Cheers to 2025: Miles, Memories, and Meaningful Travel
Bike riding in Yellowstone - June 2025
As 2025 comes to a close, I’m feeling incredibly grateful, not just for where we traveled, but for how those experiences shaped our family along the way.
FreshCruiser debuted a new look and design in 2025
This year, we logged over 20 flights, 8 countries plus many road trips, train rides, and cruises. But the biggest milestone of the year wasn’t measured in distance at all, it was the relaunch of FreshCruiser.
After years of traveling as a family, sharing tips, and learning what actually works on the road (and at sea), the site needed a fresh look and feel. I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. It finally reflects who we are: active, curious, realistic, and always planning the next adventure.
And yes, 2026 will be full of more travel.
Taking Time to Reflect
Images from a few places we traveled to this year including: Yellowstone, Vancouver, NYC, Florence Oregon, and Red Rock Canyon by Las Vegas.
The holiday season is hectic, but it’s also the perfect moment to pause. One of our favorite family traditions is sitting down together and flipping through photos from the year, not just trips, but everyday moments we’re so quick to forget.
Those photos spark gratitude, laughter, and honest conversations about what we loved most and what we want more of in the coming year.
Once school is back in session and sports schedules take over, life moves fast. That’s why I’m a big believer in blocking off travel dates early. Some families thrive on last-minute trips. For us, if dates aren’t protected, a swim meet or birthday party pops up and suddenly the trip never happens. If we aren’t sure that we can get away, we book a trip that’s fully cancellable until 24-48 hours before.
Planning ahead is how our adventures actually happen.
Say Yes to Travel
Budapest, Hungary
I hope the travel guides and stories here on FreshCruiser have helped you plan your own trips or have inspired you to dream a little bigger. Take that cruise. Get your kids passports. Say yes to something just outside your comfort zone.
Some of my favorite memories from this year are the simplest ones: standing together as a family, laughing uncontrollably over something completely silly. Those moments make the packing, early alarms, and red-eye flights worth it. Travel has a way of bonding us - not perfectly, but deeply.
And yes, things went wrong too. They always do.
We had delays, hiccups, and one memorable moment where we were stopped for two hours outside of Bratislava, Slovakia due to a train accident. Instead of being mad and annoyed that we were missing time in Bratislava, we leaned into it. We played charades, danced, and turned an inconvenience into a memory.
How we react in those moments sets the tone for how our kids handle challenges - on the road and in life.
Travel Isn’t Always Easy. That’s the Point.
Exploring Waterfalls in Costa Rica
Not every destination is easy. Not every experience comes with bells and whistles. But that’s exactly why travel matters.
Travel pushes us to try unfamiliar foods, hear new languages, navigate different cultures, and see the world through someone else’s lens. It can feel uncomfortable at times but that discomfort is where growth happens. We learn. We change. We gain perspective and respect along the way.
That’s how I look at travel: not perfection, but progress.
Thank you for being part of our journey. Here’s to new passport stamps, deeper connections, and many more FreshCruiser adventures ahead.
Cheers to 2026!
— Abby, FreshCruiser
Heading to the train in Budapest, Hungary
FreshCruiser Tip
If family travel matters to you, protect your travel dates early. Even if plans change, having those dates blocked makes trips far more likely to happen — especially once school, sports, and activities fill the calendar.