In this week’s Travel Tuesday we’re recapping all the places we went in 2024 and giving you a sneak preview of what we already have planned for 2025.

2025 Travel Wrapped:

• 7 Countries: Italy, Vatican City, Costa Rica, Iceland, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico  
• 5 National Parks: Wind Cave, Theodore Roosevelt, Badlands, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, New River Gorge 
• 18 States: California, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arizona, Texas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia, Ohio, Wisconsin, Colorado, New York, Florida, Oregon, Oklahoma, Nevada 
• 72 new episodes – We added bonus Friday “Just the Tip” mini episodes on topics that only need 15 minutes to cover in addition to our regular Travel Tuesday episodes
• 26 of total trips we took across the 3 of us

If you liked this episode, check out where we went in 2023 too!

2024 Travel Recap – Episode Transcript

0:34

Insurance and get ready to embark on a new adventure with us around the globe.

Hello fellow travelers.

Hey, squaddies.

Welcome to this week’s episode of the Travel Squad Podcast.

Today we’re bringing back our annual travel recap episode to really appreciate all of the amazing places that we’ve been, all of the really cool experiences that we’ve had in 2024, and hopefully to inspire you to take some of these trips for yourself too.

1:01

I really love when we do these episodes.

It is a travel squad podcast tradition.

At the end of the year, we have this travel recap and like you said, Kim, you know, it’s really to inspire you squaddies to really get out there, maybe take some of these trips that we’ve taken and also realize you can make travel fit in if you prioritize it.

1:22

You know, I don’t want to say we’ve fallen off and talking about this within the podcast, but I know we really hammered on it when we first started, but we were all of us 3 full time jobs.

And we still squeeze this in and we’re still hoping to inspire all of you to realize that you really can do that.

1:37

And if you say, oh, I’m too busy, I can’t do it, you’re really putting up your own mental block.

So here’s some inspiration going into 2025.

Jamal, you really took the words out of my mouth because that was exactly what I was going to talk about is how we may not talk about the behind the scenes that we do actually work other jobs, but we still do make this happen.

1:58

And I just hope that this inspires you guys because in 2024, between the three of us, we were able to visit 7 new countries, a ton of national parks, and a whole bunch of new states.

So I can’t wait to dive in with all of that for you guys and hopefully inspire you guys to take your own trip in 2025.

2:16

Well, you said it from the get go.

Brit 7 countries, let’s name them Italy.

Vatican City.

A lot of people forget that Vatican City actually is a country.

It is Vatican City, Costa Rica, Iceland, Brazil, Argentina and Mexico.

2:32

Mexico’s not a new one.

We’ve been to Mexico many times, but it’s a country nevertheless, and we gotta count it.

We also visited 5 new national Parks.

We went to Wind Cave, Theodore Roosevelt, Badlands, Black Canyon of the Gunnison and a squad trip to New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia.

2:50

We went to 18 different states, so California, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arizona, Texas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia, Ohio, Wisconsin, Colorado, New York, Florida, Oregon, Oklahoma, Nevada.

We were all over the place this year.

Yeah, Jamal and I actually hit our 55th state, so we only have five more to go.

3:10

We did a lot of South Midwest this year.

I wonder what next year is going to bring.

Next year I’m hoping to get into like the New England area and I was going.

To say that too, that’s our our biggest area of unchartered territory.

3:26

Right.

I haven’t been to Vermont, Rhode Island.

Connecticut.

Connecticut.

Yeah, those are some on my list.

I think we’ve hit off a bit more of the New England area than you can.

Those are just our three that we have left for that region, but who knows?

We’re going to be making it happen and hopefully you are too and it’s a squad trip on top, so let’s make it happen.

3:46

When I saw the stats on this one, I couldn’t believe it.

We put out 72 new episodes in 2024 because we started our Friday Just the Tip mini episodes, which are just basically smaller episodes on topics that we only need 15 minutes or less to cover.

4:02

And the feedback from you guys has been great.

I know you’ve been loving them, so if you have any ideas for mini episodes, send them our way.

And between the three of us, we took 26 different trips this year.

This isn’t even counting all of them that I’d consider like closer work trips or family home visiting trips.

4:19

But 26 times we all traveled this year.

Crazy.

I think this year our travel style changed a little bit.

We definitely became Marriott loyalists.

Absolutely.

You know we got the Marriott credit card or one of them.

There’s multiple Marriott branded credit cards.

4:37

We both have the boundless.

But when I say both, I mean me and Kim Brittany by default, of course has it, but really looking at ways to earn that point status, loyalty status with a brand we love Marriott, they are everywhere.

So I agree with you on that because a lot of times and yes, we still do this.

4:55

If we’re going somewhere, I don’t want to say we go, ah, cheapest hotel, But if we’re really getting in there late at night, like 10:00 and then we’re leaving the next day, maybe we’re not looking at a Marriott, right?

We’ll just take what there is within reason because we don’t want to dump, but a lot of our trips now are focused on finding like, hey, you know, we have the points, let’s utilize it, stay at a nice place and upscale our lives as we are all in our mid 30s now as we’ve all hit 35.

5:21

I mean, I’m older than that, but you ladies 35 this year.

So we got to upscale our lives.

You know, the guy in Napa thought I was like 25, so I could still be 25.

He.

Was just trying to hit on you thinking you’re 25 Brittany.

I know for me, I did a lot more work trips this year than I ever have before and a lot of those have been around Texas.

5:39

So I got to see a whole lot of Texas, but also went out of state a couple times for work.

So I think we’ll see more of that in 2025 as well.

We also did a little bit more luxury in 2024.

Kim, you did a first class flight.

We’ve done a few small experiences in the last year and we’ve definitely upped our hotel game.

5:59

So I know for sure this is going to continue in 2025.

And you know the unfortunate thing about this year, and I hate to use the word unfortunate, anything with travel, but we took a lot of the same trips but also missed each other a little bit, right?

We did the Gulf shore and Alabama, Mississippi area.

6:16

Kim, you were there like a week before for Brittany and I were by happenstance we didn’t cross paths on that.

Also another time, of course you are in Austin, but you were in Dallas area.

We missed you by a little bit of time on that one too.

So unfortunately we’ve had close calls but missed each other.

6:33

But of course at least we’ve had some squad trips along the way this year as well.

So we completely did not miss each other.

All right, let’s get into it.

Let’s recap some of the travel that we took starting from January.

Our first trip of the year was actually to visit you, Kim and Austin.

6:49

We did some podcast recording and then we did a day trip to Fredericksburg, which is the wine tasting region right outside of Austin, about an hour and a half away.

Drink wine with rhinos.

That was fun.

At the Rhinery.

I love it.

What a pun.

Named for a winery.

7:05

The Rhinery.

But I really did like this region a lot.

I want to go back and explore it more when we are out there.

The problem is, of course, all three of us are drinking, so somebody has to stop along the way midday.

So of course we could get back, be responsible.

7:21

But I think when we’re out there next time, it’ll be fun to just kind of hang back, maybe get a hotel, take the free shuttle that they have in the region and just do a little bit of winery hopping.

I like that I haven’t stayed the night out there yet, so that would be fun.

In January.

I didn’t take any actual trips, but I did go visit a friend.

7:39

I wouldn’t consider this a vacation because I was going out there to go to her baby shower and see them for the weekend.

So small town in Oregon had a good time.

Actually, I travelled on my own up there, right?

And there was like a really long layover in Denver.

7:57

I got to see the Delta Lounge there.

I met a comedian on this flight going to Oregon, this tiny town in Oregon, and he said he was going to be performing at this restaurant there.

And I brought the whole baby shower to the comedy show after.

I didn’t even know about that, That’s so funny.

8:13

You never know who you’re going to meet on a plane.

I guess not.

In January, we did our first independent tour with Gate One with meaning.

We’re not with like a guided guide.

There aren’t other people.

You’re just on your own.

But Gate One kind of helps plan your flights and your hotels and all of that.

8:30

So we did our first independent tour.

It was six days in Rome with our honorary squaddies, Kasha and Ryan.

We did a ton while we were there.

We crammed in the Coliseum, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps.

We went underneath Saint Peter’s Basilica and saw his remains and of course stepped into Vatican City.

8:47

I really enjoyed this trip a lot and we do have an itinerary from our six days in Rome.

It’s on our website, travelsquadpodcast.com for only $10.

And I do want to say guys, really go check out our website for our itineraries.

9:03

We do have a lot of them that are free, but of course the longer the trip more detailed, of course some of them are paid, but we talked about this in our Rome episode.

So the information is in that episode, but you get a lot of stuff in these itineraries that really take you to the off the beaten path type places.

9:22

And what I’m talking about specifically in this Rome one for just $10, there is a particular tour called the Scabby tour.

Only 250 people get to do this a day, right?

So 10s of thousands of people a day walk into the Vatican City Museum, Saint Peter’s Basilica, Sistine Chapel, but only 250 people get to do this Vatican tour that takes you under to the necropolis.

9:49

And it is so, so cool.

And we tell you all about that in the itinerary, give you the instructions how to do that.

So instead of being one of the 10s of thousands seeing the same everyday thing in Vatican City, in our itinerary, 250 people, we tell you how to do it.

So really good resources in there for you.

10:05

In February, I took a trip that was part work, part fun.

I went out to visit a client in Orlando.

I had never been to Orlando before, so I got to see Disney World.

I got to go to Animal Kingdom.

That was really cool.

Our friend Leah on her Squatty Leah, she is actually living.

10:23

At the time she was living somewhere near Orlando in Saint Augustine.

So she came down on the train.

She stayed with me.

We went to Disney.

It was a really good time and from there I was supposed to be taking a trip to the Gulf Shores of Alabama on the same weekend.

So I had to kind of change some things around and I flew straight from Orlando to Pensacola, FL and got a Tour de Alabama by car an hour out to the Gulf Shores and that was a good time.

10:48

That’s actually the the region where Mardi Gras first became a thing here in the USA.

Lot of people think it’s New Orleans.

No, it’s Mobile AL.

So interesting, yeah.

And this is kind of what I was talking about a little bit earlier where I said we just missed each each other, right?

You were there a week beforehand.

11:03

The next week, Brittany and I had gone out to the Gulf shore.

We went to Alabama, Mississippi, and New Orleans.

We did go with my mom.

We took my mom on this trip.

So on this one, she was honorary squatty.

But we did Orange Beach, AL floor, Bama, right on the border between Florida and Alabama.

11:23

Biloxi, Ms. We hit some casinos up out there, won some money, went to New Orleans, stayed in the French Quarter.

Re experienced that.

We’ve been to New Orleans before, but a lot of reasons for this trip was to really hit Alabama and Mississippi because we hadn’t been to those states yet.

11:38

But really fun and I don’t know what I was expecting when I went out there.

I wasn’t expecting to not enjoy it, but it exceeded my expectations and just general South Gulf shore I really enjoyed.

It fun fact, Jamal and I’s first family trip together where I went on a trip with his family was to New Orleans way back when.

11:56

Was that like 2008?

2008.

Crazy.

We’ve heard the story stories of the underage dance bar.

Yes, yes, yes, yes.

I I liked Alabama too.

I would say Squatty’s.

If you’re looking at what we did here in February, I would not recommend going to Alabama Gulf Shores in February.

12:15

It’s a beach town in the summer.

It has a vibe and it’s popping and you can rent A beach house with people like I had done but actually get to enjoy the beach and the nice weather and be right on it.

I would recommend more of a summer trip.

I don’t disagree with you on that, Kim.

12:30

I do also feel like it is enjoyable, but of course, who wants to go to a beach destination when it’s cold?

We did it because of course we could fit in the time we were really going to New Orleans and of course crossing off the other states.

But summer vibes it will be bumping out here and very enjoyable.

12:46

This first half of the year, I didn’t take a ton of trips.

I kind of ramped up toward the back half of the year, but a lot of people came to visit me.

So our friend James had said he wanted to go to this concert in Fort Worth, actually at the Billy Bob’s venue.

If any of you know Fort Worth, know Billy Bob’s.

13:03

It’s a massive concert venue and they have two big stages, 2 huge dance floors, like 7 bars, a bunch of restaurants, a bull riding rodeo in the back.

It’s huge.

So I had never been to Fort Worth.

I wanted to go meet him there.

13:19

Did the touristy things, did the stockyard, saw the cattle drive.

That was cool.

I remember seeing James’s posts and stories as well as yours from this time and that looked like an amazing time.

Super fun.

Yeah, I really wanted to do the cattle drive and the stockyards, and we were actually in Dallas.

13:37

And funny enough, my sister lives like right outside of Dallas and we had never been to Fort Worth before.

So right after you went, Jamal and I went for our Easter trip and we went to our first rodeo in Fort Worth.

And wow, a rodeo is such a vibe.

There’s so much going on there, like seeing people do the barrel racing, the bull riding.

13:56

It was so much fun.

I would definitely go back for another rodeo.

Was that your first rodeo?

Yes.

When I went, that was not my first rodeo because we’re from Woodland and every year the Woodland Fair had a rodeo, so I’ve seen it before.

It is crazy.

Well, yeah, that’s true.

The Woodland Fair has a rodeo, but this is a Texas rodeo.

14:14

That’s a little bit different, you know what I mean?

Yes, Cowboys.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I was gonna say it’s the same thing, but it’s different.

That’s like comparing like AA baseball to Major League over here.

I will say that.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Give give the woodland fair some credit.

Oh, the woodland Fair gets credit, but you know, the, the rodeo aspect of it, you know, and that’s not to say that we’re not from a farm town.

14:33

They are Cowboys and ranchers as well.

But you know, Texas rodeo, you know, but that’s just a scale on its own.

Yes, yes.

Also in March, Kim and I took our first ever and maybe Kim’s last backpacking trip.

We went to Havasupai Falls Reservation.

14:49

We spent four days and three nights doing a hiking adventure.

It was 10 miles in and out, plus the hiking in between.

And we saw the most gorgeous turquoise beautiful waterfalls.

This was a bucket list trip for me.

I had always dreamed about going on this trip and seeing that water and those waterfalls and having this experience.

15:09

And part of the reward is the pain that you have to go through to get there with the hike and you do have to backpack and there are no fires allowed.

And that that was quite an experience.

But I feel like it was actually a life changing trip.

My brain chemistry was altered after that trip.

It was such an amazing trip because you’re with your friends, you’re having an amazing experience, you’re off the grid, there’s no cell reception, you have to be self reliant and I think we just learned so much about ourselves and kind of grew in a way.

15:38

It was a fantastic trip.

I would do it again.

I’m sold on backpacking, but I don’t know if Kim truly is.

You learn a lot your first backpacking trip and we’re planning an episode on how to prepare because I learned a lot.

Swati’s if you want to go back and listen to that episode, we aired it on May 7th, 2024 so you can find it in the feed and hear all about it.

15:58

It’s a trip I would recommend everyone take if you love hiking in the outdoors and beautiful waterfalls.

In addition, squaddies, I want to let you know on our website, travelsquadpodcast.com, you can find all of our old episodes with detailed show notes and links.

And our Amazon shop is there.

16:13

You can sign up for a newsletter.

So we e-mail you twice a month with all this information and check out everything.

We have their travelsquadpodcast.com.

So April was the first time of 2024 that the stars align and we were able to take a squad trip.

Yes, we were out in January to visit you in Texas, Kim, but we are actually taking a legitimate squad trip here.

16:36

We took another Gate One independent tour, but this time to Costa Rica.

So we went to La Fortuna and Monte Verde Cloud Forest.

We did a lot of hiking, it was very humid, saw a lot of beautiful views.

Kim and I went horseback riding and for the first time everyone on our tour got sick because Jamal took us to a market and we ate local food.

16:59

You know what, I just want to say a couple things.

When you say everybody got sick, it’s not just us 3, it’s 4 because this was an OG squad trip.

Xena came on with us and you know, the tour had us going into San Jose, OK, Everything that you read up online about San Jose, Costa Rica, it’s like it’s a big city, there’s not really a lot to do.

17:19

There’s a couple things, but OK, whatever.

But the one thing that came come up was go to the local market.

Whenever we travel, I’d love to go to the local markets.

So I had suggested it.

And you girls just can’t control your hunger and get hangry.

And so when it was kind of the first thing we did after we got settled, I guess you thought when I suggested the market, the assumption was we were going to eat there because yes, there’s food.

17:43

Quite possibly that could have been the case, but that wasn’t the implication that I had.

No, no, no, no, no.

You, you were pushing for the market.

You were.

And Jamal, this isn’t the first time.

When we landed in Ecuador, you were like, where’s the street food?

And the tour guide said, you don’t want to eat street food here.

17:58

And you’re like, But if you were a local, where would you eat?

Yeah, I was curious.

I was curious, Yes, because I want to bring this information to our squaddies who are listening.

But point being, you know, we had suggested the market and, you know, you blame me.

All of us got sick at different so we do think it’s the market, but it could have been completely different things because it staggered us all by like 3-4 days difference.

18:20

But we all left the market saying that that shit was delicious.

We love the food, we love the drinks, and then it just didn’t love our stomach.

A little bit later is really what happened.

So we ate some good local food but just didn’t play well with our insides.

Otherwise it was a fantastic trip.

18:36

We had a lot of good memories.

The lush rainforest out there is so pretty to see the volcano, we had amazing views of it.

It’s so much fun on the water slide at the Springs Resort.

Yeah, the jungle, the forest, the waterfalls, the whole atmosphere that is Costa Rica.

It was a great trip.

18:52

That episode came out on May 28th of this year.

So if you guys are looking into Costa Rica, be sure to go ahead and give it a listen and avoid going to the market needing food if you don’t want to get sick.

We also created an itinerary for you guys and the market is not included, so you’ll be safe.

19:10

But the food was good.

So in May, Jamal and I took a 5 day road trip to head off some states that we had never been to before.

We went to Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota.

We actually flew into Denver and we did it that way so that we could drive through Nebraska.

19:26

And we went to Carhenge, which is like Stonehenge but made with cars.

And then we also went to Toadstool Geological Park, which was actually a really cool landscape to visit, and we’ve never been to anything like that before.

That was pretty cool.

I really did enjoy it a lot and of course, it was to hit off the different states, but also go up into the Dakotas, South and north to go to Badlands National Park, Wind Cave, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument.

19:54

So also for the reason why we flew into Denver is there really wasn’t a better airport to fly into in those states.

Yes, they’re there, but in terms of like flight times cost, it was just like, well, Denver’s further, let’s make the drive and add another state with Nebraska out of it.

So that’s what we did and.

20:11

This was a really enjoyable trip.

Again, I don’t ever want to say that I wasn’t expecting much, but the Dakotas really exceeded my expectations of what I thought I was going to get out of those national parks because this is like American safari area.

The bison are still here, other type of animals.

20:28

So this is really where you can go if you want that American safari type experience.

And that’s something that we actually did.

We did a bison Jeep safari within Custer State Park.

So again, not the National Park, but touching one of the national parks up there there and really great experience all around.

This trip we’ve also made into an itinerary.

20:45

It’s only $10 and you can find it on our website.

In June, we took another squad trip that we’ve been planning for just about a year now.

We went out to West Virginia to the New River Gorge National Park to stay with the river expeditions, to go floating and whitewater rafting.

21:04

What a trip.

That trip was so much fun.

You know, I thought that both days we were going to be on the same raft together, but on the first day we actually had the opportunity to do 2 person duckies and that was so much fun just to be able to see the Rapids like up close.

21:19

And we even got to do like Ducky Wars, which is when you flip your little canoe or boat over, two people get on top, and you duck it out to see who falls into the water first.

Brittany won, I lost.

We attempted to do it.

That was quite an experience.

But what I really love the first day about the float is again, if you have a family, kids who are younger, maybe think the whitewater rafting to inventress, don’t want to take them on it because you’re concerned or anything, this is a great place to go.

21:47

And then of course, the adults or even if you want to with the kids, do the whitewater act in the next day.

So you get the best of both worlds.

But I will say this, do not underestimate the average 75° temperature that we experienced that day and think that you won’t get burned, especially floating through the Canyon.

22:04

I didn’t even feel like I was super sun exposed.

And then at the end of the day, my gosh, Kim, you and I were torn up, beat up by the sun.

It was quite disgusting.

I don’t know how Brittany evaded getting burnt so bad, but we were red little tomatoes after the end of that one.

22:22

So the sun hits differently, different places.

So just put on your sunscreen when you’re out there.

And guys, if you do take a trip to New River Ridge National Park, highly recommend staying and booking with River Expeditions.

They had everything included.

They had a beautiful cabin.

We did a one day of a float, one day of whitewater rafting.

22:40

We even went surfing West Virginia style.

They have a zip lining on property.

The first time I’ve ever done a zip line right here.

Wow, and they have so much to offer on their property.

It’s really beautiful and I think it’s a great experience, so definitely book with them.

22:55

Cherry on top was hot tub in our private cabin and the fireplace inside because even though we got sunburnt in the day, it was cold at night and that felt really nice.

It was so cozy.

We love this trip so much that we actually did create a free itinerary for you guys, so definitely check that out if you’re interested in going into the National Park.

23:14

We include some hikes in the area as well.

This year I had a lot of people come visit me in April, May, June, and in July here my niece came to visit me for three weeks.

So what am I going to do with an 11 year old in my house every day?

23:30

You know, we’re doing things, we’re exploring our own backyard here in Austin.

And one of the things that I’d really wanted to do, it’s on my living in Texas bucket list, is to go to South Padre Island.

It’s a tiny sliver of an island off of the Gulf Coast of the very southern tip of Texas, and it is a vacation destination for South Texas.

23:50

It was a really good time.

We stayed at a Marriott right on the beach.

We rented beach chairs and we tanned.

We saw fireworks.

I loved it there.

Yeah, we haven’t really heard much about your trip there, so I know you are doing a mini episode on this and I can’t wait to hear it.

It’s definitely a place, if you’re going to go because it takes five hours from Austin, pretty much everywhere you go is going to be a bit of a drive to get there, so I’d recommend staying two nights and enjoying it.

24:16

Close to the Houston area, correct?

No, it’s still going to be about probably 4 hours to drive.

It’s very South.

Wow, I thought it was close to the Houston area.

Good to know, good to know.

You’re probably thinking of Galveston being.

Close.

That’s right.

That’s that’s exactly what I was thinking of and I was thinking South Padre was close to Galveston.

24:34

But thank you for that clarification.

See all the more reason for that episode come out Kim.

That way I’ll know all about it.

Cuz like Brittany said, you haven’t told us too much.

So get us excited for it.

In July I was a busy little bee because right after my niece left, a couple days later I flew to Long Beach to go meet my family and do a one week Mexican Riviera cruise.

24:53

You know, we love cruising over here at the Travel Squad.

I’m so jealous Kim, because yes, we do love cruises over here, but it has been a while since Brittany and I have been on one and I was living vicariously through you on this trip.

Just really jealous about the cruise because sometimes it doesn’t even matter where the cruise goes.

25:10

Yes, you want a cool spot, but I just love the cruise ship experience.

If we could get a big group of people together to go on a cruise, it would be perfect because there’s no planning involved.

You can hang out with them as much or as little as you want.

I really think we should do it.

This cruise I took with my family went to Cabo Puerto Verita and Mazatlán was a Carnival Cruise, which is not my first choice of a cruise line because it is so family friendly, right?

25:34

As a childless cat lady, I do not have children.

So I think what we should do is get a big group together, go on an adults only cruise and get the beverage package.

Oh.

Yeah, sounds like a great idea.

Side note, heard something in the news, I forget what cruise line it was.

25:54

It may very well be Carnival, but just keeping with the aspect of wanting it adult oriented, so to speak, I think Carnival has outlawed the pineapple on the doors.

And if it’s not Carnival, it’s somebody else.

And if you don’t know what that is, just Google it.

You know you could get into that on.

Your own the adults only that I was really talking about Jamal but I.

26:12

I’m sure it’s not.

I sure it’s not, but just saying in general, that’s where they’re at.

If it is carnival of like just not wanting to like placate to adults, you know?

Well, on a different note, we went to Iceland in July.

We spent a week exploring the Golden Circle, southern Iceland, driving her along the southern Ring Rd.

26:30

We did so many epic hikes, saw so many amazing waterfalls, black sand beaches, glaciers, lagoons, and honestly that was my favorite trip that we took in 2024.

I really loved Iceland and I’m actually really excited for you.

26:45

And I don’t mean to spoil it for you when we get to December, Kim, because you are going to Iceland, right?

And I know you haven’t done it quite yet here, but it’s going to be different because it’s winter.

But just the natural landscape of Iceland was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen.

27:02

And if you are a nature lover, a little adventurous, this is the place to go, hands down.

I don’t disagree with Brittany.

Probably my favorite trip of 2024.

Going in summer, yeah, it’s hard to say like winter, summer, but summer everything is so green and you have so much time during the day.

27:19

You could just frolic around at midnight and like not feel like anything.

It’s a cool experience.

We did do that.

I can’t even tell you how many times it was like 11:30 at night, about to be 12 and just put the sun up.

And if you’re not used to it at that time, it’s like, I’m not tired.

27:34

And we just decided to go to the beach at that point in time because it’s like, well, let’s just go ahead and get that out of the way.

It was on our To Do List for tomorrow.

The sun’s still up, let’s go.

So it is a fun experience, absolutely.

We loved it so much we even have an itinerary available for you on our website, so go check it out at travelsquadpodcast.com.

27:52

You can also go back and listen to it.

We aired it on July 30th, 2024.

In August I took a week long trip to Miami.

So I was double time working my day job, working my event job, and I tried to see a little bit of South Beach while I was out there and I got to do that.

28:08

But really, I got to enjoy a lot of Miami Thunder and lightning storms, which is always cool to see.

In August, Brittany and I had gone to Door County, Wisconsin, another state that we knocked off that we have not been to before.

Door County is known for its wine, cheese, cherry farms and trees, as well as being a long lake, MI.

28:30

It has so many lighthouses, overlooks and amazing food, so this is a great place to go.

Oh my gosh, I had probably one of the best things I’ve eaten in 2024.

While we were there we had a stuffed cherry French toast with Moscapone.

28:45

It was so delicious.

It was amazing.

The cherries there are so fantastic.

But also, while you’re there, go visit Lake MI stay at a historic lodge.

We stayed at the Liberty Lodge at Sister Bay.

We took a sunset boat tour cruise out there with fish creeks in like boat tours and saw the most amazing sunset with music playing in the background, live music.

29:08

And I think Door County is just so underrated and you guys just need to visit because a lot of people haven’t heard of it.

Yeah, and I love Liberty Lodge.

It is a historic bed and breakfast.

But Door County, again, absolutely loved it.

This is like small town, beautiful rural America, but also done up for tourists to come, but not overly so.

29:31

It doesn’t lose that small town charm.

And I really appreciate it a lot.

And I never thought to myself, I’d be like, Oh yeah, I’m gung ho to go back to Wisconsin.

I would for sure go back to Wisconsin to go to Door County.

I enjoyed it and we have a free itinerary for you guys at travelsquadpodcast.com that covers everything that we did and would recommend, so be sure to go check it out.

29:52

Because we did go late in the season, we actually have recorded the episode, but it’s not being launched until April to prepare you for that summer trip.

As soon as we got back from Door County, not too long afterwards, Brittany and I took a road trip along the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains to Bridgeport.

30:11

More particularly, a really good friend of mine was getting married.

His wedding was out there, so we did go for that.

But in this area of the eastern Sierras, it’s known to have some natural Hot Springs.

So Kim, this would be right up your alley.

We went to two different hot spring locations. 1 was close to the town of Bridgeport, one was a little bit further away up more in the mountains versus the valley of the mountains.

30:35

So an amazing experience all around.

We also went to Mammoth, which is very popular for hiking and then in the winter for skiing and snowboarding.

But we went there in the summer, did some hiking in the area, and we went to a National Monument called Devil’s Post Pile.

30:51

It’s where they have these big basalt columns come out of the earth.

And then we hiked to a waterfall called Rainbow Falls as well while we were there.

And you can only access it for probably about three months during the summer.

So it’s a very specific window that you have to hit going to this area.

31:06

And then we had a very big busy August.

I think we did like 3 back-to-back trips every weekend.

So we went out to Colorado to head off another National Park, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

We spent four days total traveling.

We did one day each rim, the North Rim and the South Rim.

31:23

We did a lot of hiking and overlooks.

And then we went down the E Portal Rd., which goes all the way down to the river and gives you a really, really unique perspective of Black Canyon.

We also on this trip spent 1/2 day in Oray Oray, I’m not entirely sure how to say it.

31:41

I even asked some people in Colorado when we were there and I got subtle different variations of it.

But it is a beautiful mountain town about 45 minutes South of the park.

And they dubbed this the Switzerland of America in terms of like the scenic mountain views that you’re going to get.

31:58

Has a nice little small town feel and charm.

So All in all, I really did enjoy our time on this trip when we went out to Black Canyon at the Gunnison and exploring the surrounding area.

That episode aired October 8th 2024 so you can go back and check it out.

I didn’t do much traveling in August but then in September I did.

32:15

I actually took a week long trip out to San Diego.

I was going originally for my Co workers wedding and instead of just doing a couple days like I have since moving out to Austin, I decided to do a week so that I could see as many people as possible, not feel super rough rushed and then also spend a couple days podcast recording and eating Jamal’s cooking which was very good by the way.

32:38

I know you’re saying you came out really for a wedding, but you truly came out for my cooking.

You could just go ahead and outright say it.

Kim If.

I, you know, I was just looking at the pictures of the two things that you made us for dinner that night and it was good.

I was just looking at it last weekend.

So when I was out in San Diego though, I really took advantage of this time.

32:57

I went to meet friends at Saquan Casino which is about 30 ish 40 ish minutes east of San Diego proper and it’s a casino that’s out there.

They have a huge resort style pool with a big lazy river.

They have a live music band stage at the pool.

33:14

They have swim up bars.

I was in heaven out there.

Also went to a Padres game, was in box seats.

Didn’t have to pay for those.

Got a lot of podcasts recording done and saw some other people.

It was a good trip.

I know you came out for ulterior motives, right?

Such as the wedding podcast recording with us.

33:32

But what you describe too, and this is what a lot of people don’t realize, is you can go places and just do the little things and it’s almost like a little staycation.

You can still have fun.

And not that San Diego is in a place that people come to to do things, right, but there’s always the little trips that people can make, even if you didn’t spend that many days to do those other types of ities and still enjoy yourself.

33:52

So that’s the beautiful thing about traveling and explore new cities as you never know what you’re going to find.

Also in September, we went to upstate New York.

We went to Niagara Falls and then across the border into Canada and went to Toronto.

But while we were in Niagara Falls, we saw it from both the US side and the Canadian sides, and we even took a boat to get real close to Niagara Falls and you feel all of the spray from the falls and all of that power coming up from it.

34:20

We tried ice wine when we were in the area, which is like a sweet, sticky, delicious wine that they grow in that region because the grapes are frozen.

And then while we were in Toronto area, we spent time with Jamal’s family and family friends.

Yeah, so my mom and sisters who are living in Northern California flew direct from Sacramento to Toronto because we do have family friends that live out there.

34:43

So Brittany and I, we flew into Niagara.

Our family, friends, as well as my mom and sisters met us there when we did the Falls, spent some time in Toronto exploring that region, and then of course came back.

But this was our first time in upstate New York.

34:58

Of course, there’s lots of other places in upstate New York that we want to go hit off the list, but I really enjoy the experience and of course, crossing into another country just as well.

And again, a very busy month with travel.

In September at the very end we did a 10 day trip, Gate 1, Brazil and Argentina.

35:17

We went to Rio de Janeiro, Iguazu Falls and Buenos Aires.

The reason you’re packing in your September to be so busy is because you know Jamal’s right about to cut you off for fourth quarter.

No travel.

Oh, you know him so well, Kim.

I was even already stressing out at the end of September here because things started to pick up already a little bit.

35:37

For me, this was the first time that when I’ve taken my work computer, I’ve really spent a good amount of time on my trip working on it.

Sometimes I’ll pull it out and have the miscellaneous thing, but it definitely caught up to me on this one.

Nevertheless, I still enjoy the trip.

But you are so right, come October, I can’t do anything till the start of the year or anything major for that aspect because it’s just a busy time for me to for work.

35:59

But nevertheless, getting back to Brazil and Argentina, Brittany mentioned where we went.

So when we were in Rio, of course, we saw the famous Copacabana beach.

Christ, the deemer, we took the cable cars up to Sugarloaf Mountain in Guazu Falls.

I mean, it’s just a natural wonder of the world.

36:16

Such an amazing waterfall at the border between Brazil and Argentina.

And then Buenos Aires, known as the Paris of South America.

Such an amazing metropolitan city.

Just had a great time all around on that trip.

Yeah, we learned how to tango dance, we went to a gaucho party, we walked the Paris of the South, which is what Buenos Aires is nicknamed.

36:35

So great trip, highly recommend doing it and it was pretty affordable as well.

In October we took a girls trip to Napa wine country, Me, Brittany and our friend Robin who we’ve talked about on several different trips.

And this is actually the second trip this year that we took with Robin.

36:52

She came to West Virginia with us.

But what a pleasure to be able to see your lifelong best friends.

We’re not one, but two trip meetups.

Yeah, it was so much fun.

We got a little Airbnb, 2 bedroom, little cabin.

We went to four different wineries.

We went to Priest Ranch, St.

37:08

Supri, around Pond Estate and Sterling Vineyards and then we had an amazing brunch at Winston’s and we got matching pajamas for the trip.

We had tapas for dinner one night.

It was a fantastic weekend.

Girls trip.

37:23

I would definitely go back and do that whole trip over again.

Definitely you’re in mine.

First time in Napa wine tasting.

When we booked this trip, it was because I think Southwest was having their birthday sale, was it?

It was a big sale they were having for something.

And so flights to Napa where a lot less than they typically are.

37:41

And at that time, Robin was also living in downtown Napa.

So we’re like, this is great.

Great way to make Napa traditionally more expensive city more affordable.

And not only did you book it to go visit Robin because she’s in Napa and go to Napa, you failed to mention that you actually booked it in New River Gorge when you were also with Robin.

38:00

And that’s when you guys actually planned it as well.

So it all kind of came together.

Robin was actually asleep and when she woke up me and Brittany were like we booked tickets to come see you.

She’s like you did.

Like, yes, it worked out.

It was fantastic.

38:16

It was a really good weekend trip.

On top of that, the free itinerary for this trip that you ladies took it is now on our website Travel Squad Podcast.

This is a free 1 so be sure to go check it out.

November is my month.

It’s my birthday, and my best friend had reached out to me asking if we wanted to take a birthday trip to Las Vegas.

38:37

Her birthday is the day after mine.

She also has a twin sister who came on this trip.

So we had three Scorpio birthdays and she was also planning to get married at the Little White Chapel here in Vegas.

So it was going to be an amazing weekend trip.

And it did turn out to be just that.

38:53

It was four days, three nights.

Did the Bellagio Aria Spa, which we do have a mini episode on that amazing.

Got to see Magic Mike on my birthday, get a lap dance.

It was amazing.

Best birthday ever.

Where’s the mini episode on the Magic Mike show that?

39:10

Is on my Only Fans, No only fans over here, but if you want to hear all about my birthday trip to Vegas then go back to December 17th, 2024 and you can find that.

I love how you say go back to a specific date, like you can’t say like within the last couple weeks.

39:29

Go back a week or two and it’s up there for.

You just in case someone’s listening to this in 3024, they’ll know what date to go back to.

There you go.

That makes a lot of sense now when you put it in that perspective.

So after November, we are here in December.

Now we are recording this episode a little bit early just because of the holidays and all sorts of other stuff too.

39:49

So these trips that we’re talking about, we have not taken yet, but they are right around the corner for us.

So by the time you listen to this, we have taken these trips.

So coming up in just less than a week, Jamal and I are actually headed to Cabo and we’re spending four days there.

40:05

We’re going to actually leave out of the cross-border express.

So if you’re in San Diego, obviously San Diego touches the border to Tijuana.

You can actually use the cross-border express to go directly into the Tijuana airport.

And so there’s.

40:20

Lounge in the airport that we always go to.

We’re going to be spending some time at the beaches in Cabo.

We’re going to do a whale watching tour, see the Cabo Arches and then just eat some good Mexican food and relax.

I’m really excited about this trip.

A little stress leading up to it just because I’m busy with all sorts of other stuff, but I know by the time I get on it, I’m it’s going to be really great.

40:42

But that cross-border Express or CBX as it’s abbreviated that Brittany’s talking about.

We’ve mentioned it several times before on this podcast, but what it true is a terminal on the US side that connects to the Tijuana airport.

40:57

You’re able to check in in the United States of America, walk over a bridge that crosses the border and it dumps you right into the airport in Tijuana, Mexico.

So now you’re flying within Mexico as a domestic flight.

It makes it very easy and it for us here in San Diego, it’s a great way to Latin America because anything from Tijuana will get you to Mexico City.

41:18

Once you’re in Mexico City, you you can fly pretty much anywhere in the world, specifically even throughout Latin America at a lot more affordable prices.

I almost had a Mexico trip in December.

We were going to go to Tulum Saturday, December 14th and then I was going to come back Tuesday the 17th.

41:38

I’m saying this maybe because I’m probably not going to go, and I’m kicking myself because James invited me to go with his group.

And we were sitting at a steakhouse in San Antonio.

And I looked at the price and it was 420.

And I was like, that’s not bad, actually.

I think I’ll do it.

41:54

And then I stalled on it.

And then I was like, changed my mind because I have a big trip coming up at the end of December.

So I was like, should I try to squeeze another one in?

I don’t know.

I really want to go to Tulum, but I might have to take a day off work and it’s getting busy enough.

I’m going through all these things in my head and because I procrastinate, I did that and every single day I’ve been checking the price on it just to see if it goes down to the four hundreds, I’ll buy it.

42:18

But it’s just going up and up.

So I’m probably not going to go unless something crazy happens in these next couple days and we’ll see.

You know what you should do, Kim?

I’m going to give you an idea right now.

Use your Southwest points for a free flight from Austin to San Diego and then just use cross-border Express and look for a flight from Tijuana to Tulum.

42:37

Going to be a lot cheaper.

That’s not a bad idea.

It’s only that flight route you’re adding so much time on because I’m going West and then I’m going back east.

I don’t disagree with you on that it would be a lot of time for money saved.

It depends on how much money saved to make it worth it, but it’s a thought if you’re having FOMO to just look into that as an option.

42:55

Thank you, I’ll noodle on that one.

But I was also thinking too like do I really want to stress myself out with another trip and leaving my animals when I know I have a winter Iceland trip coming up that I’ve been planning for months and it is going to be my first ever your solo vacation, which is wild to say.

43:13

But I thought about this a lot and I can’t wait to do the episode on it because I want to talk about like all the anxiety you feel leading up to a trip in general, but then a trip on your own and a trip in a country where it’s going to be dark and very cold.

And like I historically don’t dress well for the cold.

43:30

I underestimate it.

I’ve seen your outfits.

I don’t know if you’re going to be dressed for the cold here either.

I just want to throw out Kim did not come with us to Japan because we went during the winter and it was cold.

And now he or she is going on a specific winter trip.

Although I will say Iceland is a great exception if you’re going to make one to go during that time for the reasons you’re going, right, Northern Lights, Blue Lagoon, which, yeah, why would you want to get in water during the cold, but that’s hot thermal water.

43:55

It’s a whole vibe out there that you’re going to be experiencing during Iceland for the winter.

Angie, get on on Christmas Day.

I think that’s going to be amazing.

I think this is just going to add a whole different perspective to Iceland.

I would also love to go visit in winter and I hope you make an item out of this trip because I think it’s going to be an epic one.

44:13

It’ll be an easy.

One to make because it’s entirely tour based.

It’s not one tour like we’ve typically done with gate one, but every single day I get on another tour.

So right when I land on Christmas I go straight to the hotel to put my stuff down and get on a Golden Circle tour.

44:29

Then it goes to the Blue Lagoon.

Then I have a Northern Lights chasing night tour.

So I’m really hoping to sleep on that red eye because it is a jam packed first day on Christmas.

So you remind me you are actually only staying in Reykjavik as a hub and then when you say it’s tour based, you’re actually doing tours through Viator.

44:47

Get your guide or wherever it is.

That’s true except for one day I did a 2 day South Coast tour because it takes five hours to get out to where the glaciers are for the ice caves.

So the best way to do it was a 2 day tour.

So one night I will not be in Reykjavik.

45:03

OK, there you go.

That makes a lot of sense.

I know exactly what you’re talking about because we’ve done that drive, so you are doing it right.

Can’t wait to talk to you squaddies about it.

Going to come out in January so keep an eye out for that.

Looking ahead to 2025, we already have some stuff planned, but how do you anticipate next year’s travel is going to be different from this year?

45:22

Well, I know right off the bat we don’t have a ton of trips booked together.

Maybe we’ll change that towards the end of 2025, but I feel like we’re going to be doing a lot of luxury experiences in 2025 because we’ve started to upper game a little bit in terms of stays and experiences.

45:42

So I feel like we’re going to continue down that route.

And I just want to say when we’re talking about upping it too, yes, some of it is actually paying for it, but a lot of it as we’ve been talking about lately is utilizing points.

So whether it be upping our game in terms of redeeming business class flights through points or as we’re talking about Marriott earlier and staying at really nice places utilizing points that we get with sign up bonuses plus everyday purchases.

46:07

So it’s not all like, oh, we’re just spending all this money, we’re really travel hacking it to make these luxury experiences happen too.

Good point because if I can save money on the hotel like I did in Vegas with points then I can go spend $400.00 at the spa like I did in Vegas and that is money well spent.

46:25

Absolutely.

I am going to be staying at an all inclusive resort for the very first time, so really looking forward to those top shelf cocktails, gourmet eats, just the lux life for a week in Jamaica.

I’m also going to be doing my very first fitness and Wellness retreat.

46:42

I’ve never really done a retreat.

I had a little bit of a taste of a yoga retreat out in Sedona, AZ once.

But this is an international luxury retreat in Mykonos, Greece with exercise every day.

A dinner at Scorpios, the icon iconic club in Mykonos.

46:59

I’m so freaking excited for this trip.

But it’s also going to be solo, so we’ve.

Kind of hinted a little bit about it.

So let’s tell everybody what we have planned so far and also then what we have potentially planned but not officially booked quite yet for 2025.

47:15

In the very beginning of January is one of my good friends Chelsea’s birthday.

So we’re going out to Nashville for a couple of days and I’ve started planning with a shared note on an iPhone.

So if everyone in your group has an iPhone, you can do a shared note and build an itinerary there together.

It’s super helpful.

47:31

I’ve been doing it on a lot of trips over the last year.

And so the one thing I know we’re going to do, well actually two things.

We’re definitely going out on Broadway and Printer’s Alley and going to go see live music and drink.

But we’re also going to go to Monell’s, which is a family style Southern breakfast brunch in a huge old manner that was built by the man who helped build the railroad in this area.

47:53

So that’ll be fun.

It’s going to be a good weekend trip.

What are you doing in January?

In January, Brittany and I, we’re going to Thailand and Singapore.

So this is kind of where we’re talking about stepping up the game a little bit.

Thailand for the most part.

Of course, a lot of people do know this very inexpensive in terms of like food, hotels, other types of things.

48:13

But where we’re stepping it up is we redeemed our credit card points.

We are flying business class from Los Angeles to Singapore and then to Bangkok while we’re making our way through Thailand on that absolutely free, no cost for those flights.

48:28

I am super excited about it.

And then of course, where the luxury aspect comes into play, we could have gotten fairly inexpensive hotels, like I said, because Thailand prices not too bad.

But we decided to utilize some of our Marriott points.

We’re staying at a resort that’s right on the beach in Phuket with those Marriott points.

48:45

So it’s going to be a luxury experience all around in terms of like the hotel stays and then of course the flights.

But when we’re there, you know, we’re going to be being like locals eating street food.

I will eat street food in Thailand.

I’m not worried about it like I am Costa Rica.

So it’s going to be good and just doing everything that you would expect to do in Thailand.

49:06

Yeah, we’re going to Chiang Mai.

We’re going to do an overnight jungle trek and then go to an elephant sanctuary.

We’re going to Phuket.

Like Jamal mentioned, we’re staying at a resort.

It’s a beachfront resort with its own private beach.

We’re also taking a luxury yacht out to one of the islands.

We’re spending a night or two in Bangkok and then on our way home we’re spending two nights in Singapore and staying at the Saint Regis using our Marriott points.

49:30

And then in February, Brittany and I found really good fares from San Diego to Oahu.

Oahu is the only major tourist Hawaiian island that we have not been to yet.

So I love SW always with a good sale.

Sometimes the sale leads you, and the sale LED us to Oahu on this one.

49:47

Yeah, I’m using my companion pass for this one.

So Jamal’s flights are just the taxes, $11.20.

We’re spending four days in Oahu and we’re going to do some cool hikes and drive around and road trip the island.

Talk a little bit about how you finagled that companion pass, because that’s a pretty strategic move you made.

50:05

Yeah.

So what had happened was Southwest had put out an e-mail saying that if you book a flight by this date and you travel by, I think it was like the next month or two that you would receive a companion pass for three months in the future.

50:21

Well, I actually did already have flights that landed in the time frame that they were requesting.

So I look to see what the flights were currently at and they were at approximately the same price, like maybe a $5 difference between what I already had booked to Napa.

50:37

So I actually cancelled my flights to Napa, rebooked them through the link in the e-mail Southwest had sent and traveled during that time frame.

And once I came back from the Napa trip, I got an e-mail saying you’ve earned companion pass from January through March.

50:53

So then I booked my flight to Oahu and back.

And then when the dates open for the companion pass, I can just add Jamal on for $11.20 round trip.

Amazing.

Really Fucking them hard.

I love it.

51:09

In March, I’m planning to go to Jamaica, to an all inclusive resort for a week with a little special someone.

So that is going to be good.

I have never been to Jamaica, I’ve never stayed at an all inclusive resort and it’s going to be a spicy little trip.

More to come on that.

51:24

I was going to say who’s that someone.

I don’t even know who you’re talking about, Kim.

Or is that also on the more to come?

Keeping that a secret for now, we’ll.

See.

We’ll see.

That’s on the more to come.

We’ll see.

OK, I got it.

March, Jamaica.

I’m anxious to hear about it.

And it is confirmed happening.

51:40

And actually I have a little something I need to say so I know how to get really good deals on flights.

I have mastered the art of relentless research and I could go to Jamaica from Austin for four hundred 500 bucks, but no, no, no, the person who booked this resort booked Saturday to Saturday, which is double the price of the flight, and I’ve been watching it for months.

52:04

So it pains me to be looking at the price that we’re going to pay for the flight when I know if we flew just three days off of a Saturday, it would have been half the price.

So really, squatties, be flexible with those dates.

If you work in the medical field, sometimes midweek to midweek is actually better because if you work like 12 hour shifts you can stack your days too so that’s often what I do.

52:26

Traveling Saturday to Saturday is almost always going to be a more expensive time to travel.

In March, Kim, you are going to Jamaica, having a little love fest it sounds like down there.

Good for you.

Brittany and I, I are going to Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan.

52:43

So finally, five years after Hong Kong Disney got cancelled because of COVID in March of 2020, we are trying to officially remake it happen here in March of 2025.

So we do have our tickets booked while we’re already there on that side of the world.

53:01

We say, hey, let’s add a new country.

So we’re doing a stopover in South Korea and then going to Japan, spending a a couple more days in Japan because we loved it so much when we were there.

And this is another trip here utilized exclusively with points not having to pay out of pocket at all for flights.

53:19

Yeah.

We’re flying premium economy for our first time on the major leagues.

And then in between, we used our Delta points to book our flights.

And this is another trip we’re taking with our honorary squaddies, Casha and Ryan.

And the first time ever we’re going to be travelling with a child they’re bringing their four year old.

53:36

So we’ll see how that goes.

And in April, Brittany and I, we are going to Dallas.

It is our annual Easter trip to Dallas to visit Brittany’s sister and mom who live out there.

So we always do that.

And I know Brittany is hoping to go to the World Springs Resort in Dallas, which you had gone to.

53:55

Kim, she’s also talking with her sister right now to say, hey, when we’re out there for that, let’s make it.

Happen.

Oh, it’s such a good time.

We have an episode on that whole experience.

If you’re wondering what World Springs is, go back to November 1st, 2024 and check that out.

Amazing social spa experience in the Dallas area.

54:11

And then from Dallas, we’re actually going to either fly or drive to Austin to spend a few days with Kim since we’re already going to be in Texas.

May and June I have a lot of travel planned for next year already.

It’s giving me a little bit of anxiety with how I’m going to master the time off work to make this happen.

54:28

In May 28th I’m going to that Wellness and fitness retreat in Mykonos at that luxury resort.

It’s a week long retreat.

There’s fitness every morning, there’s self love, journaling, gratitude journaling, breath work.

You go out on a yacht one day, you go to dinner at Scorpio’s Beach Club one night.

54:45

So it’s social, but it’s also self development and fitness and Wellness.

And at a luxury resort it’s amazing.

But I’ve been talking about the South of France for so long that I didn’t want to not go this year, but I wanted to do both right?

So I figured, OK, I’m, I’m going to go to Greece.

It’s close enough to the South of France, even though now that I’m looking at flights and everything, it’s not close.

55:05

They’re not easy to get to from each other, but nevertheless, this year something I am doing is taking a lot more advantage of days that we already have off for holidays, for work.

And that started with Iceland and that whole week off that I have in between Christmas and years.

55:21

Boom, I’m taking a trip now.

We have Memorial Day off of work.

So that’s going to fall into this time frame right before Mykonos.

I’m adding on South of France.

I think Zayna’s pretty serious about meeting me out there.

Was just talking to her on the phone this weekend and we’re making plans.

55:36

I made reservations at this Iconic upscale restaurant that sits basically on sea stacks out over the water.

It’s just so picturesque and beautiful.

Made it for 7:00 PM sunset time.

And Brittany, you would be so proud of me because this is a restaurant that’s very hard to get reservations for.

55:55

I made a reservation in December for May.

Wow, I am proud of you.

It was all the way booked up through March already.

If you had waited, you might not have gotten the spot.

I know I feel really like this is the tone for my year.

I have my shit together.

I love it.

56:11

Well, in addition, something I’m really hoping to get out of the South of France and Greece trip is some vacation hottie stories to bring back to the podcast.

Because I know you haven’t been to Greece yet, but my God, the Greeks are Greek gods.

56:27

They are so good looking.

And last time I was in Greece I had a boyfriend.

So of course all I did was look.

But this time I’m really hoping to like, have a little international love affair.

I know we have a few squaddies that are already invested in your love life so I’m sure they can’t wait to hear the details.

56:48

Well, it sounds like you’ve a very busy May and June with both of those trips.

We are going to be doing a weekend trip to Rhode Island.

It’s going to be a four day trip to hit off our 46th state and then later in May spanning into June, Jamal and I are headed to Alaska to head off 2 national parks.

57:05

We’re going to Glacier Bay and Kenai Fjords National parks and we’re taking ferries within the national parks to be able to see the landscape, the wildlife and really get a feel for the area.

In Alaska, I’m really excited about this.

Brittany and I have been to Alaska before on a cruise.

Of course, the few national parks that we have left, the majority of them are obviously all in Alaska.

57:26

So here we are marking off 2.

But we’re also travel hacking.

This Brittany opened the Alaska credit card.

She has a whole stack of points that we’re using for these flights.

So a very expensive state in general now taking off a big burden of it by travel hacking, utilizing points, by opening the Alaska credit card.

57:45

So saving money in that way.

That way we have more money for our experiences in Alaska.

Later in June, we’re doing a squad trip to Quebec and we are going to our very first T Bex Travel Creators conference.

And we’re so excited because it’s more than just a conference.

58:02

There are different experiences, excursions and even trips after the conference that you can go on as a part of you being a travel creator and and getting further into this space.

So I’m super, super excited to kind of see how it all unfolds.

I’m really excited about it too, Kim.

58:18

You know, we’ve been doing this for such a long time.

This will be the first kind of convention, so to speak, that we’re going to and in a really cool city, right?

It’s Quebec City.

And if you just look at the photos of it, of course Quebec is the one province in Canada where they like to still think they’re in Europe and that’s a OK, but I’m excited about it because looking at the photos of the buildings in the town, it’s going to be like we’re in Europe if nobody’s ever seen those photos.

58:43

So I mean, yes, Canada is a different country, but if you’ve been to candidate doesn’t really feel like a different country, it’s going to feel like a different country when we’re there just because of where we are.

Really fun for that too.

So the second-half of 2025, we have some ideas, but I don’t think we have any one of us has anything actually booked.

58:59

But in summer, Jamal and I are thinking of going to Switzerland for about a week or two to hike in the Swiss Alps, eat some fondue and then visit like Dynstein.

And we’re also thinking about going to Minnesota to visit our 53rd National Park, Voyagers National Park.

59:15

In September for Zena’s birthday, she’s been talking about wanting to go to Cyprus for so long.

I was actually just checking in with her about this trip.

So I think we are going to do it and I told her I really wanted to add on Turkey because it’s somewhat close and so I think we might be doing a September Cyprus and Turkey trip.

59:34

I know she’s been talking about doing a Big 40, so we’ll see where we’re at on that, on making it happen.

I mean, obviously I would love to.

And if we slip in Turkey, it may need to be a little bit longer of a trip for me because I may need to stay behind and work on Jamal’s hair transplants a little bit.

I mean, that’s the Turkish thing to do.

59:50

I really need it.

So, you know, that could be my selling point to really make it out there beyond celebrating with Zana is give myself a little bit of time before fourth quarter of the year comes in and I’m really busy with work to work on my hair transplant.

Yeah, that’s great.

I want to get a lot of beauty treatments when I’m there, like facials, massage.

1:00:06

They have spas and yeah, I’m excited for Turkey, the hot air balloons.

You know, I don’t know a lot about Cyprus, but Zana really hypes it up and she knows a lot about it, so I feel like I don’t have to do as much planning there.

If Jamal and I don’t make it to Turkey, we’ll be going to Portugal, the mainland, and some of the Portuguese islands like Madera or the Azores.

1:00:27

So really excited for that if we do go in that direction.

And then we also are planning to go to Oaxaca for a Dia de Los Muertos with my dad and his girlfriend.

And we’ve kind of been slinging the idea of possibly going back to West Virginia for Golly season and Bridge Day.

1:00:45

Try to fit it all in before fourth quarter comes.

Those are lofty goals.

We will see what if any of them happen.

I’m sure some of them will, maybe all if we are lucky.

But it is going to be tight.

But I’ll tell you what, Kim trying to put all that in in her May, June situation is really kind of inspiring me to fit that all in and fall right here, here before you can do it.

1:01:06

I know I can do it.

Now, of course, we’re going to have episodes on all of these trips and destinations in 2025 S Keep an eye out for all of that.

Go onto our website, travelsquadpodcast.com and sign up for our twice monthly newsletter so you get all the latest episodes, deals, discounts, everything we have in there.

1:01:24

Straighten your e-mail and stay tuned with us next year because we have some crazy stuff in store for you that we don’t want to talk about just yet.

But it’s going to be a wild year.

Thank you so much for tuning into our episode this week and all year and every year long.

Keep the adventures going with us on all the socials at Travel Squad Podcast and send us in your questions of the Week.

1:01:44

If you found the information this episode to be useful, or if you thought we were just plain funny, please be sure to share it with a friend that would enjoy it too.

And as always, please subscribe, rate and view our podcast and TuneIn every Travel Tuesday and Fridays for new episodes.

Stay tuned for next week’s episode.

1:01:59

We have some more amazing adventures and tips in store for you.