I can go on and on about how Philly’s food and coffee scene are underrated, and y’all know I have an ongoing hashtag #phillynooks that I update periodically to highlight this great city I now call home.

We traveled to Austin, Texas this Christmas for a family wedding. We had a blast spending quality time with family and exploring the quirky land of breakfast tacos and barbecue. Here’s a list of things we did that I would highly recommend to anyone who’s planning a trip!

We finished our road trip through the Southwest at Zion National Park. We saw plenty of red rock on our trip, but Zion’s chiseled vermillion canyons were unrivaled in their majesty.

Part two of our Arizona Itinerary includes Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, and a secret spot I’m hesitant to share because it was hands down the most serene part of our time in Arizona.

We flew into Phoenix and drove our rental through Sedona, Flagstaff, and Page over three days. While we weren’t able to hit up everything on our bucket list (most notably Monument Valley and the Vermillion Cliffs), we thoroughly enjoyed our road trip through the heart of the American Southwest.

So grateful for a weekend away in a beautiful cabin with framily.

Our favorite Kauai spots and recommendations (part 2/2)

Our favorite Kauai spots and recommendations (part 1/2)

Our favorite Maui spots and recommendations (2/2)

Our favorite Maui spots and recommendations (1/2)

Since we were flying into Oahu anyways, we decided to stay for a few days to explore the island. We were pretty jet lagged coming from Japan, so we took it easy. The majority of our time in Hawaii was spent on Maui and Kauai, itineraries for which I will also be sharing as separate blog posts.

Our favorite Osaka spots and recommendations

Our favorite Kyoto spots and recommendations

Just an hour outside of Tokyo by train, Hakone is an idyllic town dotted with hot spring resorts, forests, mountains, and quaint storefronts. Hakone was a highlight of our trip, and L and I hope to return soon!

We hit up Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, and Osaka on the Japan leg of our honeymoon. Rather than stuffing our extensive itinerary into one post, I will be breaking it up into more digestible, bite-sized posts, beginning today with Tokyo!

Jejudo (Jeju Island) was a welcome change of pace from the frenetic energy of Seoul. I felt my walk becoming a stroll—perhaps I wasn’t moving any slower than I was in the city, but there was an unhurried ease with each step. It was nice.

We stayed at the Shilla Hotel, enjoyed lovingly prepared food and drinks by locals who take pride in their craft, and, despite the cloudy and intermittently rainy weather, were able to check off most of the sites on our bucket list.