14 Things I Learned from my 2025 Travel Experiences
I had so many great experiences and learned so much in 2025! I can’t wait to share some lessons I learned while recapping some of my favorite experiences from the past 12 months.
iTunes | Spotify | YouTube | Audible
January - Abaco, Bahamas
Lesson #1: Always ask about pricing details before booking ANYTHING! This seems obvious and honestly felt like a rookie mistake for me.
While in Abaco, we had our hotel concierge book transportation for us, as we often do on vacation. For some reason I forgot to ask how much this service would cost, and it was so much more than I expected or that we’d ever paid at other locations.
You can never ask too many questions!
February - China
Lesson #2: Use a travel agent when visiting places completely foreign to you. Of course I could have researched China thoroughly myself, but hiring someone saved me so much stress and time.
Our trip planner lives in China and has connections to all of the guides, activities, and hidden gems in the area!
I would 100% recommend using Zicarro! This isn’t sponsored, I just love how their trip-planning process works. They will send you 2 itineraries that you can choose from and customize from there.
Lesson #3: Do not misplace (or lose) your passport! I was so confident that my passport was stolen in China… turns out I had just misplaced it in a zipper pouch inside of my suitcase. Unfortunately I didn’t find it until after I’d gone to the U.S. Embassy and already filled everything out to get a new passport and visa. We even had to stay in China for 3 extra nights. It was a terrible experience that I hope to never repeat!
I recommend having a specific pocket that you ALWAYS use for your passport so you don’t misplace it.
March - Costa Rica
Lession #4: Take time to relax and take advantage of the hotel’s amenities.
I am generally someone who likes to plan an activity for every day of the trip. However, on our family trip to the Papagayo Peninsula, Costa Rica, we had an amazing beach club that we really got our money’s worth from!
Although we did leave the resort a few days of the trip, we really enjoyed exploring the resort’s property and finding places to relax on-site.
April - Brazil
Lession #5: Do not be afraid to go solo (or on a group trip with strangers)!
I went to Brazil on a women's trip with @macs_explore and it was the BEST!!! It was so wonderful and so fun! This is a great way to make friends with like-minded people while going on a trip without having to plan anything.
June - Paris, France
Lesson #6: It’s ok to keep returning to a place that you love!
I have been lucky enough to visit Paris a number of times, and I’ve become pretty familiar with the city. Old me would have told myself that I’ve been already so I don’t need to go back, but now I know how much I love it, and I love it even more with each visit.
Every time we go back we find new and wonderful things to do! I just love France so much.
June - National Geographic Cruise to Greece
Lesson #7: Sign up for a pre-planned trip and be surprised by the wonderful things that are planned for each day!
Pick a trusted company and choose a trip that already has all the planning taken care of! This isn’t the way I typically prefer to travel, but we tried it for this Greek Isles cruise and we had such a great time! It was so fun to wake up and get to experience new things that I wasn’t expecting. We also got to meet some wonderful new friends on our boat that we wouldn’t have met otherwise.
July - Columbus, Ohio
Lesson #8: Say yes to new friends and new adventures with them!
While on our Greek cruise, we met some new friends and one of them is from Ohio, so we planned a trip to meet up there! We all had a great time!
August - Burning Man, California
Lesson #9: Support your partner in their dreams! Including solo travel for them.
My husband has started DJing and had the opportunity to perform at Burning Man. He rented an RV and headed out to the festival for the week. Although this isn’t my scene, I know it makes him happy so I’m glad he got to experience it!
September - Mayakoba, Mexico
Lesson #10: Hire a chef when you travel
We had the best experience with our hired chef while staying at the Rosewood Mayakoba in Mexico. We had a kitchen in the house we were staying in which made this possible. The food was SO delicious, better than the restaurants, and cheaper than the restaurants at our resort.
Look into hiring a chef! You might be surprised that the prices aren’t as high as you think.
October - Jordan
Lesson #11: Don’t give up on your travel dreams!
We have always wanted to visit Petra, but we got to a point where we didn't think we were going to make it. It was either unsafe or closed due to COVID when we’d tried to go in the past.
When we had a trip planned to Turkey, we took advantage of the location and decided to fit in Petra as well! It was so magical and I love it so much. Don’t give up on visiting your bucket list destinations!
November - Turkey
Lesson #12: Don’t be afraid to go out on your own and explore a new city!
Ward was super sick on this trip and he wasn’t able to join me on a food tour that we’d booked. At first I thought I wasn’t going to go, but then I decided to just do it on my own! I navigated the city and found the place where the tour started, and met some very nice people! It was such a fun way to spend the day. I’m glad I didn’t let worries about venturing out alone stop me from having this fun experience!
December - Home
Lesson #13: Enjoy time at home and appreciate the small and wonderful things that make life special.
Lesson #14: Keep dreaming and keep planning trips! I have so many hopes and dreams for 2026! Thanks for being here and following along with our adventures!