2025 didn’t unfold like a classic “travel year.” It was a year of packed suitcases, family responsibility, and long-haul miles, where joy and worry often sat side by side. We crossed continents several times—sometimes for adventure, sometimes because life demanded it.
Our 2025 timeline (the way it really happened)
January 2025: Back to the Philippines — the year begins mid-motion
We started 2025 the way we often live: already in transit. Early in January, we returned to the Philippines after our Christmas visit. It was one of those returns where your body is home, but your head still needs a few days to catch up.
February 2025: Andi flies to Germany — hospital days, not holiday days
In February, Andi flew back to Germany again—this time not for sightseeing, but because his mother was admitted to the hospital and needed support. It was a heavy reminder that the most important journeys aren’t always the ones we plan.
This was a recurring theme in 2025: travel wasn’t just a choice; it was part of caring for family.
End of April 2025: Hanoi — the trip we had dreamed of
By the end of April, we landed in Hanoi, and Vietnam immediately pulled us in. Hanoi became one of our year’s strongest highlights: intense, alive, chaotic in the best way, and strangely nostalgic at the same time.
Vietnam also delivered one of 2025’s big “reality checks”: in Ninh Binh, Andi’s knee injury altered the trip’s rhythm and forced us to slow down. Not the way we planned—but maybe the way we needed.
- More Vietnam moments that stayed with us:
- Hoi An: beautiful and charming, but undeniably touristy now
- Da Nang: beach-time that felt like a reset button
- Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City*: impressive, intense, and unforgettable—though not a place we’re rushing to revisit
Late in the trip: Cambodia — Angkor awe and unfinished understanding
Near the end of our time in Vietnam, we made the side trip we’d been dreaming about: Cambodia, with Angkor Wat as the big goal. Standing there really is something else—scale, time, and atmosphere all at once.
At the same time, Cambodia left us with a feeling we didn’t expect: that we moved too fast, and that we still “owe” the country more time—especially to better understand its history and the contrasts we saw between the polished and the painful.
After Cambodia, we went back to Saigon, closing that Southeast Asia chapter the way we began it: on busy streets, with full senses and tired legs.
A short breath… then straight back on a plane
After returning to the Philippines, we had only three days to land, unpack, repack, and emotionally switch gears.
May 19, 2025: Germany again — checking on Andi’s mother
On May 19, we were back in Germany to check in on Andi’s mother again. The year’s pattern continued: long-distance travel not because it was convenient, but because it mattered.
And in between all the hard parts, we still tried to hold onto small pockets of “normal travel joy”—especially on day trips and walks that gave us air, beauty, and a break from worry.
Germany highlights we loved (again or for the first time):
- Würzburg – walkable, elegant, and always worth a return
- Weimar – culture, memory, and the heavy shadow of *Buchenwald** nearby
- Bamberg – postcard-perfect, but still real
- Mühlhausen – an underrated town with far more than most people expect
- Erfurt & Arnstadt – not just places on a map, but personal geography for Andi
Early September 2025: Bringing Andi’s mother to the Philippines
In early September, we took a major step: we brought Andi’s mother to the Philippines. It was a journey filled with logistics, emotion, and the kind of silent stress that comes with hoping everything goes smoothly.
And then, 2025 added one more twist: The flight home that didn’t go home (Emergency landing in Hyderabad)
On the way back to the Philippines, our flight made an unexpected emergency landing in Hyderabad, India, after a medical emergency on board.
Because of the situation—and crew duty-hour limits—we ended up with an unplanned 12-hour stop, including hotel accommodation arranged by the airline.
It wasn’t part of any itinerary. But it became one of the most unforgettable “in-between” experiences of our year: that strange limbo where you’re no longer travelling, not home yet, and all you can do is wait—hoping the person who needed help is okay, and hoping the journey can continue.
What 2025 taught us (again): Travel isn’t always a break
This year made it clear: sometimes travel is a responsibility, not an escape. And the emotional weight travels with you.
Slower is not failure
The knee injury, the heat, the hospital days, the delays—none of it was “ideal,” but all of it pushed us toward a slower, more realistic pace.
The world is changing
We felt it in Vietnam and beyond: more crowds, more staged moments, more “photo-first” travel. It didn’t ruin the magic—but it changed how we look for it.
Our 2025 moments we’ll never forget
Hanoi street life, loud and alive
The unreal landscape of Ninh Binh (even with the knee drama)
Angkor’s scale and silence between the stones
Rediscovering Germany through smaller towns—not just the famous cities
The emotional weight (and love) behind bringing Andi’s mother to the Philippines
The strange pause of that Hyderabad emergency landing: a reminder that travel is never fully under our control
Looking ahead to 2026
We’re entering 2026 with one clear intention: to travel with more space—space for health, for family, and for being present in a place rather than racing through it.
If you followed along in 2025, thank you for being here. If you’re new: welcome—this blog is where we turn movement into memory.
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