OPS, I’m almost a year late writing this, which feels appropriate somehow. I only realized a few days ago that this post was never written so here I am as I love my little traditions and Travel Postcards blogs is definitely one to continue….
2024 was a year of adaptation, of learning to travel differently, of working within new constraints while still chasing that feeling of discovery that makes life worth living.
Romeo had started school the year before, but 2024 was different. He turned five, and suddenly the rules changed. Miss one day of school and we’d face fines – a very British reality that forced us to be strategic about when and where we could go. It was the first time I truly felt the weight of parenting responsibilities clashing with my travel soul.
But we made it work. Nine countries in 2024 – not bad for a year of adjustment.
Portugal – Lisbon & Sintra
Romeo has been to Portugal countless times – it’s his second home, where our family lives, where half his heart belongs. But this time was different. We spent an entire week in Lisbon and Sintra, properly exploring rather than just passing through. We booked hotels, we took our time, we showed him the city the way it deserves to be seen.
Watching Romeo fall in love with Lisbon properly was special. Not just visiting family, but actually experiencing the city as travelers – the trams, the hills, the food, the energy. Sintra’s fairy-tale palaces and mysterious forests captivated him completely. This wasn’t just another Portugal trip – this was Romeo discovering why our country holds such a special place in our lives.
Portugal 2024
Morocco
We kicked off the year properly in Marrakesh, and it felt like exactly what we needed. Romeo’s first time in Morocco, my return to a country I’ve loved for years. We split our time between the medina’s chaos and the peaceful countryside outside the city, finding that balance between immersion and breathing room that makes Moroccan travel so special.
Romeo fell in love with it immediately – the colors, the sounds, the food, the warmth. Watching him experience Morocco for the first time reminded me why I do this, why I’ll always find a way to travel no matter what constraints life throws at us. Some places just get under your skin, and Morocco is one of them.
Morocco 2024
Wales – A Day in Cardiff
Sometimes travel is about sharing places you know with your people. We took my sister and some friends to Cardiff for the day – nothing grand, just showing them around a city they’d never explored. It’s funny how these small trips can feel just as meaningful as the big adventures. Wales has always been there, familiar and comfortable, and introducing others to it felt like sharing a piece of home.
Wales 2024
Spain – Returning to Samil
This one was special. Samil is where I spent childhood holidays, that beach town that holds so many memories of being young and carefree. Taking Romeo there felt like closing a circle somehow – watching him play on the same beaches where I played decades ago, seeing him fall in love with the same coastline that shaped my own love of the sea.
We’ve been to Vigo before, but not to the beach part, not to Samil specifically. This time we did it properly, and Romeo loved every minute. It became one of his favorite trips of the year, and I think part of that was feeling my own nostalgia and joy reflected back through his eyes.
Spain 2024
Lithuania – Vilnius
Not every trip can be magical, and Vilnius reminded me of that. We went on a whim, a long weekend escape, and honestly? I don’t think I’ll ever go back.
The city itself was fine, but something about it didn’t click. The people weren’t particularly warm, and what really bothered me was the visible support for Ukraine everywhere – which is fine, I understand that proximity and history – but complete silence on Palestine. That disconnect, that selective solidarity, left a bad taste that I couldn’t shake.
Sometimes a place just doesn’t align with your values, and that’s okay. Not everywhere is meant to be loved.
Lithuania 2024
Monaco, France & Italy
This was the trip that made 2024 feel worthwhile. We started in France, but moved to Monaco with my friend Cristiana – someone I’ve known since I was five years old – and her kid. It was my first time in Monaco, Romeo’s too, and experiencing it with lifelong friends made it even more special.
Then we moved on to Italy, and this is where the magic really happened. My dear friend Nathan joined us, and then my parents came to visit. Suddenly it was a proper family adventure: Milan, Bergamo, Lake Como, incredible food, multiple generations traveling together.
Watching Romeo with his grandparents in Italy, seeing him soak up the culture and the food and the art, spending time with Nathan and my parents all together – these are the moments that justify every logistical headache, every school schedule negotiation, every compromise I make to keep traveling with my son.
Italy became one of Romeo’s top three destinations of the year, and I completely understand why.
Monaco and France 2024
Italy 2024
England – Discovering Home
With Romeo’s school schedule limiting international travel, 2024 became the year we properly explored England. The Cotswolds always charms us with their honey-colored villages and rolling hills. Bath was Romeo’s first time visiting – Romeo loved the Roman baths and the city’s Georgian elegance. Salisbury and Stonehenge were absolute highlights, standing in awe of ancient history right on our doorstep.
Newcastle, Morpeth, and Cleethorpes required a long drive that wasn’t easy, but sometimes the journey is part of the adventure. Windsor is a regular escape.
These weren’t exotic adventures, but they mattered. They showed Romeo that travel isn’t always about crossing oceans – sometimes it’s about truly seeing the place you call home.
England
Adapting to New Realities
2024 taught me that travel doesn’t have to stop when life gets complicated – it just has to evolve. Romeo turning five meant the rules changed – suddenly missing school came with real consequences, real fines, real limitations. Every trip required more planning and coordination than it used to.
But we still managed nine countries. We still created memories that will last a lifetime. We still found ways to explore, to discover, to connect with the world beyond our everyday routines.
Romeo’s favorites from 2024 were Spain, Morocco, and Italy – three very different experiences that show how adaptable and open he’s becoming as a traveler. The nostalgic beach town from my childhood, his first taste of North Africa, and a multi-generational Italian adventure. That’s a pretty incredible range for a five-year-old.
Looking Forward
As I finally write this in 2025, almost a year late, I’m reminded that travel isn’t about ticking boxes or maintaining some perfect schedule. It’s about finding ways to keep exploring even when life tries to keep you still.
2024 wasn’t my biggest travel year, but it was meaningful. It was about quality over quantity, about making every trip count, about showing Romeo that the world is still ours to discover even with new constraints.
And honestly? That feels like exactly what we both needed.
Love,
Emma