dhabi Desert
December started with a few glorious days at a swanky desert hotel (Anantara Qasr al Sarab) about 3.5 hours south of Dubai and only a few km from the Saudi border. And I must say – the sand dune views were absolutely STUNNING in every direction – quiet, vast, and surreal. Just look at those pictures!
Our days followed a perfect rhythm: huge breakfasts overlooking the dunes, slow afternoons floating in the infinity pool (it was beyond perfection), and evenings watching the sun sink into the sand. We even climbed the dunes a few times, took photos with a cutie falcon, and ate way too many dates (my favorite). One night, we had an Arabian BBQ set up right in the dunes, which felt incredibly special.
The whole experience was definitely a splurge (don’t even get me started on the transport to and from), but it was calm, grounding, and exactly what we needed after the nonstop energy of Dubai. Plus that infinity pool overlooking the dunes — drool! I could’ve stayed in there all day!
Abu Dhabi (F1 Race!)
Our main reason for coming all this way?! The Formula 1 Race at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi to celebrate Noah’s (belated) 40th birthday. The race itself (and all the surrounding festivities) were so much fun; it honestly felt more like a festival than a sporting event. Music everywhere, massive art installations scattered around the circuit, pop-up food trucks and bars, merch booths, and nonstop energy from morning until night.
And of course seeing the cars in person was absolutely insane. They’re impossibly fast, and it’s hard to truly grasp just how fast until they fly past you. We could smell the tire smoke and feel the vibration – total sensory overload in the best way. We fueled up with daily Dubai chocolate acai bowls (when in the UAE), watched F1, F2, and F4 practices and races, and of course saw the main event under the lights at Yas Marina, which felt incredibly surreal. Still can’t believe we were there!
Outside of race days, we squeezed in some Abu Dhabi sightseeing. We took a short walk along the Corniche (too hot, but still beautiful), explored the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque early one morning before the crowds (so pristine, so grand), and admired Qasr Al Watan, which was undeniably stunning but also left me with mixed feelings about its purpose and scale.
We also spent a fun afternoon at Ferrari World, which was way more thrilling than expected. We even rode the fastest rollercoaster IN THE WORLD (with mandatory goggles!) – equal parts terrifying and exhilarating.
Two weeks in the country was a bit too long, but it gave us the chance to slow down and truly experience it. Would I rush back to the UAE? Probably not. But I’m really glad we went, and being there for F1 for Noah’s big birthday made the entire trip feel extra special.
San Diego
We spent the last week or so of December driving down to SoCal to scope out areas we’d consider living next year. On our drive down we took long walks on State Street in Santa Barbara (our favorite), popped into some fun stationary stores in LA, and saw some insane Christmas houses in Mission Viejo.
The start of San Diego saw us unfortunately getting stuck in an atmospheric rainstorm in Encinitas (the power even went out!), where we based ourselves for a week. We cured our sorrows with lots of great Mexican food (those bean and cheese burritos from The Taco Stand truly have my heart), decorating Christmas cookies for HOURS in the rain, and cozying up in our little apartment watching youtube and cuddling Kona.
The bulk of the trip (when it wasn’t pouring) was spent exploring the local neighborhoods in/near Encinitas (Leucadia! Solana! Cardiff! Del Mar! Carlsbad!), taking lots of chilly beach walks on the coast, spending a day gallivanting in La Jolla (and watching sunset in Torrey Pines), and having our fair share of Cali Cream ice cream and Bump empanadas. We also hung out with some besties in OC and got to see their GORGEOUS new house and meet their dog Sumo!
All-in-all, a pretty relaxed trip, and it was oh so nice to have lots of time to just relax and be and wake up with no real set plans. Something I was desperately craving.
Palm Springs
We ended the year in Palm Springs, where we honestly did a whole lotta nothin, haha. It was much needed. We drank our weight in date shakes, popped into quirky shops on Indian Canyon Drive, and had Blaze Pizza in bed every night watching LOST (we were beyond tired at this point).
Since we had already been to Palm Springs in January we weren’t very fussed with seeing all the touristy spots, and kept it mostly pretty chill.
On the last day of the year, we made the short(ish) drive to Vegas and hung out with my Peru bestie for New Years Eve. It was a super chill night with festive apps and shielding Kona from all the fireworks (he was so scared!).
I ended the year truly relaxed; taking a road trip over Christmas break was honestly a breath of fresh air after all the long flights. Hopefully by this time next year I’ll have more flexibility when it comes to when I can travel (wink, wink).
And now? I’m starting the year off calm and cozy, exactly how I like it. A few goals I have for myself going into 2026 when it comes to travel:
I want to start traveling more intentionally (deeply meaningful, wholesome, with friends/family). I want to learn about different cultures, try unfamiliar foods, and witness great beauty with my own eyes. I want to continue to visit places less traveled, or at least away from the typical masses. I want to find the joy of it all again.
If you made it this far, thank you!!! Can’t wait to see what 2026 has in store!
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