2024 Travel Wrapped: Highlights, Lessons, and Adventures from an Unforgettable Year

Well, another year of travel is in the books! This year was all about family with our big trip to Peru with my partner’s family and multiple visits to my parent’s home this year taking up most of our travel funds. I’m grateful to have been home for several big family moments (including my brother’s wedding). Our trip to Peru was certainly a highlight and a big check off my “Wonders of the World” bucket list. While that trip was accompanied by some health challenges on my part, I’m grateful for the experience and learned so much about myself along the way.

Work travel simmered down significantly this year as a result of a new role that I began in January. I’m grateful to not have a work “go” bag ready at all times, though I do miss some of the fancy hotels I got to experience in 2023. Visiting Mexico City through work was an exciting perk, I’m hoping that I might get to experience some European travel next year.

I’m proud of the local travel we did to Joshua Tree, Santa Barbara, and Solvang. California has so much to offer and I’m enjoying checking off the California Bucket List my partner shared with me. I also appreciate that this low-key travel allows us to save money for larger adventures like Peru. Celebrating my partner’s birthday in Joshua Tree and our anniversary in Solvang were absolute highlights.

Not represented in my travel wrapped are the countless dinners, museums, and experiences in Los Angeles. I never imagined being a “city girl” and still prefer the suburbs to urban life. That said, there’s something magical about being able to experience Michelin star dining in walking distance from our home and driving past the Hollywood sign on my way home from work.

Most of all, I’m grateful for starting this blog this past year. It’s exciting to have so many memories digitally preserved to look back upon for years to come. I’m also thankful for the creative outlet this blog has provided during some of the more difficult days this year. It’s been so rewarding seeing some of my articles pick up traction on Google and Pinterest, and even more rewarding seeing people in-person and online find my articles helpful. I’m feeling optimistic about the future of this little corner of the internet.

Looking ahead to next year, I’m looking forward to a fun-filled long weekend exploring one of my favorite states with my favorite person in the world, hopefully setting sail on a big adventure in the spring, and then seeing where the world takes me later in the year. I’m so excited for 2025 and all the adventures that lay ahead.

And with that, the 2024 Season comes to a close…

Here’s my 2024 Travel Wrapped!

All of my 2024 Trips:

• January 2024: Joshua Tree National Park, CA

• February 2024: Day Trip to Santa Barbara, CA

• May 2024: Peru

• July 2024: Mexico City & Detroit, MI

• September: Solvang, CA & Detroit, MI

• December: Detroit, MI

Total Days Spent Traveling: 40

Number of Flights: 13

Total Miles Flown to Destinations: 23,133 miles

Total Airline Upgrades: 2 upgrades to Comfort+ on flights returning to LA from Detroit (with Delta Silver Medallion Status).  

Total Miles Driven to Destinations: 690 miles

Longest Trip: 13 Days in Peru

Shortest Trip: Day trip to Santa Barbara

Number of Beds Slept In: 12

Total States Visited: 2 (California and Michigan… This might be a record low!)

Total Countries Visited: 2 (Mexico & Peru … Although I did go into Canadian waters during my visit to Detroit!)

Total National Parks: 1 (Joshua Tree National Park)

Favorite Trip Overall: Peru

Best Meals:

• While Traveling: Restaurante La Única – Polanco while in Mexico City for work.

• Locally in Los Angeles: Dinner at Tam O’Shanter here in LA

Best Beverage: Pisco Sours at Isolina in Lima, Peru OR Pino Noir at Sunstone Winery in Solvang

Favorite Experiences:

1. Going on a nighttime river cruise to see capybaras in the wild

2. Visiting Machu Picchu

3. Wine tasting in Solvang

4. Climbing Arch Rock in Joshua Tree National Park

5. Going to a Detroit Tigers game with my boyfriend and family

Most Traumatic Travel Moment: Passing out in a fruit market in Lima AND having tummy troubles in the Sacred Valley of Peru.

Funniest Travel Moment: Telling an ostrich he looked friendly, then having that very ostrich attack and throw my bowl of feed on the ground.

Total Spent on Travel: $9,200 + 50,000 AMEX points