2023 End-Of-Year Summary & Sneak Peek 2024
2023 End-Of-Year Summary & Sneak Peek 2024
Published December 16, 2023
We’ve made it to the end of 2023, which means it’s time for my annual post looking back and looking forward! In all honesty, I feel like 2023 was quieter in terms of travel than the last few years. Nonetheless, I got to go on some truly amazing trips that I’ll remember fondly for years to come!
This is the fourth year in a row I’ve written an end-of-year review and sneak preview for next year. You can check out my previous ones below! Since 2020, I’ve enjoyed documenting my travel plans, including those that never materialized. In general, I feel like writing about my travel goals helps me follow through on them.
Below you’ll find the following topics covered in this post. Click or tap any link to skip directly down to the corresponding section!
2023 Review
1. Seattle, WA (Jan)
I began this year as I often do in Seattle, enjoying the holidays with family and friends! It was a long, relaxing stay that gave me a chance to reconnect with the city I called home from 2008 to 2017.
During this visit, I wrote my first seasonal travel guide about Seattle during the winter months. I’m overjoyed to finally have this rainy destination featured on Caffeinated Excursions. After all, my blog’s name partly pays homage to Seattle’s vibrant coffee culture!
2. Fort Worth, TX (Jan)
For MLK Day weekend, Ismael (a friend of the blog since its beginning) and I met up in Fort Worth, TX. We’ve also met up for long weekend trips to cities such as Dallas, Nashville, and Charleston, SC. Heading south for a few days in search of warmer weather is an unofficial winter tradition of ours!
Fort Worth exceeded my expectations. It had an awesome food scene, cool architecture downtown, and lots of local charm. It honestly just felt a little more “Texas” to me than neighboring Dallas, which I also blogged about back in 2019.
3. San Diego, CA (Feb)
In February, I took advantage of the Presidents’ Day three-day weekend to get away to San Diego. I had been to this sunny destination once before on a family vacation back in 2014. I was a college student at the time, so it was fun to reacquaint myself with “America’s Finest City” almost a decade later on a short solo trip.
During my time in SoCal, I soaked up the sun as much as I could, walked miles and miles, and explored neighborhoods including Little Italy and North Park. I also spent a day out in Torrey Pines, which was the highlight of the trip. It was such a gorgeous stretch of Pacific coastline!
4. Aruba & Curaçao (Apr)
My first big trip of 2023 was a week-long stay in Aruba and Curaçao. Both countries are part of the Dutch Caribbean. In fact, Aruba is the “A” and Curaçao is the “C” in the ABC Islands, an archipelago not far from the coast of Venezuela. (For those who are curious, the “B” stands for Bonaire, the least touristy of the trio. That one remains on my travel wish list!)
Dorian and Ismael are two friends who joined me on this trip. Both of them appear frequently on my blog. This vacation was a blast, and I was especially glad to visit Aruba with a small group. That’s because I had been to Aruba once before in 2017 on a whirlwind solo trip. This visit to “One Happy Island” was a little longer and more laid-back. We also covered more ground this time thanks to our rental car.
In the middle of our trip, we boarded a little propeller plane and flew over to Curaçao. We stayed there for three nights. Despite only being there for a little while, I was fascinated by what Curaçao had to offer. It’s a lot bigger than Aruba, it feels more industrial, and I’d say it has closer cultural ties to Europe than Aruba. The beaches are also less touristy. If you’re looking for a new vacation spot in the Southern Caribbean, Curaçao is a great option to look into!
5. Milwaukee, WI (May & June)
Most people I’ve met in Chicago have great things to say about our neighbor to the north, Milwaukee! “Brew City” shares a lot in common with Chicago in terms of geography, but the two have distinct cultural elements. I spent a few weekends in late spring and early summer up in Milwaukee: one with Ismael and one on my own.
On both trips, I explored the lakefront, ate as much as I could, and sampled local beers. I honestly wished that I had gone up to “MKE” (as it’s often abbreviated) a few more times in 2023. Amtrak makes it pretty easy to get from downtown Chicago to Milwaukee in a little over an hour. In general, Wisconsin is a state I want to keep exploring as we get into 2024.
6. Chicago (Summer)
Other than my trips to Milwaukee, I spent most of this summer in Chicago. I did a little bit of local exploring, but not as much as I would’ve liked because of my work schedule. I’m hoping to do something a little different next summer, so keep reading to see what I have planned in terms of blogging about Chicago and the surrounding region!
7. Crater Lake, OR (Aug)
At the end of summer, I met up with three friends from Seattle to do a road trip to Crater Lake, Oregon! Dorian, Ismael, Matthew, and I have done about half a dozen different Pacific Northwest trips since we graduated high school, and I’ve blogged about the ones we’ve embarked on post-COVID.
Crater Lake was amazing, mainly because the color of the water is so unique! I didn’t know before visiting that Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the US. There are also no rivers that feed into it, which is probably why it’s so clear and glassy.
8. Kansas City, MO (Sept)
Ever since I moved to Chicago, I’ve wanted to cover more ground in the Midwest. Labor Day weekend was the perfect time to check out a new destination: Kansas City! Like Milwaukee, this was another mid-sized city that really impressed me. Of course, a major focus of my visit was to try the local barbecue! But I also found many of the city’s historic neighborhoods to be charming.
9. Brown County, IN (Oct)
October was a month when I got to celebrate a major milestone: finally publishing a post featuring a destination in Indiana! As I mentioned above, I spent the second half of my childhood and college years living in Washington State. But I spent my early childhood in Indiana, so I consider both places to be home. Ever since I started Caffeinated Excursions, I’ve wanted to write about both states. 2023 was the year that finally happened!
I didn’t live in Brown County when I was growing up, so why did this end up being my first Indiana blog post? Well, my cousin Kailyn lives in this area right now. She has her own travel blog, which you should definitely check out! Brown County is known for its gently rolling hills, forests and parks, and natural beauty. Peak tourist season is fall when the leaves turn golden and red.
10. Central Indiana for a Wedding (Nov)
In the last few months, I did two Indiana trips in a row. After visiting Kailyn in Brown County, I headed back to celebrate my aunt’s wedding! It was just a one day trip, but I’m so glad I got to be there because the ceremony and the weather were absolutely perfect! Congratulations to Amy and Ari!
11. Geneva & Lausanne, Switzerland (Nov)
The day after my aunt’s wedding, I boarded a plane from Chicago to Geneva. This year, I got the entire week of Thanksgiving off, and I decided to travel. Since I had just seen my extended family, I don’t feel like I missed out on a lot by being abroad for Thanksgiving.
My main reason to visit Switzerland in November was to visit Abbey and Wyatt, two friends who moved here from the United States about a year ago. I spent a day or two in Geneva, but the majority of this trip was spent in Lausanne, a truly lovely town that’s about an hour away by train. It was a phenomenal trip, and I’m still working on my blog posts about these towns in the French-speaking part of the country.
12. Indiana Again for Christmas (Dec)
Since I have family in both Seattle and Indianapolis, I try to spend Christmas in one of those two cities. This year, I will be headed back to Indy for a few days of holiday cheer.
13. Guadalajara, Mexico for New Year (Dec)
My final trip of 2023 will be to Guadalajara! I’m flying there in between Christmas and New Year. I can’t wait for this trip! It’ll be my first time back in Mexico since 2018, when I lived in Mexico City. I’m familiar with the country overall and have been to about a dozen major cities, but Guadalajara will be a new one for me. I’m excited to see what it’s all about!
LOOKING FORWARD TO 2024
1. Guadalajara, Mexico for New Year (Jan)
Since I plan to celebrate New Year in Mexico, I’ll begin my 2024 abroad! I have a total of nine days scheduled for this trip, which I hope will give me enough time to really do a deep dive into this famous city in the state of Jalisco. I may also do a day trip or two to nearby towns such as Tequila or Chapala.
2. Charlotte, NC (Jan)
This is my second trip planned for next year. I used to live in South Carolina (from 2017 to 2018), and I spent quite a few weekends up in Charlotte right across the state border. Even though I had started my blog by then, I never managed to organize a post about the “Queen City.” Nonetheless, I always really liked Charlotte and am excited to have it featured on Caffeinated Excursions soon!
3. Somewhere Warm for Presidents' Day Weekend (Feb)
I know that by February of 2024, I’ll be craving an escape from the wind and snow in Chicago. With that in mind, I plan to spend Presidents’ Day somewhere warm, just like I did in 2023! I haven’t decided where yet, so check back in a few weeks to see what I decide on! A smaller, historic city like Charleson, SC would be perfect.
4. Miami to Mexico to Bahamas Cruise (Mar)
I’m already looking forward to April of next year because Ismael and I are planning on doing a classic Florida-based cruise! After taking my first cruise in the summer of 2022 (a Viking Rhine River cruise), I’m eager to compare how that was to a voyage on a larger ocean-faring vessel.
I also have fingers crossed that my review of this upcoming cruise will become one of my top-viewed posts. That’s because my Viking Cruise review was my most popular post in 2023! If cruise reviews consistently drive traffic, I’ll probably pivot to writing more of them in the coming years.
5. Somewhere Close to Home for Memorial Day Weekend (May)
This holiday weekend in May is an awesome time to travel as spring turns to summer. However, tickets are never cheap, and things can be a little crazy. That’s why I want to do a local trip, preferably one that doesn’t involve flying. If I rent a car, there are countless possibilities in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, or Michigan.
One option is to take the ferry from Milwaukee across Lake Michigan to Muskegon, MI. Millions of people live on the shores of Lake Michigan, but I don’t think many have actually crossed this massive body of water by boat. It would be a fun, random thing to cross off my Midwest bucket list!
7. Local Midwest Trips From Chicago (Summer)
Okay, so this is where I want to do something totally different for next year. As you may be able to tell from my travel schedule, I work in education. The great thing about that is all of the time off compared to most American corporate jobs. However, the problem (at least in the district where I work) is that we don’t get paid over the summer.
For the summer of 2024, I will probably need to work part-time. However, I’d love to cap that at two days a week and travel the other five. I don’t know if that’s realistic; I could easily end up needing to work more than that. But if I can make it work, I’d love to go on a bunch of Midwest trips in June, July, and August! Below are some of the places I have in mind.
St. Louis, MO
After visiting Kansas City this year, I’d love to go back to Missouri next year to see the state’s other major metro. I remember reading somewhere that KC is known for its barbecue, while St. Louis is known for its beer. That’s reason enough for me to go! There’s also a direct Amtrak line from Chicago to St. Louis, so I won’t need to fly to see the famous arch.
Hyde Park, Chicago, IL
I’m not done exploring Chicago’s neighborhoods, and Hyde Park is one I really want to blog about next summer! Unfortunately, the CTA (Chicago’s urban rail system) doesn’t really serve Hyde Park, which makes it a little harder to get to. However, I can still get there from the Loop on Metra (the suburban train network); it just takes a little more time. Luckily, that shouldn’t be an issue next summer. I’m looking forward to writing about this historic South Side community!
Madison, WI
I’ve heard from numerous people that Madison, the capital of Wisconsin, is a fun college town with lots of outdoor offerings. The city center is situated on an isthmus in between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona, and I’m a fan of unusual geography! As of right now, there’s no train line from Chicago (or even Milwaukee) to Madison, so I’d have to take a Greyhound-style bus or rent a car to get there.
Indiana Dunes National Park, IN
Indiana Dunes is the closest national park to Chicago, and the two are connected by the South Shore Line (SSL) train. I don’t know how convenient it is, but I kind of want to find out! I’m hoping that this will be my second Indiana blog post after publishing my Brown County guide this fall.
New Buffalo, MI
If you keep heading east along the lake from Indiana Dunes, you’ll eventually find yourself in Michigan. The first little town after you cross the state border is New Buffalo. A former colleague recommended I take the Amtrak out this way and spend a weekend in this little lakefront town. In particular, she said I have to try Beer Church Brewing, which I definitely plan to do when I’m there!
8. Montreal, Canada (Summer)
My biggest trip planned for mid or late summer is Montreal! Ismael suggested we get together as a group to explore the city’s food scene and summer activities. Chicago is a quick flight to many of Canada’s largest cities including Montreal, so it should be pretty easy for me to get over there. On a more basic level, 2024 will be my sixth year of travel blogging. It’s definitely time to get a Canadian destination up on Caffeinated Excursions!
9. Seattle for a Wedding or Two (Aug)
At the end of summer, I’ll be spending some time in Seattle to attend at least one wedding. My brother Michael and his fiancée Niki are going to get married! After a summer of mostly solo travel, it’ll be awesome to get together with family and celebrate this joyous occasion!
10. Additional Trips in Fall
My plans for the final few months of 2024 are very much still up in the air. I will be honest: traveling for the entire week of Thanksgiving (and essentially skipping the holiday) is something I could get used to. I’m tempted to do it again next November, but we’ll have to see. If I do, here are some places I might go.
Costa Rica?
Whether I visit in 2024 or not, Costa Rica is likely the next country I’ll visit in Central America. It’s widely regarded as the safest destination in the region, and a trip in the fall as the weather is getting colder sounds heavenly.
Spain?
I’d love to book a trip to Spain in October or November of next year if I can fit it in. I spent some time in Lisbon in October 2022, and found autumn to be an ideal time to go. The weather was generally still good, but the tourist crowds weren’t overwhelming. I’ve already been to France, Germany, and Italy, so Spain is a logical next destination in terms of major countries in Europe.
Plans for 2025 and Beyond
1. Australia & New Zealand Cruise (early 2025)
At the beginning of 2025, my family and I are planning on doing an Australia and New Zealand cruise! I’m really excited for that, since it’ll be the third cruise review on my blog. I also want to spend a few days in both countries before and after the journey. I want to get to know some of the major cities in Oceania I haven’t explored yet such as Auckland and Sydney.
2. Extended International Trip (2026? 2027?)
For those who didn’t already know, I’m just going to come out and say it: I don’t plan on living in Chicago forever. I’ve been thinking about when I might leave, and it’s looking like that’ll probably be around 2026 or 2027. If you go back to my previous “year-end review and sneak preview” posts, you’ll see that I originally planned to live in Chicago for less than a year. Two and a half years later, I’m still here! The biggest reason for that is arguably Chicago’s phenomenal food scene, but that’s a story for a different blog post!
When I do eventually leave, I plan on embarking on an extended international trip. I want to do a minimum of six months of nonstop international travel. I’m aiming to travel longer though, perhaps more than a year. I’m going to center this long trip on Central Asia and Southeast Asia, although I may spend time in other regions. I’m also aiming to elevate my blog during this time and bring it to the next level.
I’ll be posting more information about my plans within the next few years. In the meantime, I’ll continue to blog about Chicago, the Midwest, and other amazing destinations!
3. Move to Japan (~2028)
After my extended international trip, my goal is to move to Japan to teach ESL. That’s how I originally got into education back in 2019! Ever since then, travel and education have gone hand-in-hand for me. Just like I plan to live in Chicago for a total of five or six years, I plan to stay in Japan for an extended period of time. I want to get to know the country inside and out! I also want to become a leading voice on traveling within Japan while I’m there.
Thanks for Reading & Supporting Caffeinated Excursions!
Whether you’ve been clicking links on Caffeinated Excursions since it began in 2018 or you’ve just discovered my blog, thank you for your support! It’s been awesome to see more and more people find my work each passing year and take the time to read what I have to say about destinations on six continents in over three dozen countries. Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season and a fabulous New Year!
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This post was published on Dec 16, 2023
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Great post! Thanks for the update!