2025 was a great year for travel. I have to admit, it was a challenging year on many fronts, but for travel I got to see a lot that was on my bucket list and, more importantly, focused on experiences and memories which I talked about in last year’s roundup. So without further adieu, here’s my review of 2025!

Portugal

My first trip of the year was to Portugal. I got there at the tail end of several weeks of rain so that was… interesting, and unfortunately messed up my carefully planned schedule quite a bit. However, I did get to see some very stunning places. I know a lot of people love Lisbon, and it was quite nice, but I really liked the smaller towns like Obidos and Evora more. I also loved the medieval convent in Tomar, which was actually a place I didn’t know about until my schedule was messed up and I was looking for someplace else to go. So that was a nice surprise!

Some of the best experiences I had were seeing dolphins on the Atlantic ocean, and painting my own Portuguese tiles (which are currently in bags as Christmas gifts!).

My posts on Portugal:
A Trip to Obidos, a Beautiful Medieval Portuguese Gem
Exploring Coimbra and its Ancient Treasures: Things to Do & Travel Guide
Exploring Medieval Tomar and its Stunning Catholic Convent
The Stunning Sights of Evora, between Roman Temples and Bone Chapels
The Stunning Tiled City of Lisbon: Things to Do & Travel Guide

California

It was my mom’s dream to take a road trip along the coast of California. Honestly I wasn’t very psyched since Los Angeles wasn’t my favorite place but now I see the appeal of the Golden State. Aside from the insane prices, I loved San Francisco and its gorgeous houses. I learned a lot about the weather in NorCal, which I always assumed was just warm and sunny. I think my favorite part was actually driving around Napa Valley and Lake Berryessa. It’s so beautiful there.

We also got to see Yosemite and I’ll forever be awed by the gigantic pinecones. But I think my favorite part of all was driving down the coast, which is a protected marine sanctuary, and seeing all the beautiful animals in the water. Otters, sea lions, seals. It was just amazing! And I was shocked at how kind people were. Being from the eastern USA, it’s always been a mixed bag. But I think we had a total of 1 negative encounter our whole trip, and everyone else was just super friendly and nice.

The trip sucked our bank accounts dry but I have to say, it was lovely. Maybe if I made double my salary I could actually afford to live there.

My posts on California:
An Easy & Accessible Visit to Yosemite National Park: 10 Beautiful Spots to See
Visiting San Simeon: the town of Hearst Castle and Elephant Seals
Whale Watching & Spotting Other Marine Life in Monterey Bay, CA

Sweden

Sweden was a return trip. I’d been in 2017 and only seen Stockholm and Lund, so I visited again to see one of my favorite cities again, plus to visit some more places on my bucket list. I did not get to have many “experiences” in Sweden but had a lovely time bouncing around medieval sites. I also rented a car internationally for the first time, which was a huge deal for me. But driving around Gotland and Faro was probably one of my favorite memories in Sweden.

My posts on Sweden:
15+ Stunning Sites to See in Gotland (Outside Visby)
A Peek Inside Gripsholm Castle, one of Sweden’s Most Historic Sites
Seeing Sigtuna, Sweden’s Charming First Town
Seeing the 12 Medieval Visby Church Ruins
Visiting Visby, a Stunning Swedish City on the Baltic Sea
What to Expect at Drottningholm Palace

South Korea

My friend goes to South Korea each year to visit family and I unabashedly decided that I’d go when she was there so we could hang out. I’m not big on K-pop or K-drama like a lot of people are so I didn’t quite know what to expect but I loved it! I got to spend several days in Seoul plus got in a few day trips. I learned so much, including how friendly Koreans are and how delicious Korean food is. My friend and I made a few traditional Korean crafts and rented hanbok together, which made it extra special.

My posts on South Korea:
A Look at Seoul, the Soul of South Korea: Things to Do & Travel Guide
A Visit to Jeonju and Korea’s Largest Hanok Village: Things to Do & Travel Guide
Stepping into Korea’s Past in Gyeongju: Things to Do & Travel Guide

Japan

Japan has a very special place in my heart. I first (finally) got to visit in 2018 and, as expected, absolutely loved it. When I went to Thailand, I flew over Japan, close enough to see Mt. Fuji and the grid streets below. I missed it so much and decided it was time for a return trip and could not have been happier to visit again. The food was just as good, Tokyo just as beautiful, the people just as friendly as I remembered from my first trip. I’m so glad I went back and I have a feeling it won’t be my last time.

My posts on this recent trip to Japan:
A Stop at Shirakawa-go, one of Japan’s Most Popular Places: Things to Do & Travel Guide
Visiting Takayama, one of Japan’s Most Beautiful Cities: Things to Do & Travel Guide

I also started writing travel itineraries this year and have one based on my first Japan trip: 2 Week Japan Itinerary: Between Cities & Nature (via train).

A major move?

If you follow me on Bluesky, you might have heard that I’m currently planning something big: a move to Sweden. This move is (unsurprisingly) spurred by the current and growing political situation in the USA. For years, the pros of staying in the US have outweighed the cons, but this year that started to change. Of course the number of places to run to is getting fewer and fewer but I’ve always loved Sweden, and despite its issues, life there is a world of difference from in the USA.

There are many places I love but this year, I chose to return to Sweden with the idea in the back of my head that I’d love to live there. Lo and behold, not only did my second trip confirm that it’s such a lovely place, but I discovered that unlike other countries, it’s relatively easy to migrate there even for someone who doesn’t know the language. So everything considered, I decided to start looking into a move (and also started learning Swedish). I also deleted much of my personal social media to see how my life is actually being affected rather than just reading doom news every day.

This was not an easy decision. I love being near my friends and family, and my pets. I love owning a house. I love my job. And the drive to move across the world has diminished a bit this holiday season, when I love being home and spending time with my loved ones.

So we’ll see. I haven’t started applying for jobs yet since I’d like to get my Swedish up to a somewhat conversational level beforehand, but I’ve been serious about the idea for a few months now – from learning the language to finding a potential cardiologist for my cat (don’t worry – she’s already cleared to fly with me!). My friends have been very supportive, my family not so much. But if you have any insight on moving to a different country, I’d love to hear it!

This year had a lot of awfulness, so I cannot say exactly that it was a “good year.” But when it comes to travel and the experiences I had on trips, it was quite great. I’m looking forward to the trips I have planned in 2026 – including Egypt (booked), Curacao (not booked), Wales and England (booked), and France (not booked). Oh – and did I mention that this year was the best yet for the blog? I’m manifesting that type of traffic in 2026 (while simultaneously sitting on 4 blog posts that need to be written).

Wishing everyone a happy new year!

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