Lyd's 2025 Recap

Wow! Day 365 is here!

Editor's note...I wanted to Title it:

Lyd's Look BACK at Year 1...but that got overruled. (husband)

January 15, 2026 wraps up day 365 on our 2+ year around the world trip. We’ve visited 23 countries, seen some amazing things and had some fantastic food but the top three things for me have been the people (old & new friends), the animals (in Serengeti and otherwise) and time with the husband. (another editor's note - how did 'time with husband' end up 3rd on her list?????)

And because I’m a terrible speller, grammar’er and writer we’re all better off with stories from Husband and heartfelt sloppy paragraphs from me. Don’t judge - can you whip up dinner for 30 people without breaking a sweat? That’s my superpower….I can’t be good at everything even though I’m a Capricorn. And all y’all know I love cats now, so that counts towards my likability polling numbers too. So here goes…

Now that 12 months have passed here are some of my thoughts:

This ATW trip started on January 15th with a fancy 1st class (points) flight to Mexico City and a 3rd rate idea of the year ahead. We kinda said we’ll maybe be in “these” countries on “these” days so that friends and family could join us along the way or so we could embed ourselves into their trips & lives. We had drivers licenses that, at the time, we didn’t know were going to expire while we were in Asia. So we had to make a very unexpected but fantastic trip home to renew them in our super progressive state of MO that requires people over 49 years old to renew live….in person! We didn’t have a hotel loyalty program figured out - a big mistake that’s been fixed with IHG. And hoped that we wouldn’t drive each other crazy as we ventured from a totally stable and happy life in STL to a Gypsy lifestyle with a couple credit cards, passports and 30kg of luggage as our only constant in the 24+ months ahead.

WE’VE HAD THE MOST EPIC YEAR EVER!

Filled with new lifelong friendships, tons of adventure, lots of airport security lines, heavy luggage, figuring out traffic signs in Turkish, Arabic or Greek, ordering items off the menu and having zero idea of what’s coming to the table, never knowing what light switch to turn on or off in our 100th hotel or what the currency exchange rate is or what currency you are even supposed to be using. It’s also saying thank you in Arabic when you arrive in English speaking South Africa or saying gracias in Portugal. The missteps go on and on and I couldn’t have written a better script for what was 2025.

I’m going to add a bunch of names and places to the bottom of this post and hopefully the “microphone doesn’t descend into the stage” or my memory misses a beat and leaves someone off the list.

Chronological order:

Mexico City day 2/365  Jorge, Shera from the STL & Jeff & Lori via the world & Texas. It was all about cocktail bars, tacos, a soccer game and 25 thousand steps a day.

Most of Northern and Western Ireland with Evy & Erik, our Seattle kindred spirits, and them joining us for the best birthday dinner the Husband ever had as we cruised along the amazing Wild Atlantic Way another must visit-again-sooner-than-later place.

Kinsale, Ireland with our beloved Tulsa Family, Angie, Analiese, Bryan, Courtney at the wedding of Bailey & Christopher. St Patrick’s Day  and a beautiful manor house on the sea. Dublin with Kristine, Dick, Christian and the NEW Mr. & Mrs. Strickland.

Paris with our lovely and inspiring French family, Emmanuel, Clemence & Jules. Being in your home was magical and we love you.

Our other Paris friends (via South Africa) with duck-on-fire, STLFed conversations, the importance of Sephora’s worldwide domination and your kid busking in the Tuileries: Anton, Amanda, Annie and Alex.

A special Paris & Amsterdam birthday with our Memphis people Lesli & Kevin, Joan, Lila. More bikes, tall people & tulips than the eye can see!

STL/Porto people Ellen, Bob, Chelsea, Kevin, Jay. With an amazing day in the Douro Valley and beautiful walks around my favorite Portuguese city!

Spain…our first traveling love affair. Spent with Tom & Lisa at their beautiful old town Valencia apartment.

Moroccan fun in Chefchaouen with our Kenyan friends; people-that-actually-make-the-world-better: Yuki (via Japan) & Tristan (France). I wonder how we have so so so many French friends now? I guess it’s luck and timing.

A quick minute with Mr. Lucas Peters in Tangier. He’s googlable.

The very American and international Sahara Desert crew with camel rides, hiking, sand boarding, dancing the night away, birthday cake, donkey attacks and a quad sunrise tour: Sophia, Kathrine, Nikos, Kiran, Conner, Kat, Pato and Pedro. The only 3-day trip that we’ve been on that we were actually old enough to be the parents of everyone on the tour. And husband could possibly be their GRANDparent...

Cape Town and Stellenbosch and being with our Paris friends Anton, Amanda, Annie and Alex again. Dinner in Stellenbosch and breakfast at your house was so special to us. Thanks again for your guidance on everything South Africa.

JoBurg & Pilanesberg Safari with Dr. John and Kari the master coordinator of all things Johannesburg! Grumpa was in good spirits so that was nice! Ostrich wallets for everyone! And the fun extraction from under a dark freeway underpass. Straight out of a Taken movie!

The Botswana - Zimbabwe crew: Rob, Alex, Emma, Pat, Dr. Francesca, Casey, Kari (again). Including baby lions, elephants, hip-hop-popotamus’, hurt belly syndrome because we were laughing so hard, two countries in one day and a cat named Sheila! And cheers to adding Hawaii to the “most likely” list.

Christian, Chris & the fantastic Missouri Botanical Garden staff of Tana, Madagascar. They shared amazing information with us on their conservation efforts in Madagascar including the baobab forests. I’m so proud to play a small part with the MoBot team. The global work they do is world class and I admire them.

Our Mt. Kili killers: Mary & Florence in Tanzania, Zanzibar. Having dinner with you and hanging out for those few days was so fun! We admire you both so much and hope to see you somewhere in the world. And beware of the Modern Maasai .

Patrick (the best Serengeti Guide ever). And the #1 thing we did this year. Being with the animals and all their babies was extraordinary! If you want to start reading the website, start with the Serengeti post. The photos are phenomenal.

Nairobi with Yuki, Tristan (part two), Loki (Nairobian) and Vanill. Where we finally felt useful and at home, cooking, dog walking and helping you move into your new place was an awesome way to spend a couple weeks in Kenya. You are amazing hosts and it has nothing to do with the fact that you owned a washer AND a dryer.

Greece and Kea with Michael (Tom) & Raccoon, Jeff and Valerie. What a gift of welcoming us into your mountainside paradise and the food and wine was unforgettable.

Berkeley hitchhikers on the Kea ferry.

Nikos (again) in Athens. Fun reconnecting after the Sahara Desert. And that interesting incident where the drunk lady fell into our lunch table and lamb chops and beer flew all over the place!

Dutch pilots on a sail boat & French hitchhikers, side bar - yes we pick up hitchhikers and no it’s not dangerous, well until it is.

Greek island hopping with Jackie, Bev & some hilarious Australian girls. “Storming” islands, hiking, beach days, quad rides, Santorini sunsets, lots of cats and laughter! As we move closer to one foot in the grave and one foot on a banana peel, we’ll always think of you, Bev! We might as well go for it! Pick up the hitchhikers!

Cappadocia with Myles, Casey and the amazing Hotel Aydinli team. Myles, I use my watch flashlight ALL THE TIME! How did I not know that before? Tripping hazard averted during 3am trips to the loo, you may have actually saved my life!

Qatar and Abu Dhabi with Lewis, Carlos, Fernando, Lando, Oscar, Kimi and the other 14 IYKYK because I said so.

Beautiful India Part 1, 2 & 3 with Raju, Theckla, Devy, Mitch, Milana, Kiran, Pookie & Louis. Our 12 days together wasn’t enough! Thanks for taking us to your childhood home Raju and to your families' home for dinner! What a way to spend the holidays! We love you all so much.

Rishikesh, India @ Veda5 Yoga & Ayurvedic Retreat and our international crew: Ion, Lily, Laura, Aniela, Lorella, the kind Chicago ladies Jenn, Rachel, Michaelyn, Scotland Rachel & Rewery and 50+ monkeys and 2 horny ones! IM me if you want details, keeping this post PG.

I thought I’d add a few of my least favorite things as well: missing our friends, family and our Pure Hot Yoga community. Access to a washer that WASN'T the sink/shower AND a dryer.

This part was going to be a P.S. but I didn’t want to end on a negative note.

Now on to 2026 and as our dear friends the Errard family in Paris, “shared” with us this new years, I’d like to share it with you, my gentle readers.

Edited because “my French” of course:

I dream of a society where instead of exchanging wishes we would share our dreams.

A society where we would dare ask ourselves: what do you really want for 2026?

What is the experience that makes your soul vibrate?

And above all:

Can I help you in any way?

I dream that we learn to support the dreams of others.

That we know how to recognize another in their greatness. In their beauty.

Without reducing them to their fears.

So no, I don’t wish you a happy new year. My dream is for you to have a LIVING year that’s uninhibited and gives you the courage to go for what vibrates your soul and fulfills your dreams.

I’m sure my magic French translation machine missed some of the nuance but the sentiment is clear.

And I close with my Errard Family French good bye and hello: *two head bumps and 3 kisses.

*imagine two soft forehead touches and 3-alternating cheek kisses  

Now on to day 366 with Bhutan, Nepal & Bangkok on deck.

Love, Lyd

January 14, Kolkata, India 12:25am

P.s. when and where are you going to meet us? It would help fulfill one of my 2026 dreams