After looking at different destinations and travel options for an end-of-year trip for nearly two months, my fiancé, Nathan, and I decided to skip the big trip this year as we start getting ready for our wedding and focus on a few smaller trips next year. However, I do happen to have one more business trip for the year that actually lands on my birthday week, so that makes missing the trip an easier decision.

Truth be told, I’m a little bummed out we didn’t meet our travel goals for the year but also can’t complain. I kicked off my travel in early April with a girls’ trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. I’ve talked about my amazing stay at Corazon Cabo Resort & Spa in a couple of blogs like In the Heart of Los Cabos and Sips & Bites at Rooftop 360. Beyond the legendary customer service and simple yet elegant oasis the property resembles, my friend and I both agreed the food was undoubtedly exquisite.

Shortly after being wrapped up in the warmth and vibrancy of Cabo San Lucas, I found myself starting a fire to make dinner as Nathan and I camped out in Red Hook, New York. You may be thinking, “Oof, that’s rough!” and you’re not wrong, ha! However, it was a beautiful experience to spend time in nature and be awakened by the sun and the sound of the babbling stream in the morning. We explored the nearby towns and came across a delicious pop-up restaurant by Chef Sam Fernandez. I also blogged about this; you can read more here.

Fast-forward to mid-May, I’m with some girlfriends, enjoying an ice-cold beer and some of Chickie’s & Pete’s famous crab fries at Philadelphia International Airport while we wait for our evening flight to the charming Savannah, Georgia. My future sister in-law’s destination bachelorette party was the perfect excuse to go back to the South; I had a really good time in New Orleans, Louisiana, in December 2021 and promised myself to visit a new Southern city this year, and so I did.

Besides some rain on our first night, the weather was a lovely break from the early cold days of spring on the East Coast. We stayed in a suburban area near the South Historic District where the neighborhoods were clean and quiet and the houses exuded so much character and elegance. We had a flexible itinerary but we made the best of our time there; we brunched, walked through City Market and part of the Savannah College of Art and Design campus, bar hopped for mid-afternoon drinks and small bites, went on a Sunset Hearse Ghost Tour — which was made even spookier by the fact that it was Friday 13th  – and even went to a drag show. Did I mention we packed all of this into our first full day? The rest of the trip consisted of walking tours, leisure lunches and a 1970s-themed house party hosted by the bride squad. Such a fun trip!

With the exception of my usual trips to New York City to visit family and for business purposes, I stayed home for most of the summer. Then in mid-August I picked it back up with a quick business trip to San Diego. Part of the team and I attended GBTA’s Annual Convention and also hosted this year’s The Trazees awards from trazeetraavel.com. In between meetings and events, the team enjoyed the decadent and innovative food scene of the area, from the coastal cuisine Chef JoJo Ruiz offered at Lionfish to amazing cocktails and sushi at Nobu. You can read more about this trip here.

After a few days at home, Nate and I packed up the car and headed down to the Outer Banks, North Carolina, to join his family on their annual family vacation. I’ll tell you more about this and my upcoming trip in a future blog.

In the meantime, tell me: What has been the best highlight of your travels this year? Send me your answers to info@globaltravelerusa.com.

— Yasser Ogando, advertising & production manager