The last three days of our trip we ended up re-visiting some spots and just soaking up the Tokyo vibes. Japan has become one of my favourite places — but I know I’ll have to go back one day.

The first adventure was literally just getting to Shinjuku. We made the mistake of taking the metro to Shinjuku Station directly. It’s known as being the world’s most notoriously confusing metro station, and it definitely was stressful to navigate.

That’s the thing about travelling – whether you’re doing it alone or with friends or family – you need to protect your energy. If you’re going to be planning a busy itinerary and packing as much as you can into your limited time in a new country, that is expected. But you also have to plan for some downtime. 

If you’re hoping to eat the iconic fluffy pancakes at Happy Pancake, you’re going to have to go a couple of hours early, scan the QR code and get on the virtual, waiting list. You’ll get contacted when your reservation is ready!

When I think about Tokyo, I think about the city’s rich history and culture. So the day we had planned to go to Asakusa and see Senso-ji Temple, I was so eager to get up and go.

Then it was time to head to Shibuya Sky for our ticketed slot. Most people try to book this lookout ticket for sunset, but we wanted to go early in our day. So if you’re trying to book for sunset hour, it’s going to be hard to book.

Tokyo seemed like a pipe dream of a location for so long. Somewhere I’d always wanted to go, but would never be able to make it happen. And suddenly this destination went from being a fantasy to reality.

Waking up on the last day in Vegas was almost painful. My partner and I had such an amazing week together with our friends, and by the end of the night, we’d be on a plane back home.

That realization that hits you around this point of your travels when you realize you’re going to have to go back home, and the fantasy will soon be over. So we had packed our day full of bucket list things we wanted to do in Las Vegas.

Almost immediately after booking our flights and hotel for this trip, I realized The Killers would be doing a two-week residency in Vegas. So I very quickly booked a ticket to one of the shows.

My friends and I had an incredible week in Vegas, but our day in Red Rock Canyon was one of my favourites. I love a light hike, and a light hike in the desert is my newest happy place.

The first time I was in Las Vegas, I was told to go to Omega Mart for a very unique immersive art experience. This time, I wasn’t going to miss the chance.

We spent our first day in Vegas walking non-stop, so my friends and I made the call to take it a little easier for day two. 

We didn’t plan to do Vegas the way most people think when they think of Vegas. No Hangover scenario for us. Just sunshine, good food, and some fun (mostly family-friendly) activities – a solid vacation.

Waking up on the last day of our honeymoon felt so sad. We’d been married during the pandemic, and the honeymoon was something we continued to look forward to for so long. And now it would be over.

Our first day in Amsterdam was absolutely magical, but it was a lot of going from place to place and seeing the sights.

By day two, we’d gotten the initial excitement out of our system and gave ourselves the grace to take our time exploring.

After three days in Paris, my husband and I said goodbye to Paris and headed to the station to hop on a train to Amsterdam! 

Our last full day in Paris would be heavily indoors, which I was thankful for, because the weather was looking very grey and rainy.

After a pretty incredible first day in Paris, Brandon and I were looking forward to what day two would bring.

And day two was looking to be a lot more laid back. We had no plans. No tickets, no reservations – Paris was our oyster.

Postponing the honeymoon meant we could save up some money and take a trip we really wanted to take. After a lot of waffling back and forth, we finally booked a 10 day trip in Paris and Amsterdam.