2025 Year in Review

A year of intentional travel, personal milestones, and learning to do things more sustainably.

Keeping up with my still-somewhat-new tradition, I’m sharing my 2025 Year in Review as a way to pause, look back, and reflect on the year as a whole.

It’s always fun to reminisce about the memories made while also thinking ahead to what’s next. These annual reviews have become one of my favorite ways to take stock of where I’ve been, what I’ve learned, and how my travel style and priorities continue to evolve.

From meaningful trips and personal milestones to lessons learned along the way, this post captures the moments that shaped my year and sets the stage for what I’m excited to work toward in 2026.

This year was less about checking boxes and more about experiences. Here’s what the year looked like:

• 24 trips, including both short getaways and longer trips

• 18 new destinations across 8 states and Washington, DC

Food & drink highlights:

• Dined at 26 new restaurants

• Visited 10 wineries, 7 breweries, and 2 distilleries

• Attended my first chili cookoff

Experiences that stood out:

• A guided history/architecture/photography tour (all my favorite things)

• Time spent at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, taking in its incredible European, Asian, and American art collection

• A moving visit to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania

• Exploring the stunning 77-room Nemours Estate in Delaware, once home to Alfred du Pont

• A stop at The Liberty Hotel in Boston, a former jail with a reputation for being haunted (because, of course, it is)
• Thousands of photographs capturing it all along the way

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Personal Updates

Looking back, 2025 felt like a year focused on intention, balance, and steady growth

Balancing a demanding full-time job while building A Traveling Broad is an ongoing challenge. With limited time and energy (both physical and mental), I chose to focus on consistently sending my #TravelTuesday emails.

More intention was placed on health and making choices that supported both physical and mental well-being. Working with a dietitian helped me better understand what my body needs and how to create habits that actually feel sustainable. Along the way, learning to extend myself more grace became just as important as any milestone.

Another significant event last year was saying goodbye to our sweet, goofy cat, Kobie, who passed away in April. Losing him was incredibly hard, and we both miss him terribly. My boyfriend has taken it exceptionally hard as Kobie was his sidekick. He gave us so much joy, and his absence is still felt every day.

One of the most meaningful parts of the year was my mom’s 90th birthday in August. My two brothers and an old family friend and his wife flew in to celebrate this milestone birthday with us. I’ve also continued to visit my mom every few weeks, despite the three-hour drive each way. Those visits have meant a lot to me.

Travel itself continued to evolve. Our trips seem to get better each time we go away because I implement lessons learned from past mistakes. Learning how to leverage credit card points has helped make travel more affordable, and using AI to help me plan our itineraries has been a huge help. Both have made a noticeable difference, especially during our trip to Boston in August.

We also decided to give van camping another try and bought an Astro van so we could do it better and be more prepared this time. Having a larger van with more features and a setup that actually works for us made this style of travel feel much more doable. We’re looking forward to some new adventures when the weather gets a little warmer.

Several experiences and places were checked off my ever-evolving bucket list, while travel continued to fit more naturally into my life, schedule, and energy levels.

Overall, 2025 reinforced that progress doesn’t always look loud. Sometimes it simply looks like showing up, learning, and continuing forward.

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Goals from 2025

Here’s a look back at the goals I set for last year and how I did in working toward them.

• Weekly #TravelTuesday emails ✅-  I did well with this goal. I sent 51 out of 52 weeks, and got them out much earlier in the day than in 2024. I consider this a huge success.

• YouTube videos ❌ – Unfortunately, I didn’t publish any this year. I really wanted to, but by the end of my workdays, my creative juices were just depleted.

• Attend the DC Travel & Adventure Show ✅ – I’m happy to report that I attended the travel show and had a great time, as usual.

• Take Monthly trips ✅ – I kept this promise to myself with no plans to stop. In fact, this past year, I averaged 2 trips/month!

Some goals didn’t go exactly as planned, but each taught me something valuable I can use in 2026.

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2025 Travel Photo Highlights

Before looking ahead, here’s a short video with some of my favorite moments from 2025.

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Final Thoughts on 2025

Looking back on 2025 reminds me that the most meaningful memories don’t always come from the biggest trips. They often come from the simple moments in between.

This year challenged me, encouraged me, and reminded me why I started A Traveling Broad in the first place. I’m grateful for every place I went, every lesson I learned, and every story I get to share with you.

I’m heading into 2026 with clearer priorities, better tools, and a deeper appreciation for the journey itself. I can’t wait to see what the next year brings.

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Goals for 2026

Here are my goals for the year ahead. Sharing them with you helps keep me accountable.

• Weekly #TravelTuesday Emails – This is an ongoing goal, and I’ve already started out the year strong, so I’m optimistic.

• Weekly YouTube Videos – Get back to publishing YouTube content weekly, both short and longer videos. I purchased a mini video camera and accessories, which should make filming much easier, especially on the go. My first video of the year will cover 2026 Travel Trends.

   

• Be More Active on Social Media – This one is a struggle for me, but I think it’s important.

• Attend the DC Travel & Adventure Show ✅ – I’ve already accomplished this goal since it was January 17-18.

• Take At Least 1 Trip/Month – I plan on keeping this promise to myself moving forward with no plans on stopping, as it’s been a positive aspect of my life.

• Continue Learning How to Leverage Credit Card Points – The more I learn, the more I can share with you.|
• Travel Both Domestically and Abroad – I have a laundry list of places I want to go, but I’m going to let the deals determine the destinations. I renewed my passport online in the Fall, so I’m ready.

• Expand my travel planning tools and resources for my community – I have some projects in the works, so stay tuned!

What are YOUR plans for the coming year? I’d love to hear about them. Feel free to let me know by commenting on this post.

Wishing you a New Year full of new adventures!