This annual post is one of my favorites to write.

It’s a chance to look back at the travel memories for the year. A chance to dream about what’s coming up in 2025. And, when I publish it, it means I’m done with writing work for the year. This is my post about trying to live my best life every single day.

My travels in 2024 included three continents, four new countries, one new state, and a few new experiences. There are still posts to come on some of these travels, so I encourage you to subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter here.

I continue to consider this stage of my life as my “season of yes.” I’m saying yes to new experiences, new destinations, and even new foods. So if you have something that I need to say yes to, get in touch.

This does not mean that I’m saying yes to every business opportunity, though. I continue to pare down those opportunities to only ones that make me excited about travel. I’ve moved from scaling my business into streamlining my business to give me work-life balance. 2025 will have me at my desk shorter hours.

I’ve learned a few things about myself as a result of my travels:

• While I’m essentially a non-swimmer, I still enjoy time spent in tropical waters.
• I still haven’t conquered my fear of edges or of snakes, and I’m not sure it’s important to do so.
• I really don’t like to eat lamb or most fish, with only a few notable exceptions. I just try to decline.
• I’ve enjoyed my foray into more unusual wine destinations and grapes. It’s not only a palate treat, but the history of wine in different countries has been a window into the country that I may otherwise have missed.
• While I tend to prefer a fairly busy itinerary, I don’t need every hour booked. Leaving time to wander and people watch helps me learn much about a destination. I’ve met some lovely locals who’ve taught me about their home. Serendipity is an essential part of my travel experience.
• Sometimes I just like to chill in a fabulous hotel room, reading a book, sipping a glass of wine, ordering room service. Turns out there’s a term for that – hurkle-durkle, a Scottish term that means to lie in bed or lounge around when you should be up. While it may once have been a perjorative term, it’s become a new standard of self-care. I’m embracing it.

I’ll be dusting off and updating my bucket list, which is really just a list of 100 things – no more, no less – that I want to do/experience. Here are a few things that I checked off this year:

• Experience the suite treatment on Qatar (Q-Suites) – Originally I had specified Emirates, because they were the only one with the suite experience. I broadened the scope of this one and am checking it off.
• Niagara Falls (both sides now) – Accomplished this on our Great Lakes cruise on Viking Octantis.
• Visit Little Rock – I attended a conference in Little Rock and got to see quite a few of the sites, including the Clinton Presidential Library.
• Eat street food in Vietnam – It wasn’t actually on the street, but we did have lots of local street dishes while on our Mekong cruise in Cambodia and Vietnam.
• Step back in time at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island – Another of our stops while on our cruise on the Great Lakes.
• Visit French Polynesia – Visited several islands, including the Marquesas, in French Polynesia while on our Tahiti cruise on Windstar.
• Visit more Presidential Libraries – Clinton Library in Little Rock
• Cruise with extended family – We splurged and booked an Edge Villa on Celebrity’s Edge for an Alaska itinerary. It’s a vacation – so I haven’t written about it – that all of us will never forget.
• New state: Arkansas
• New countries: French Polynesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Turkiye

I’ve got lots of travel already booked for the first quarter of 2025, and am closing in on a full calendar for Q2. Lots of new places and new experiences. ahead.

Read on for 2024 in review.

January

We started 2024 with our traditional stay in Seattle, surrounded by family and friends. We book a suite at a local hotel (this year it was this one), invite family and friends to stop by for charcuterie, wine, and conversation, and then host a dinner at a local restaurant. We end the evening watching the fireworks display off the Space Needle, then tumble into bed. We’ve been doing this for over 10 years, and it’s always something we look forward to.

Another January tradition is heading to New York City for an annual business event, two days of education, networking, and meetings. We always try to make time for a couple of Broadway performances; this year it was Back to the Future and & Juliet. We enjoyed both.

February

Big trip this month, with a bucket list item of a Tahiti cruise. This is something that I have always wanted to do, and while a cyclone interfered with some of our stops, our captain added in the Marquesas and it turned out wonderful. You can read about on time on the ship (here) and in the Marquesas (here).

I’d still love to get back for a stay in one of the overwater bungalows and to get to some of the islands we missed.

March

Went to Las Vegas to attend the Travel Goods Show, the annual event for the Travel Goods Association. Lots of interesting travel products – from suitcases to accessories, backbacks to clothing. It’s always fascinating to see the new products coming to market. This year, I moderated a panel on Women and Travel, and also hosted an interview chat on for their TGA Podcast. You can watch it here.

Then it was off to Little Rock for a travel show featuring fabulous southern locations. It’s a part of the country that I haven’t spent much time in, and I’m looking to remedy that.

April

Portugal beckoned, with a cruise on the Douro River with Avalon Waterways. I love Portugal – the wine, the food, the beautiful blue tile decor, and the friendly people. This was my first cruise on Avalon, and they do a terrific job on the Douro, with just the right balance of activities and relaxation. I was glad that I was able to take one of my nieces along and share the experience of river cruising.

Although I grew up in Skagit County, I had never been to the Tulip Festival. We moved away long before there was a festival, and it was one of those local events that was easy to keep putting off. That changed this year and we spent two days visiting the gardens. We stayed in La Conner at the La Conner Channel Lodge, a lovely property that’s on our return list.

May

Cruising again, this time on the Viking Octantis, one of their expedition ships. While we’re well versed with the Viking’s ocean ships, this was our first time with an expedition ship. The Great Lakes itinerary was close to home and gave us a look at some of the small towns along the Lakes that were new to us. We also managed to catch a baseball game in Milwaukee, one of Tony’s favorite travel to-do items.

Wine tasting is always one of our favorite things to do, and a trip to Sonoma was a perfect long weekend getaway. You can read about how to enjoy wine tasting in Sonoma here. But there’s so much more to do! Look for more stories coming soon. (Did I mention you can sign up for our newsletter here?)

June

Tony headed back to New York City, this time with a family member, to take part in a Pokemon Go event. I’m not sure I undertand the whole concept or what happened, but they’re still talking about it. There’s talk about making it a big extended family experience in 2025.

July

Summer is a great time to stick close to home. So we did. We cheered on the Mariners, went to the theater, spent a lot of time entertaining on our deck, and I spent a lot of time writing.

Cruising again, this time in Asia with Ama Waterways on the Mekong River. I somehow managed to talk Tony into going and, despite his initial reluctance, he enjoyed our time in both Cambodia and Vietnam, and wished we had stayed on a few extra days. He’s not in his “season of yes,” but he has been more open to trying new things.

I was elected President-Elect for SATW (Society of American Travel Writers) this month. I’m looking forward to working my volunteer time into my travel and business schedule.

Extended family vacation time! We took a cruise to Alaska on the Celebrity Edge. This was a vacation, not a work trip, and it was so enjoyable to not be taking notes and photos all the time. I promised everyone that there wouldn’t be a review post, and there won’t be, but I do have an idea for a story that honors everyone’s privacy, but still shares some great tips. Still thinking on it.

Another trip for a SATW meeting, this one in Palm Springs. The weather was 100+ the whole time I was there, unseasonably hot, even by Palm Springs standards. There was time for catching up with friends, making new ones, a few professional development networks, and time to explore the area. I waas impressed with the Spa at Sec-he and want to plan a return visit.

October

It had been ages since I’d taken the Clipper up to Victoria (and by ages, I mean decades), so I was happy when an opportunity croppped up to visit. This was a traveling with friends trip, and we stayed at the Inn at Laurel Point, with a terrific view of the harbor. It was a whirlwind of activity, a veritable of sample of things to do, see, and eat on the island. I’ll have a getaway guide, complete with recommendations and practical info coming soon.

November

Off to Turkiye (another new country for me) for the annual SATW Convention. Friends, colleagues, networking, food, learning sessions, and lots of cats. Expect to see some content coming from that trip in the new year. The close of the convention also was the starting point for my term as President-Elect.

While in Turkiye, I stayed at the beautiful Peninsula Hotel Istanbul (a great location if you have a cruise coming into or out of Istanbul), the Conrad Istanbul Bosphorus (a Hilton property), and the Marriott Courtyard in Izmir.

In November, we also added in a booking component to our site. We can now book cruises, hotels and resorts, and tours for you. Get in touch if we can help; please use the dedicated booking email here. NOTE: We do not book airfare.

December

Home for the holidays! All the prep, all the fun, all the food, and getting ready for 2025.

Perhaps most importantly, though, is surrounding myself with family, friends, and colleagues who I love and respect. People who challenge me to be the best person I can be. People who encourage me to dream big and set my goals high. People who cheer my successes, pick me up when I fall, and love me through it all. December is a reminder not to take it for granted.

My wish for you in 2025 is that you surround yourself with people like that.

See you in the New Year!