‘Maybe I just want to fly / I want to live, I don’t want to die / Maybe I just want to breath / Maybe I just don’t believe / Maybe you’re the same as me / We see things they’ll never see / You and I are gonna live forever.’-Noel Gallagher
When 2025 started, I had no idea so much travel was ahead of me and where I had planned on going is not where I ended up. I said yes to a lot of things and while my bank account suffered severely, I had the best time of my life!
In March, I spent spring break in New York City. I stopped to see my dad near Pittsburgh and then my best friends in Philadelphia but spent five blissful days in the city seeing as many broadway shows as possible. The reason for the trip was to see George Clooney in Good Night and Good Luck with my best friend, Kim, who came up from Philly for the night. But while I was there, I saw Sunset Boulevard (it was fine), Smash (amazing), Gypsy (with Audra and great), and The Outsiders, which has become my new favorite musical! I ate a lot of Pret and walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. I realized I never did a post on my trip so once will be forthcoming!
Then, after years of dreaming, I headed to the Galapagos Islands! I worked with Terra Sur Travels and had the trip of a life time. I spoke on it extensively on the blog but words nor photos can capture the pure beauty of that place. That I swam with sea lion and turtles, saw an orca leap out of the water, and got up close to the famed giant tortoises…like how is this real life! Then a few days in the area surrounding Quito, where I zip lined for the first time and rode a horse amongst the wild horses of Cotopaxi. I even fed hummingbirds. This was the first time, as an adult, I had ever traveled somewhere that English was not widely spoken and it was a lot. But I grew so much in those eight days. I still pinch myself. I was recently having a conversation with a friend about snorkeling in Costa Rica, she asked if I snorkeled a lot. That my reply was I have been a couple of times in the Great Barrier Reef and the Galapagos…what a privileged thing to be able to say and to know for certain that when I started this blog six years ago I would end of up here…you just never know!
I did a lot of incredible things this year but the thing that brought me the most joy was seeing Oasis at Wembley Stadium. I know it sounds trite, it is just a band and I did a lot of things, but it was a show I never knew would happen. Being there with 80,000 fellow fans that felt the same in a city/stadium so tied with the band on their first night there, as Liam Gallagher would say, ‘Biblical!’ I also had to rework my original plans in conjunction with the concert as Faroe Island’s self drive tour sold out…I am still trying to figure out when to go. But it allowed me to visit Iceland (and snorkeling in a fissure) and Istanbul…
Visiting this ancient city was one of those things that probably wasn’t the most financially best use of my time, it was a long way for two days but worth it. I had wanted to visit as long as I could remember and the whole time there, I just couldn’t believe I was actually there. I loved every second and worth the long flights and whatever bug I picked up on the way home. The city is eternal and I cannot wait to go back and explore more of the country!
The fall stayed busy with a trip to see Oasis in Los Angeles (I couldn’t not go, it was essentially a hometown show), a visit from my brother, trip to Cap Rock Canyon, and, then Costa Rica. All of these will featured in future posts but know that each forced to me to continue to grow and focus on what I really want. Costa Rica also involved me repelling down a 100+ foot waterfall!
All of this is to say that you just never know where your road may lead. Outside of travel, I built stronger friendships (and ended ones when boundaries were crossed) and deeper ties to my community. I oversaw a big fundraiser and it didn’t kill me, lol! I was even gifted my first piece from Kuhl, all because of my little spot on the interwebs. I learned a lot about what I was truly capable of and, I have to say, surprising yourself even in your 40s is pretty great! It wasn’t all sunshine, I am still single and it does get lonely. I still have chronic anxiety but, each day, I get better at having good days versus bad ones. And I have the best gus.
*above images taken by Angelica Ramos
This year, I am hoping to go to Jordan with G Adventures and beginning to map out a big, cross country road trip for Gus and I. But I have learned that sometimes you just need to open to the magic of what could happen…to be brave and live furiously. You never know, Oasis may tour again!
