2019 Travel Roundup

2019 was not a huge travel year for us, which has been an interesting change of pace for me, especially since the 5 years before this were pretty stocked with adventures. That said, we – and especially I – were still able to take a good amount of adventures, all things considered. This was a rough year for my family. I lost my grandpa, two great-aunts and a cousin all after being diagnosed with various forms of cancer this year. It was a very emotionally draining year and kept us here in Missouri. 2019 was also a year of settling into a new stage in life that feels a bit more settled and because we were putting down some pretty serious roots, we spent a lot of the year cultivating those roots. But, enough focus on that. Here’s a look at our 2019 adventures!

MY YEAR IN NUMBERS

MILES TRAVELED [18,051]: This is probably the lowest number I’ve had in the decade. However, considering how much we put down roots this year, I was happy to see it was still a decent number. 
DAYS SPENT TRAVELING [57]: Another low for the decade, but still many adventures were had! More day trips than past years as well. Only 10 of these days were spent internationally. 
BEDS SLEPT IN [15]: Another low, but it’s indicative of the number of day trips we took. 
STATES VISITED [12]: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Carolina, and Tennessee.
COUNTRIES VISITED [1]: Costa Rica

MY FAVORITE TRAVEL MOMENTS FROM 2019

ATTENDING FROST FEST BEER FESTIVAL IN FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS

Our first trip of 2019 was down to Fayetteville, Arkansas. We worked with Fossil Cove Brewery to cover this amazing festival and we got to try so many amazing beers! We had some standout beers that still make my mouth water when I think about them. We got to meet up with some close friends and made new friends too!

SPENDING TIME WITH MY BFF IN ST. LOUIS TO PLAN OUR BIG GIRL’S TRIP

After my grandpa passed away, I needed some time away from Springfield. So, I took a small road trip up to see Stacey for a couple of days. It was so good to get some time with Stacey, just the two of us. Plus, I got to meet her boyfriend for the first time, and we got to start putting pen to paper for our Costa Rica trip.

FATHER/DAUGHTER HIKING TRIP IN SHAWNEE NATIONAL FOREST

For our 11th annual father/daughter hiking trip, we went somewhere we had never been before. We got about 20 miles of hiking in over the span of three days and saw some incredible things! Record rainfall prevented us from visiting some sites, but made for some spectacular waterfalls! As always, getting to spend time with my dad stole the show as the best part, but I sure love spending time with him outside, soaking up gorgeous landscapes.

VISITING FRIENDS + SEEING CATFISH & THE BOTTLEMEN IN KC

We love an opportunity to see our friends. We got so lucky last year, that one of Matt’s best friends from college and his now-wife, moved under 3 hours away from us! In addition to getting to hang out with them and check out a brewery, we got to see the Welsh band Catfish & The Bottlemen for the second time! As always, they put on one hell of a show and my crush on Van McCann grew even more. Don’t worry, Matt knows and approves of this crush. Haha.

MEMORIAL DAY TRIP TO HODGSON WATERMILL

In 2017, I asked my grandpa to take us to Hodgson Watermill – a mill that he had a painting of in his house as long as I could remember. I asked and he delivered. One day he, my grandma, my uncle, my mom, Matt and I all loaded into a car and drove down to explore the mills and he told us so much about our family history – a lot of which took place in this region of Missouri. After his passing in February, I knew that I wanted to celebrate Memorial Day here, a place I feel close to my grandpa. Matt drove me out there for sunrise and we spent the morning in the area remembering my grandpa.

HIKING IN ARKANSAS FOR OUR 3rd WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

Nothing says a Wunder-Wedding Anniversary like a day (or more) spent hiking. At least, that’s a case for these two Wunders. We didn’t have the time or money to really take a long trip this year, so we spent a weekend in the Ozarks together. The highlight, though, was getting back to our current favorite hike in the Ozarks: Big Bluff. This will forever be one of my very favorite hikes and each time I hike it with Matt is super special, including this anniversary hike.

FAMILY TIME IN FLORIDA

Every now and then, all of my dad’s side of the family gets together on an epic trip that always includes well-over a dozen family members. This year, to celebrate my grandparents’ 60th wedding anniversary, we spent a week together in Florida. We hung out around the resort, went on an airboat tour, sang karaoke and took a couple small road trips around Florida. Matt didn’t get to go, but that meant I got to have an awesome road trip with my parents.

MY 3rd WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER VISIT

Is a year even a real year if I haven’t done something Harry Potter related? This June I went to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter for the third time and this time I got to go with my mama – the person I have always shared this Harry Potter obsession with! And my Aunt Debbie got to come with us too! We did all the amazing HP things: drank butter beer + pumpkin juice, rode rides – including the new Hagrid ride, cast spells, bought new souvenirs (like I needed any) and just reveled in the magic of it all.

HIKING IN ROARING RIVER STATE PARK

My family orchestrated a small family reunion at this state park to get all my dad’s first cousins on his mom’s side together. Because they chose a state park we hadn’t been to before, we went down about an hour early to hit a trail. It was so beautiful! We already have plans to get back down there early next year and hit some more trails!

CELEBRATING OUR FRIENDS’ MARRIAGE IN KANSAS CITY

Matt’s best friend from college that we saw Catfish & the Bottlemen with got hitched! So we got to spend a few days celebrating them in KC, catching up with other friends and checking out some craft breweries while we were in the area!

SEEING GREGORY ALAN ISAKOV AT RED ROCKS AMPHITHEATRE

After the wedding in KC we drove another 9 hours, to roll into the Denver area just in time to see the amazing Gregory Alan Isakov for the third time. His music has been a big part of our relationship – not that he knows that, of course. But getting to see him perform in one of the most beautiful venues was almost a spiritual experience. We were there just before a storm rolled in and the sound of his music filled the air while the wind whipped all around us and Matt held me tight during the songs we used in our wedding and it was just amazing.

FINALLY GETTING TO THE GARDEN OF THE GODS, COLORADO

Since we drove 12 hours to Colorado, we couldn’t just leave after the show. So, we stayed the night with my uncle in Denver and spent the whole next day exploring between Colorado Springs and Denver. We got to hike around in Garden of the Gods, check out a few breweries and just spend some time together away from home.

ALL THE ADVENTUROUS ACTIVITIES IN COSTA RICA

Stacey and I finally got in a girls trip, just the two of us, for the first time in four years. Because of that, we pulled out all the stops as far as activities go. We went zip-lining, repelled down waterfalls, went white river rafting, kayaked in the ocean, hiked, took yoga classes and went horseback riding. We packed so many amazing activities into our ten days in Costa Rica… Pura vida, amiright?

ALL THE GIRL TIME, LUXURY + COCKTAILS IN COSTA RICA

In addition to all the crazy adventurous things we did, Stacey and I also took time to just enjoy hanging out just the two of us. That included oh-so-many cocktails… Like, lots of cocktails. We also relaxed in geothermal springs, soaked in pools and laid out in a private cabana. It was a great time just being besties and feeling spoiled.

ALL THE PLANTS IN COSTA RICA

I’m a plant-lover and I totally nerded out in Costa Rica. I found myself fawning over plants that I have living at home in their natural environment. I even got to see a rainbow eucalyptus tree at a coffee plantation. I did learn a few days after I rubbed all over some philodendron leaves that you probably shouldn’t touch all the plant life up there because apparently there are vipers that actually look like plants and flowers and they rest on those during the day. After I learned that, I started enjoying the plants from a safer distance. But I still enjoyed them, no worries.

SEEING FRIENDS + FAMILY IN ASHEVILLE

Every year there is always at least one trip to Asheville, North Carolina. It’s such a special place to me. It’s where I lived when I started this real journey to blogging, and even more than that, it’s where I met the love of my life. Matt and I visited the brewery where we had our first date for the first time in a few years, we met up with dear, dear friends and spent time with Matt’s family. It was a wonderful trip, as always.

CATCHING SUNRISE AT HAWKSBILL CRAG IN ARKANSAS

Hawksbill Crag is one of my very favorite trails in all of the Ozarks. It’s just such an iconic viewpoint and I have some amazing memories of hiking this trail with family, friends and, of course, Matt. His favorite time to hike it is sunrise, so we loaded up at 3 a.m. and headed that way to see the famous Ozark landmark as the sun rose for the day.

MAMA/DAUGHTER TRIP TO COLORADO

My uncle moved to a new house in Denver, so my mama and I flew out to help him get things settled in. We spent four days there working hard and hardly working all at the same time. There was a lot of good food to be had and my grandma + grandpa even popped out there for a bit our last full day there. So there was plenty of family time as well!

QUICK TRIP TO OMAHA, NEBRASKA

Matt had to go to Omaha for a recruiting event, so I tagged along with him. We hit up a few breweries, Matt had an Omaha steak and while he worked the next day, I spent the whole day exploring and found a wonderful art museum!

FAMILY TRIP TO SEE THE NORTH FOREST LIGHTS

My sister-in-law saw a video for the North Forest Lights in Bentonville, Arkansas on social media and suggested we all make a trip down, so about a week later, we all did! It was a serious of light exhibits set to music – not holiday-themed, but nature-themed. It was absolutely beautiful and takes place all through the trails around Crystal Bridges Art Museum.

EXPLORING OH-SO-MANY CRAFT BREWERIES

As many of my readers know, I’m very, very into craft beer. So, popping into new breweries and old favorites is always something we enjoy doing. This year, we went to 13 breweries we’d never been to before and repeated many other favorites at home or in other states. Some new highlights were: Brahmari Brewing in Asheville – for funky, interesting brews + great memories with some of our favorite people. Casual Animal Brewing – solid beer, unbelievable staff + cool space.  Show-Me Brewing – a local brewery that it took us forever to get to, but they are some of the best brewers in town!

EXPLORING OUR NEW REGION

We moved to a town literally just outside of my hometown. As we’ve settled in, we’ve tried to explore our new area along with the new things that have popped up in Springfield. We’ve tried out some hiking trail nearby, tried new restaurants + coffee shops and just tried to play tourist in our new town when we can find the time.

2019’s FIVE MOST POPULAR BLOG POSTS

It’s always fun to look back and see what you guys enjoyed the most or found most intriguing out of the posts I wrote this year. Here are the five most popular posts from 2019.

With the help of other bloggers, I put together a Scotland bucket list with 42 ideas to help you plan the epic trip to this gorgeous country! It includes everything from castles to hikes to food and everything in between!

Heidelberg, Germany was a special spot for Matt and me on our big trip and it was one of my favorite cities when my mom and I visited Germany. So after getting to visit in a couple different seasons and have a bigger variety of things to write about, I put together a list of the top things we recommend there!

Wiesbaden was our home-base for a little over week while we were traveling in Germany last year. Matt’s cousin graciously hosted us and was one of the best tour guides we had on the trip. With his help we were able to put together a list of top things in Wiesbaden, which was a city we’d never heard of before Jason moved there, but now we love it! We’re hoping to get back while Jason is still there!

Wat Pho is a stunning temple that sits in the heart of Bangkok. It’s one of the most famous, and for good reason. It’s home to the massive reclining Buddha, but is also surrounded by several smaller temples and gorgeously-tiled stupas. This guide gives historical info, practical info and recommendations of sites + accommodation nearby.

This post is all about the things that make Thailand one of my favorite countries on earth, so far. It’s all about the things that draw me back here again and again. It has some insider tips, and plenty of links back to multiple destinations + posts that I think would help people plan for their trip to Thailand.

MY FOUR FAVORITE BLOG POSTS FROM 2019

These are the posts that I’m most proud of or just really enjoyed writing. I typically try to narrow it down to three, but I went with four this year because I had two that tied for third-favorite.

This is one of the posts that I’m most proud of writing… ever. It’s a deeply personal post about the struggles I had after having to miss out on two full months of travel after my 2017 surgery in Bangkok. It’s always difficult for me to get personal for two reasons: one is the vulnerability side and striking a balance between authenticity and oversharing. The other is, will anyone find this interesting or helpful? This post had more shares on social media than any other I’ve had, and I had so many heartfelt comments, emails and conversations after posting this. Some said it helped them, some said they related and some just made me felt heard.

I’m always proud of posts that bring awareness to situations or challenge norms that could potentially be harmful to other animals or humans and/or the environment. When Stacey and I decided to go to Costa Rica, one of the first things people asked if we were going to do was hold a sloth. Of course, I wanted to hold a sloth! They’re so cute and seem so cuddly! However, after making some tragic decisions that were potentially harmful for animals, I’ve looked into any animal-related activity to learn more about it. I found holding a sloth wasn’t exactly ethical. Some things blurred the lines, but not enough that I felt confident in potentially distressing them for my moment of joy + photo.

I’m a big believer in budget travel, which is why I put together this post about 38 amazing things to do in London for less £10! Even in one of the most expensive cities in the world you can find so many amazing things to enjoy + experience for a beyond-reasonable amount of money. This post was not only fun for me to put together, but I hope it inspires even budget travelers to take a look at a visit to London.

I love writing posts like this, especially if I’ve spent a decent amount of time in the country. I’ve been to Iceland twice now, adding up to a little over a month, in both winter and summer. I compiled all of the things that I wish I had known, or I was glad that I knew, before visiting Iceland and put them into one post. If you’re planning a trip to Iceland anytime in the near future, definitely check out this post!

SUSTAINABILITY WINS IN 2019

Sustainability became a major focus in my everyday life, in my travels and is becoming more and more a focus on here too! I had a good handful of goals that I’ve very proud of:

⋙ I stopped using single-use grocery bags. Even on times that I’ve forgotten my reusable grocery bag, we just loaded the cart back up with our groceries after ringing them up.
⋙ I stopped using produce bags. And guess what? I’ve not missed them at all. Produce go into my reusable bags so easily, no need for an extra, unnecessary layer of plastic!
⋙ We have a recycling bin! This probably sounds silly to a lot of people, but the places we lived before didn’t have on-site recycling, so we had to take them other places and it was so inconvenient. Now that we’re homeowners, we have our recycling picked up right outside our door!
⋙ We’ve seriously cut back on single use plastics. We very rarely use a ziplock bag anymore or cling wrap or anything like that. We don’t buy individual water bottles or things like that.
⋙ We’re using more + more sustainable products. Both the products themselves and their packaging!
⋙ We’re eating more vegetarian meals + growing our own vegetables. These are just a couple simple changes that make a larger environmental impact! Having a home with a yard has definitely given us a greater freedom to do some of these things.
⋙ Cleanups. I’ve picked up so much trash on trails this year. Even just out and about I’ve started picked up trash, like in parking lots and in our neighborhood.
⋙ Conserving Energy. We try very, very hard to conserve electricity. We rarely turn a light on in our house during daylight hours. We turn the heat down or air up a degree or two, especially when sleeping.
⋙ Picked sustainable options for lodging. This is something I’m trying to do more and more.

WHAT’S COMING IN 2020?

I’m a big fan of new beginnings and fresh starts, so New Year’s is always a time that I love! Setting goals, finding inspiration and planning out things to do all bring me so much joy. Plus, it feels even more renewing because it’s a new decade, and I don’t mean in the same way everyone else does: I’m turning 30 in March!

I have set some lofty travel + blogging goals, but the one I’m most excited to share with you guys is my hiking goal. We really lost touch with our nature-loving-selves over the last 18 months. We settled down so much that we worked on our house, most of our days off together. So, I set a lofty hiking goal: 300 hiking miles for the year, minimum, but my dream goal is 600 hiking miles. These will include our local greenway trails + any other trails we find ourselves traveling too. I’m ready to be more in touch with nature this year. In fact, I’m already just under 10 miles in for the year! Go me!

As far as travels go, we have some goals in mind, but the only thing we have 100% locked down is a week in Maui! I’m super excited to turn 30 while hiking. We also know we’ll be taking a trip with Matt’s family, but we haven’t officially hammered out all of those details yet, but I can’t wait to share more about that later on!

What were YOUR favorite 2019 travel moments?