I’m doing the thing again.
Another year has flown by, another year where airports and train stations became part of our normal life, and another year where I’m sitting here trying to make sense of it all through the only lens that has ever made sense to me: movement.
If you’re new here, these “Travel Postcards” posts are my way of wrapping up the year without turning it into a perfectly curated highlight reel. It’s not a “Top 10 things to do” type of situation. It’s more like: here’s where we went, here’s what it felt like, here’s what stayed with us.
2025 was a mix of the familiar (Portugal will always be part of my year), little pockets of England in between real life, and a few new countries that genuinely surprised me.
Poland 🇵🇱 (first time — and yes, I did it in winter)
Poland was new for me, and overall? I really liked it.
I also made a rookie mistake: I went in winter. Not “oh it’s a bit chilly” winter. Proper cold. The kind of cold where you walk ten minutes and then stop somewhere just to warm up and recover.
The first day it snowed, which sounds cute until you’re actually trying to function in it. The second day was brutally cold. Me and Romi were not fans at all – he was literally in tears at one point because he couldn’t handle it. We’d walk a bit, stop for a hot chocolate, walk again, stop again.
But even with that… Warsaw impressed me. Beautiful city, great vegan scene/great food, and genuinely nice people.
So yes: Poland, I’m coming back. Just not in winter. Next time I want summer, and I want to explore properly.
Warsaw is stunning.
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Greece 🇬🇷 (first time — and now I get it)
Greece was also new for me, which sounds wild considering how close it is — but it actually makes perfect sense if you know how I used to think.
For years I’d say: while I’m young, have money, and don’t have kids, I’ll go as far as I can. I’ll save Europe for later — for when I’m older, poorer, and travelling with children.
Well… here we are…. =)
And honestly, Athens completely stole my heart.
I loved the energy, the warmth, the chaos, the food, the vibe. It reminded me so much of Portugal in that way that makes you feel weirdly at home — a feeling I’ve only had in Italy and Spain. Greece joined that list.
I was also lucky enough to have friends there, which always changes everything. Being shown around by people who actually live there makes a place feel less like a “trip” and more like a welcome.
Greece is on my heart now, and I already know this isn’t a one-time thing.
(Also: I’ve written a whole blog post about Athens/Greece, so if you want the deeper version — go read that one.)
Athens stole my heart
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Tunisia 🇹🇳 (first time — and yes, we loved it)
Tunisia was another first, for both me and Romi.
And honestly? We loved it.
If you’ve been here a while, you know I have a deep love for North African and Middle Eastern countries. Tunisia felt familiar in some ways — that warmth, that energy, that feeling of being surrounded by a culture with depth — but it’s also completely its own thing.
People were wonderful, we had a great time, and it’s absolutely a place I can see myself going back to.
Loved Tunisia
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Portugal 🇵🇹 (home, always)
Portugal will always be part of my year, no matter what.
I went to Portugal several times in 2025 — I think four or five — between my grandma’s 90th birthday, a wedding, summer holiday, and then Christmas and New Year.
Portugal is home. It’s family. It’s the place that holds my history and my heart.
And every time we go, it’s a mix of the comfort of familiarity and the reminder that “home” isn’t just one place anymore — it’s a feeling I carry around.
Home
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England 🏴 (countryside therapy, plus the usual London)
England doesn’t always get the “wow” factor in these posts because it’s where we live — but this year, England was actually a big part of our travel life.
We did a lot of countryside. A lot of Cotswolds. A lot of those little escapes that feel like you’ve stepped out of modern life and into something older and quieter — like going back to the Stone Age (in the best way). Fresh air, muddy shoes, wide open spaces, and that reset you only get when you’re away from the noise for a minute.
And obviously, we go to London all the time — London is just… London. It’s always there, always happening, always part of our rhythm.
But if I had to describe England in 2025 in one word, it would be: countryside.
Countryside and nature
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Germany 🇩🇪 (Cologne: a full-day stopover, and the friend was the point)
Germany wasn’t a destination we chose this year — it was a stopover. A full-day stopover in Cologne.
And to be honest, I’m not a big fan of Germany. I’m not going to pretend otherwise.
Cologne was fine. It was nice. But the real reason we stopped was simple: I wanted to see an old friend. That was the highlight. That was the point.
We stayed for the day, we caught up, and then we moved on — and I’m completely okay with keeping Germany in that category of “logistics + friendship,” not “place I’m desperate to revisit.” Maybe when they stop being a fascist state, we might revisit properly =)
Cologne for the day
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France 🇫🇷 (Nice, briefly)
France happened this year too, and we were in Nice.
I was genuinely excited to spend time there properly (I’d only ever passed through before), but the trip was overshadowed by the robbery we experienced almost immediately after landing — so France this year was a disappointment, and I’ll leave it at that. Full explanation in an older post if you are curious…
Ruined trip
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Egypt 🇪🇬 (back again — Christmas and New Year edition)
Egypt was part of 2025, and it was so good to be back.
This time was different because we spent Christmas and New Year there — our first time doing the holidays outside Portugal.
But I’m going to leave Egypt a little open here, because this trip deserves its own blog post (coming soon).
My beautiful Egypt
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And that was 2025
Looking at it all written down, it’s kind of wild.
Three new countries for me in one year (Poland, Greece, Tunisia), multiple returns to Portugal, countryside-heavy England with the usual London rhythm, a one-day stopover in Cologne for friendship (not the destination), a brief France chapter, and an Egypt holiday season that I’ll probably remember forever.
Travel with a child is different — slower in some ways, more intense in others — and constantly shaped by school schedules, energy levels, and the very real need for hot chocolate breaks.
But it’s also magic.
Here’s to more footprints in the clouds in 2026.
Emma