My Best (& Worst) Travel Moments of 2025

2025 was another year of abundant travel. I spent 84 days on the road across 13 different trips.

I did more international travel than usual, visiting Asia for the first time and spending three weeks in Japan, South Korea, China, and Hong Kong. I also visited Paris and Brussels for the first time, and returned to Mexico twice for bachelorette parties and weddings. And of course, there was plenty of travel closer to home too — time with family in New York, Chicago, St. George, and Omaha, plus a few road trips to national parks.

Overall, I had incredible travel opportunities and very few misses. So if you’re here looking for dramatic travel horror stories, missed flights, or destinations I’d never return to… this might not be the post for you.

The truth is, I had very, very few “worst” travel moments this year.

2025 was filled with beautiful places — some I never imagined I’d see — and the kind of travel that leaves you feeling genuinely grateful. Even the missteps were minor, mostly self-inflicted, and ultimately turned into lessons rather than regrets.

So let’s start with the “worsts,” if you can even call them that.

The “Worst” Travel Moments (That Really Weren’t That Bad)

Visiting Seoul During A Major Holiday

This one was entirely on me.

A few weeks before my trip to Seoul, I started booking activities and quickly realized something was off. I’d make appointments and they were immediately cancelled. That’s when it dawned on me: I was visiting during Chuseok — one of South Korea’s biggest holidays, comparable to Thanksgiving in the U.S.

And I wasn’t just overlapping with it — I was there for all three days of the holiday, my only three days in Seoul.

I was only in Seoul for a short stop as part of a three-week Asia trip, and every time I sat down to plan an itinerary, I had to revise it. Over and over again. Almost everything I wanted to do was unavailable.

Ironically, I had intentionally scheduled Seoul as a slower, rest-focused stop between busier destinations. But once I started researching, I realized just how much there is to do in Seoul — spas, museums, markets, palaces — and suddenly I wanted to do everything.

In the end, the universe kind of forced me back into the original plan.

I rested.

I wandered without pressure. I visited Gyeongbokgung Palace (which was free for the holiday), toured the DMZ, and ate some really incredible food — some of the best I had in Asia. What initially felt like a mistake was actually exactly what I needed in the middle of a long trip.

Lesson learned: always double check international holidays before booking.

Accidentally Deleting My Phone Service In An Airport

I still can’t believe I did this one.

At the end of a long Paris trip, during a 20-hour travel day, I attempted to turn off my phone’s e-SIM. Instead, I somehow deleted Verizon from my phone entirely.

Paired with shockingly bad WiFi at the Philadelphia airport, my phone became almost completely useless during my long layover. No service. No calls. No reliable texting. Even my Bose headphones wouldn’t connect without an app.

I was exhausted, overstimulated, and very annoyed with myself.

Eventually, I managed to get enough WiFi to text my husband and explain what had happened. Calling was impossible, so we coordinated airport pickup entirely over spotty text messages — with backup plans in place in case I couldn’t get WiFi.

It did make me marvel at how people coordinated airport pickups before cell phones.

Once I completed my final flight and landed in Denver, everything worked fine thanks to much better WiFi at DIA. The next morning, the Verizon store fixed the issue in about ten minutes.

Crisis averted. Lesson learned. I do not plan on repeating that one.

Pushing Myself A Little Too Hard

This last “worst” wasn’t one specific trip — it was a reoccurring theme.

A few times this year, I packed too much into too little time. I squeezed in extra stops, extra miles, extra experiences — and mostly felt the impact on long driving days.

After a weekend in Grand Teton National Park, I woke up at 4:30 am, drove up to Yellowstone for the morning, then turned around and drove eight hours back to Denver in one day. Spending nearly 12 hours driving that day.

Another time, I day tripped to Aspen to finally see the Maroon Bells during peak fall color — something that had been on my bucket list for years. I didn’t have the time or budget to stay overnight, so I drove 3.5 hours each way in one day. Do-able in theory… until I hit heavy rain and low visibility on the drive home, adding much more time to the drive while already exhausted.

I don’t regret either experience. Yellowstone is always incredible. Maroon Bells in fall absolutely lived up to the hype.

But next year, I want to be more mindful of how hard I push myself — especially when it comes to long drives and tight turnarounds.

The Best Travel Moments Of 2025

The best moments? There were so many. Far more than I can fit into one post.

But a few stand out.

Celebrating My Birthday In Tokyo

My favorite travel moment of the year was celebrating my 36th birthday in Tokyo — on the very first full day of my first major solo trip.

I woke up early and wandered through Senso-ji Temple and the Asakusa area before the crowds arrived. I pulled an eerily accurate fortune at the temple, explored the surrounding shops, and treated myself to a strawberry whipped cream sandwich and matcha (so delicious!).

That evening, I went to the Tokyo Dome to watch the Tokyo Giants win — something that had been on my bucket list for years after seeing Anthony Bourdain attend a Japanese baseball game on No Reservations.

To experience that, in Tokyo, on my birthday, solo — it was incredibly special. One of those days I’ll be thankful for forever.

Grand Teton National Park (Again)

This was my third visit to Grand Teton National Park, it has quickly become one of my favorite places in the U.S.

The mountains here look unreal — dramatic, jagged, almost like something Pixar drew up. Even though it’s known for hiking, I’ve never actually hiked here. What keeps pulling me back are the water activities and the viewpoints.

This year’s highlights included kayaking the Snake River, paddleboarding String and Leigh Lakes, watching the sunset over Colter Bay, and camping with friends.

It’s a place that never disappoints, no matter how many times you return.

Paris & Brussels

Another standout from this year was my first trip to Paris — a destination that tops just about every travel bucket list. We packed a lot into our time there: picnicking under the Eiffel Tower, visiting the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay, climbing the Arc de Triomphe, and wandering Montmartre. It was busy, exciting, and incredibly memorable.

Paris has a reputation for being challenging for first-time visitors, and I can understand why. What made the trip so enjoyable for me was visiting with my cousin, who had been before. She knew her favorite neighborhoods, had the metro figured out, and even knew how to order the right baguettes (you have to ask for the “baguette tradition”) — all of which played a huge role in how much I loved the experience.

After four days in Paris, we headed to Brussels for a few nights, which ended up being the perfect reset. Brussels felt calmer and easier, with beautiful architecture, a city tour, the chocolate museum, and plenty of excellent food (seriously, so much good food!). It was a much needed break from the planning-heavy pace of Paris, and the ideal way to balance the trip.

If Paris is on your list, I’ve put together a few guides from my first trip that might be helpful as you plan: Paris, France Guides.

Traveling To China

I’m still pretty amazed that I got to go to China.

For a long time, I assumed it was somewhere I couldn’t — or maybe shouldn’t — travel to, largely because of the negative press surrounding the country. But a series of events led me to book a group trip to Beijing and Xi’an — helped in part by the fact that U.S. citizens can now travel there visa-free for up to 10 days — and I’m so glad I did.

China is incredible. The cities are modern and massive. The landscapes are varied and dramatic, much like the U.S. in fact. And the people were warm, friendly, and genuinely excited to meet foreigners — even when language barriers existed.

Highlights included riding an alpine slide down the Great Wall, biking the Xi’an city wall at sunset, seeing pandas (!!!), karaoke, exploring Xi’an’s enormous outdoor market, and connecting with fellow travelers on the group trip.

I know I’ll return someday — and next time, I’d feel comfortable going without a group tour.

Traveling With Family & Friends

Finally, some of the most meaningful travel moments this year weren’t tied to one destination at all.

They were the trips shared with people, family and friends.

A wedding and bachelorette party in Puerto Vallarta and San Jose Del Cabo — we got to stay in gorgeous homes, eat delicious food, and celebrate some amazing humans. Another wedding and family trip to Chicago and Wisconsin. A family trip to New York with lots of beach time, and a trip to Utah to see my grandparents. Our annual Thanksgiving trip to Omaha. Not to mention countless day trips and outings around Colorado — with Rocky Mountain National Park always being a highlight.

There’s no single standout moment from these trips. They’re special for the time spent with the most important people.

I’m grateful for an abundant year of travel in 2025 and for far more good moments than bad. I can’t wait to see where 2026 takes me!

I’m heading into the next year with gratitude, a little more intention, and hopefully fewer 4:30 am wake ups.

Additional Travel Tips & Guides:

• My Best & Worst Travel Moments Of 2024
• Everywhere I Visited While Living In New York & Traveling The East Coast
• How I Took 17 Vacations With 10 Vacation Days
• How I Quit My Job And Traveled For A Year