What a year 2025 has been. I’ve had some of the most memorable experiences of my life. I’ve had some of my highest highs and lowest lows. I’ve continued to find myself, I’ve fallen more and more in love with motherhood and I’m proud of how much Matt and I have accomplished together as a couple and as individuals. We had some scares in my family this year that reminded us how precious life is, but also have been fortunate enough to see the other side of them. While we’re looking forward to 2026, it’s also so important to sit in gratitude for 2025 and share with you some of the amazing things we did, saw, read and more.

2025 Travels At a Glance

Days of Travel: 107 days, just about 30% of the year.
Miles Traveled: 25,098 Miles
Days Spent in the Camper: 54 days, just over half our travel days in the camper!
Countries Traveled In: (2) Canada and the US
States Traveled In: (14) Arkansas, Iowa, Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Wyoming, Kentucky and North Carolina.
National Parks, Monuments, Etc: (13) Buffalo National River, Badlands National Park, Devil’s Tower National Monument, Mount Rushmore National Monument, Wind Cave National Park, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Ozark National Scenic Riverways, and Pisgah National Forest.
State Parks, Monuments, Etc: (4) Custer State Park, Echo Bluff State Park, Table Rock Lake State Park, and Ha Ha Tonka State Park.
Miles Hiked: 551.3 miles – this includes both hiking miles and greenway miles.

Travel Highlights of 2025

We spent almost 1/3 of the year traveling again this year, which lends itself to creating lots and lots of beautiful travel memories. I had the pleasure of traveling with so many people who are important to me and I got to see a lot of people on the road as well. These are some of the highlights that stood out like crazy.

Our Crazy, Spontaneous Trip to Rural Manitoba to See the Northern Lights

At the very beginning of January my dad called and asked if I wanted to go to Canada with him. I asked when, and he said, in less than two weeks. I, of course, jumped on it! So the kids, my dad and I loaded up a rental mini van and drove into the frigid north of truly rural Manitoba to try to see the Northern Lights. Not only did we get to see the Northern Lights from the porch of the cabin we stayed in, but we also walked across a frozen lake, hiked in feet of snow, saw a massive waterfall, watched a Canada lynx cross the road and made so many beautiful memories. It was seriously just amazing. I think these will be some of the first memories that Charleigh keeps with her forever and that feels so exciting to me.

Taking Shea on Her First Hike Ever

I had the very distinct privilege of taking one of my dearest friends on her very first hike, ever. We had planned to do a short, moderate hike (Hawksbill Crag) down in Arkansas, but they were widening the road up to it, so we weren’t able to go. That caused us to change up plans, and that took us to Big Bluff, a strenuous 6 mile hike. And Shea flippin’ killed it! She said, “Oh, so hiking is just walking outside and yapping.” And now, she’s one of my favorite hiking/walking buddies. You’ll frequently see us on greenways ay 5:40 in the mornings together and planning out hikes across the Ozarks. It’s been really fun to get introduce someone I love to an activity I love!

Semi-Spontaneous 30-Hour Trip to Memphis

After seeing Thomas Dambo Trolls with my dad in Kentucky last year, my mom said that she would really like to see some. I had a very helpful and very targeted ad on Instagram telling me that the Memphis Botanic Garden had a rotating exhibit of Thomas Dambo Trolls for the next month or so. So, I called my mom up, and asked if she wanted to do that – luckily, Memphis is only about 5 hours away from us – and she said yes! So we did a super quick one-night girls trip to Memphis where we ate anything we wanted, had quality time and strolled through the beautiful Memphis Botanic Garden checking out Thomas Dambo’s incredible works of art. I loved getting to see something completely new with my mama!

Wedding-Related Travel for My Best Friend, Stacey

I got to take two weekend trips this year completely dedicated to my best friend of 15 years getting married! We spent a weekend in Hermann, Missouri doing all things girlie for her bachelorette party! It was so much fun and really cool to meet a handful of friends of hers that I’d never met before. Then, there was a second weekend dedicated to her for the actual wedding itself. I was so honored to be part of Stacey’s wedding party and to be asked to read a poem during her ceremony, but more than anything, I was so happy to see Stacey and Dave celebrate their love for one another. It was a beautiful wedding and I hope it’s an even more beautiful marriage for all the years to come!

Ozark Explorations (Arkansas Edition)

We love getting time to explore Arkansas. We almost always do our first trip of the year down to the Buffalo River area of Arkansas. This year we went to Ponca multiple times, we attended a tulip festival near Fayetteville, and had a really amazing road trip down to Conway, Arkansas for Toad Suck Daze. We took a summer chill camping trip this summer with my parents that felt like a breath of fresh air. It was exactly what we all needed. We took our last camping trip of the season to Fayetteville where we did simple and sweet, but fun things, as a family like go to the Farmers Market, an art museum and out for ice cream. We did a couple day trips down to hike, like my trips with Shea to Big Bluff and to Hawksbill Crag.

Ozark Explorations (Missouri Edition)

We’re lucky to live in Southern Missouri as far as nature and festivals go. I made so many trips to my favorite local state forest, Busiek State Forest to both hike and play in the creek. I greatly enjoyed filling my days with an endless amount of smiles and memories made. In July, we went to the Ozarks National Scenic Riverways and camped at Echo Bluff State Park with my parents to explore and have some quality family time in the great outdoors. I had a lovely girls day up in Ha Ha Tonka State Park with two of my main girls and it was fun getting to show them my favorite state park in Mo.

Celebrated Mothers Day by Camping in South Dakota for a Week

Oh my goodness, this week in South Dakota was something special. It felt like a beautiful turning point in camping as a family of four. It just felt a little easier, the kids settled into it beautifully, and we saw some really incredible things. Like, truly incredible things. We did some cool and unique hikes in the Badlands, we explored Custer State Park, we visited Wind Cave National Park for the first time for all of us, and saw and hiked around both Mount Rushmore and Devil’s Tower National Monuments. It was such a beautiful trip and we even got to see bison, big horn sheep and many other animals out and about in the wild. It was so cool and CJ was especially over the moon about it!

Spent a Week in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado

We had a beautiful week camping in Ouray, Colorado and took some stunning day trips from here. We fell so hard for this area and our simple life here alongside the river. We loved Ouray and were shocked at how quickly felt at home in this tiny mountain town. I loved living alongside the river, taking the river walk into town to play at the park and all the adventures we found ourselves having 10 minutes to 2 hours around Ouray. It’s a space that I would absolutely stay at again and I think of often. The mountains here are just really special. We used Ouray as our jumping off point for all kinds of locations like Telluride, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, and driving the Million Dollar Highway. We loved it so much in the San Juans that it’ll be a destination for next year’s Nomad Summer, but we did choose to stay somewhere a little cheaper. But this year, this destination made a huge impact on us.

Spent a Week as a Family in the Summer Moab Heat

Week two of Nomad Summer was spent in Moab. A place I love dearly and feel alive. It was Matt’s week working, so we went somewhere that felt a little like home. We had so much fun doing things pretty differently because it was so stinkin’ hot! We found a love for off-roading, drove down to Capitol Reef National Park and even did a hike we’d never done in Arches National Park! I love that I can always find something new here to explore.

Spent a Week Exploring Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park

Matt and I had only spent a half day in RMNP before this trip, and getting to take an entire week to really delve into a destination that so many people close to us love felt really special and absolutely left us wanting to see more! This was a transformative visit and even though we didn’t hike like we would’ve without kids, we still felt like we explored as thoroughly as we could with a 2 and 4 year old, including one of my favorite hikes of all time now: Mills Lake. We fell so hard for RMNP we’re looking at spending a couple of weeks there next year.

I Visited 4 National Parks I’d Never Been to Before

We visited Wind Cave, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Mesa Verde and Capitol Reef National Parks for the very first time for all of us! I love our national parks and it’s always such a beautiful thing to be able to see a new one! I love to return to parks again and again, but falling in love with and exploring new destinations is also really incredible! I just love exploring with my beautiful little family.

My First Solo Road Trip in 12.5 Years

This was my first solo trip since before Matt and I got together, so it was more daunting than I thought it would be, but I also learned so, so much on this trip, I saw some truly incredible things and did some empowering and intense hikes. By the end of this week I was so ready to come home to my family, but I also felt so capable, and so reinvigorated.

A Three-Generation Girls Trip to North Carolina

Last year, my mom and I decided to bring back the girls’ trip. This year, we decided on Asheville, North Carolina because an exhibit of 12 Thomas Dambo Trolls was opening at the North Carolina Arboretum. After my solo trip, Charleigh was begging to go on a trip with me, but all I had in the books was this trip. So, I asked my mom and she was all for it. We had an amazing 5-day road trip that included not only the Thomas Dambo Trolls, but also Biltmore Estate all decorated for Christmas, saw Looking Glass Falls, ate and drank at amazing restaurants and cafes, and, of course, all kinds of shopping. It was so much fun to get quality time with my favorite girls and I even got to see my in-laws out there and my dear friend Amalya!

I Made Really Good Progress on My Right Sleeve

I had two sessions on my right sleeve this year with the incredibly talented Andrea White at Ember Fine Art and Tattoo down in Rogers, Arkansas. I had a few previous tattoos on my right arm that Andrea had to work around and she’s done it beautifully. Combining elements like the kids’ birth flowers, some bug elements (I love my sweet little buggies), honeycomb, berries, a bighorn sheep and the quote “Love her, but leave her wild.” Neither sleeve is complete, but I got a lot further and I’ll pick it up next year. I could potentially finish them both next year.

Unintentionally, We Had Another Year of the Concert

We actually intentionally said we were going to pump the breaks a bit on concerts this year after seeing 5 (me) and 6 (Matt) concerts last year, and then we’ve ended up doing the exact opposite! This year I saw: Hozier in Ridgedale, Missouri thanks to a really good friend who gave me her ticket and then we made a girls night of it. Matt and I made an evening trip down to Bentonville, Arkansas to see Gregory Alan Isakov – me for the 6th time, Matt for the 5th. Then, we discovered that Gregory would be headlining in Kansas City and a best friend of Matt’s from college was interested in flying up for that… so by god, we’ve now seen Gregory Alan Isakov 7 and 6 times. Very unexpectedly, we took Charleigh to her first concert. Shea, Matt, CJ and I made the trek up to Kansas City to see Chappell Roan! It was one of the worst concert experiences just because of the venue/ticket situation, but it was also one of the best concert experiences because Charleigh singing, dancing, and screaming made my heart so full. Lastly, we saw Twenty One Pilots again this year. They announced a new album and a tour that happened to have a show a couple of hours away and we snagged pit tickets just before they announced they’d be taking a break from touring for a while. So we feel so lucky that we got them when we did and even luckier to get to experience this show. The show was the greatest I think I’ve ever been to. The energy was insane, the setlist was one song shy of perfect (super subjective I know ha!) and being in the pit for it was 100% the way to do it. I’ll get pit passes to see them every single time as long as I can afford it.

Creating a Women’s Hiking Clubw

On the first day of spring, I stepped into a new role as the leader of a hiking club at the brewery I work at. I’m so lucky to have employers that let me take on crazy ideas and are so supportive. This group has filled my cup in a really specific and unique way. I love the community we’ve built, the friends I’ve made, and the way that this has brought women together in the outdoors.I’m really proud of the fact that I have even a small part in making women feel more confident and comfortable in the outdoors, and I’m so excited to continue this group into 2026.

2025 Blogging Roundup

These are just a few basic roundups of the blog in terms of most popular and my personal favorites.

3 Most Popular Posts in General in 2025

These are the three most popular posts on my site overall, no matter what date they were published.

Best Hikes in Northwest Arkansas – I’m pretty proud that my blog ranks so well for this underrated section of the Ozarks.

Things to Know Before Visiting Moab, Utah – Moab is one of my favorite spots on the planet, so the fact that people look to my blog to find more info on this destination makes me heart soar.

Our Guide to Sequoia National Park with Toddlers – We took a 1 and 3 year old to Sequoia National Park and still did a ton. This post is full of all the things we’d recommend for anyone traveling to this park with little ones.

3 Most Popular Posts from 2025

Of the posts I wrote in 2025, these were the most viewed.

Kid-Friendly Campsite Activities Our Whole Family Loves – We spend a lot of time at campgrounds with our little ones. They’ll be 3 and 5 by next camping season and we’ve found some really amazing activities that we all love.

Things to Know Before Visiting Canyonlands National Park, Utah – This is part of my larger “things to know before visiting” posts on different national parks, and I’m very excited that the top one I wrote this year is from Canyonlands.

The Notch, Door, and Window Trails in Badlands National Park – These were my favorite trails in Badlands National Park. We all loved the views, the adventure and the beauty of this section of the park.

My 3 Favorite Posts from 2025

My personal favorite posts are typically the ones that I’ve poured a bit more into personally and emotionally. These are my three favorite from 2025.

Finding My Path Back to Adventure Within Motherhood – This was a post that took a lot out of me to write. I opened up a lot about my PPD, I wrote about the varying feelings leading up to my first solo trip in 12 years and I just was really proud of this post.

My Journey to Raise My Children Wild – This was one of my biggest goals of 2025. To get my kids outside more, to let them be wild more, to foster curiosity, and for me to learn. I am proud by my accomplishments and I love that I have this benchmark to measure myself against.

Things That Might Happen When Your Dad Plans a Trip for You to Rural, Northern Manitoba… in January – This is the most directly travel related, but it’s my favorite travel post because it was honestly one of my favorite adventures of the entire year. My dad took the kids and me on a super spontaneous trip to rural Manitoba to try to see the Northern Lights and it became one of the best trips of my life.

Most Popular Instagram Post and Reel from 2025

Amazingly enough, the most popular instagram post and reel are both posts from my Women’s Hiking Club that I started this year. It brings me so much joy to see women come together, share space outside, and build community as women who love the outdoors!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Paige + Matt | Travel + The Outdoors + Camper Life (@fortheloveofwanderlust)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Paige + Matt | Travel + The Outdoors + Camper Life (@fortheloveofwanderlust)

My Top 3s in 2025

Top 3 Things I Read in 2025

Wild Mama – One Woman’s Quest to Live Her Best Life, Escape Traditional Parenthood and Travel the World – There were so many aspects of this book that I felt such a deep connection to. I described it to many people as my thoughts written in a book by someone else. Carrie takes a deep dive into finding fulfillment in her in the things that make her her and in keeping motherhood simple and not keeping up with Pinterest mamas in a way that made me feel both seen and understood.

 Why We Need to Be Wild – One Woman’s Quest for Ancient Human Answers to 21st Century Problems – I loved this book so much. It has hit on a lot of things that I have a deep curiosity about – living more closely to the earth and more simply. She pushes herself more than I intend to, but I really respect her dedication to finding answers and letting her daughters walk that path with her.

Braiding Sweetgrass – Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants – I have to say that this book changed the chemical makeup of my brain and the way that I see, understand, and care about abundance and reciprocity.

Top piece of fiction: Onyx Storm – I realized that I even though fell hard for non-fiction in 2025, I still love a good romantasy, smutty book and The Fourth Wing series tops that for me and getting to read a new title in this series was a lot of fun!

Top 3 Travel Related Purchases in 2025

My Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED Watch – I had always been an Apple Watch girlie, but as I got more and more into hiking and general fitness, I discovered that an Apple Watch just didn’t have the battery life that I needed for as active of a lifestyle I’ve created for myself. It’s absolutely a smartwatch first, activity tracker second. After doing some research, I found that the Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED Watch was the perfect fit for me. I love the additional trackinG it does, the coaching feature, the incredible battery life and the fact that it’s simply made for adventure.

AllTrails Premium – This was something I resisted getting, but when it was recommended for the Fiery Furnace I became a believer in this app. I have always used AllTrails fairly loosely to find some more obscure hikes places, but on my solo trip to Moab I depended on this in a whole new way to keep me on track and I’m now a premium AllTrails girlie for life.

These Merrell Hiking Boots – Over the last few years, I’ve had trouble finding the perfect hiking boots for me because my feet changed post-pregnancies – the things I didn’t even think of when deciding to have babies. Now shoes that had been perfect for me became too narrow or the arch felt too severe. So, this year, instead of ordering online and having boots that were “good enough”. I went to Bass Pro (we don’t have an REI, le sigh) and I tried on 8 different boots and walked around the store in them, jumped off of benches and looked like a crazy person, but I did find the perfect boots for me: The Merrell Spreed Strike 2 Boots. They’re waterproof, lightweight and are mids still so they prevent me from rolling my ankle every mile I walk because I’m less-than graceful.

3 Favorite Hikes I Took in 2025

Fiery Furnace in Arches National Park, Utah – I loved the wildness of this hike and it was the first trail I’ve ever done that required a wilderness permit, so it just felt cool too, ya know?

Mills Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado – This lake hike was just incredible. It crossed streams, it passed waterfalls and led up to one of the most scenic alpine lakes I’ve ever experienced.

Druid Arch in Canyonlands National Park, Utah – This trail was just incredible. It was an absolute challenge and I was wowed by the arch at the end of it.

3 Favorite Campgrounds from 2025

Ouray Riverside Resort in Ouray, Colorado – I don’t know that any park will ever top this one. It was also the most expensive RV park we’ve stayed at, but wowzah. It was incredible. The views were insane and we were right along the river that had a riverwalk right along the river. It was so delightful and the BBQ restaurant onsite was unbelievable.

Timbuktu Campground in Echo Bluff State Park, Missouri – I love the location of this campground right in the heart of a beautiful local state park and close to the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. Plus, there’s a chance that you’ll see wild horses, the sites are fairly spacious and we just always have a great time here.

Buffalo Outdoor Center RV Campground in Ponca, Arkansas – This is one of our go-tos and it’s really close to home. I think it’ll top my list every year unless we do something insanely scenic with crazy amenities or something because this place is just so beautiful, has spacious sites and is absolutely beautiful.

2025 is a year that taught me a lot and a year I won’t soon forget. While I have so much gratitude for all the beautiful things this year has brought me, I’m also so, so excited for all the big, beautiful things and the small, simple moments and even the tough, gritty parts that 2026 is sure to bring!