10 Years of Blogging! (Reflections on a Decade of Travel)

Hello, folks!

Today marks 10 years of blogging on Rebecca Goes Rendezvous. Seriously, ten whole years. A full decade of traveling and writing about my adventures all over the globe. This blog has taken me across the world, from my post-college years living and working in France to returning to and settling down in my hometown of Los Angeles. From my twenties to now-thirties, I’ve had quite the journey over the years, and I know there’s no stopping anytime soon!

I started Rebecca Goes Rendezvous in the wee hours of July 30th, 2016. I’d been blogging on other websites in prior years, but I wanted to set up a blog dedicated exclusively to my travels– I’d just finished up my first year of teaching abroad in France, during which I traveled all over Europe, and I wanted a place to document my life and adventures overseas.

When thinking about how to ring in my 10th blogging anniversary, I admit I was at a loss. Having done Q&As for my previous ones for the past five years, I wanted to do something different, perhaps something even grander, but I had no idea what exactly. I was stumped: how could I commemorate a whole decade of travel, moving around, settling down, and overall going through so many changes in my life– in a single blog post?

Ultimately, I chose to keep it simple: I decided to revisit my old photos and compile them into a year-by-year review of all the travels I took. It was definitely a trip down memory lane (I looked so young!), and it got me reminiscing of the fun, carefree days. A lot has happened from 2016 to 2026, and I’d like to share them with you.

I want to thank you for all of the support you’ve given me throughout the years. Some of you have been around since the very beginning, while others followed just a few days ago. Regardless, I appreciate your readership, and I plan to continue going on trips, writing about those trips, and sharing them with all of you. Thank you SO much, and without further ado, here are my reflections! 🙂

2016

I was a young and fresh-faced 22-year-old on her first year of teaching English abroad in France. To be honest, it was a tough first year, as I was assigned to teach in rural Normandy and felt extremely isolated as the only foreigner. I did the best I could with my job, but otherwise, I took numerous trips over the weekends and school holidays. There wasn’t a single month that I wasn’t traveling, visiting countries like Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, and Italy in the first five months! I also packed in trips within France: to Lyon, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Rennes (where I celebrated my 23rd birthday), and Giverny, just to name a few.

My work contract was up in the spring and I went home to the US. I took a family trip to Japan that summer; it was our first time in the country, and it was such a blast– I haven’t been back since then, and I’m dying to return! I also returned to Taiwan to see my family, and spent the rest of the summer at home. I got a small tutoring gig to make some cash, I renewed my work contract, and I headed back to France for my second year of teaching. This time, I was assigned to a slightly-larger town in Normandy and with a bunch of other teaching assistants whom I lived with. Honestly, it was a great time: when we weren’t teaching, we were hanging out, traveling together, and *erm* partying a bit too much on the weekends.

I continued traveling in the second half of the year, although not as intensely; I’d started graduate school online, as well as took on freelance gigs to earn some extra money to pay for it. I was certainly hustling, but still had time to take some small trips within Normandy, as well as took a holiday to Spain (specifically, the Andalusia region) with my family over winter break. Things were calmer in the last few months of 2016, but that didn’t mean I was slowing down on travel…

2017

I rang in the first quarter of 2017 quietly: aside from a few short weekend trips in France (Le Havre, Marseille, Dijon), I was working and doing grad school in Normandy. However, I had more free time when spring came, and took a lovely trip to Poland during Easter Break. My work contract wrapped up shortly thereafter, and I went to Morocco— it was my first time in Africa and while I had some not-so-great experiences which soured my perspective of it, I still had a decent time and found the country beautiful.

Soon, I returned to the US for the summer. I took a road trip with my family along the Pacific Northwest, where we visited the major cities of Portland and Seattle, as well as many of the stunning national parks there. I spent the rest of my summer at home, relaxing and hanging out with my friends. I also happened to land a university teaching gig in France, so I was returning for a third year abroad! This time, I was relocating to Saint-Étienne, a medium-sized city not too far from Lyon, where I would teach English to undergraduates. Once again, I packed my bags and headed back!

Teaching university students was a big change from teaching middle and high school students, and while I liked it better, there was still a huge learning curve, especially during my first semester. All the same, I pulled through and soon had a whopping two-and-a-half months of winter break to enjoy! I spent the first part of it visiting the Christmas markets in Germany before taking a trip to Italy and Spain with my family. It was the longest break I’ve ever had, and I packed so much traveling in.

2018

2018 was THE year of travel– I was essentially taking a trip every single month of the year, and it was AWESOME. I continued my two-and-a-half month break by visiting Paris and Toulouse, as well as the Czech Republic and Hungary. I returned back to France for my second semester of teaching, which honestly was a challenge, as I was teaching first-year students and they were quite a handful.

Any case, I pulled through the semester and soon was off for the school year! From May to August, I was barely at home with the amount of trips I was taking all over Europe, as well as South America and back in the US. I started with a jaunt to Iceland, before heading south to Croatia and the Balkans (including day trips to Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina), had a brief stint in Slovenia, and ended my time in Venice. I returned home to the US for the summer, and I went with my family to South America for the first time, visiting Chile and Peru (including Easter Island and Machu Picchu, respectively). Spent some time at home, then headed to Colorado to visit a close friend who was doing grad school there.

I’d renewed my university teaching contract for a second year, so soon enough, I returned to France to get ready for the school year. It would be my last year not only at this teaching gig, but also my last year in France and teaching, period. I had no plan lined up afterwards, and honestly, I didn’t focus on it at all, choosing to make the most of my time abroad as possible aka traveling whenever I didn’t have to teach. I traveled to Lyon, Grenoble, and Paris in the fall and then the Alsace region for the Christmas markets once the semester wrapped up. I headed home to the US over winter break to spend time with family, as well as, of course, go on a trip with them…

2019

My family and I rang in the New Year with a cruise trip along Mexico and Central America, visiting countries like Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama (where we crossed the famous Panama Canal!). Ended our time with a brief stop in Colombia before heading home, and soon, I had to return to France for the second semester. To be honest, I was checked-out from teaching at that point, but I still put in the work and did the best I could with my students (especially the first-years once more). I spent my winter and Easter holidays in Romania and the Lake Como region of Italy, respectively, as well as celebrated my 26th birthday in Paris.

Soon, I made it through the semester; I was off by early May, and I wasted no time heading east of Europe to Poland, then the Baltics (Lithuania and Latvia) before spending time in Georgia, one of my favorite countries ever visited. I returned to France to proctor a few make-up exams for the university, and then headed to Turkey to explore Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale, and Ephesus. Next, I headed to Spain to revisit Madrid, as well as check out the Bilbao region north of the country. Ended the month of June with a trip back to Toulouse to visit a friend, as well as more of the southwest of France (one of my favorite places in the country).

Little did I know that July would be the last month of travel before I would return to the US and before life took a huge turn. All the same, I spent it revisiting Avignon, as well as seeing the lavender fields for the first time (a bucket list dream come true). Packed up my life in two luggages afterwards to head to Paris, where I celebrated le 14 juillet before heading home for good. It was an incredibly bittersweet end to my four years in France, and I had no idea what I was going to do with my life back home.

The second half of 2019 was challenging for me, as I was unemployed for a few months and figuring out what I wanted to do instead of teaching. Having taught English abroad, I realized it wasn’t for me, and it was difficult to find a job outside of it. I wasn’t in a great mental space, as I was sad and angry about leaving France and, for the first time, had to grow up and take responsibility for myself and my career. I ended up getting a part-time job at the airport, working night shifts and taking on a temp job at the Census for some extra money. A close family member passed away just a few days before the New Year, which was hard as well.

2020

I was still grieving going into 2020, but I still pushed on with work. My contract with the Census ended in February, and just before the big you-know-what (*ahem COVID) came into play, I was going around Los Angeles in my free time, not only to explore more of my hometown, but also went on dates. For the longest time, I didn’t put myself out there, as I was focused on myself and travel. I was getting older, and I wanted to try my hand at the dating pool– although nothing really came of it in 2020, it was good to gain some experience and, overall, meet new people.

My cousin came to visit me in March, and we had a lovely time visiting places I seldom went to, including Little Tokyo and the Griffith Observatory. Literally three weeks later, the world went into lockdown, and I celebrated my 27th birthday by getting laid off from my airport job. I was unemployed once more and while I was stressed about COVID and finding another job, I was very fortunate to be at home with my dad and lay low until all of the craziness blew over. For 4-5 months, I stayed home, masked up whenever I had to go out, and managed to do a few hikes with my dad in town (within 6 feet or more of others, of course).

August was a wild month: I had a family emergency at the same time I got hired for a government job which I didn’t think I would get. I juggled hospital visits and my new line of work, to which I continue doing to this day. Thankfully, things settled down by the fall, and for the rest of the year, I was focused on work and passing my probationary period– for once, I had a stable, permanent job, and even today, I am so grateful for how it turned out.

2021

2021 was a fairly-quiet year, as I was mostly focused on passing my one-year probationary period at work. However, I did have time to do a few hikes with my dad within Los Angeles, as well as jaunts to San Diego and an extended weekend in Temecula. We were all still cautious with the pandemic, but thankfully, the COVID shots were rolling out, and with each one, we felt a bit more at ease.

My job’s probationary period soon ended, and I celebrated by taking road trip with my dad to the southwest US in the fall. We spent time visiting Arizona and Utah‘s national parks, which were jaw-droppingly gorgeous, before returning home via Las Vegas. It was our first big trip after over two years sans travel, and it was great to stretch our legs and go out again. The rest of 2021 was low-key, as I did a lot of baking and hung out with my friends after reconnecting with them since my return from France– sometimes, it’s the friends you make in your childhood who stay with you for life!

2022

I had a more-eventful year in 2022, compared with the previous years. I rang in the New Year by getting COVID, which was no fun. I survived, and enjoyed quality time at home with my family and friends outside of work. My dad and I took a trip to central California for my birthday in March, where we drove along the stunning coast of Big Sur— truly one of the most-beautiful places in California, let alone the world!

Although I’d taken a break with dating when the pandemic hit, I decided to ease into it again. I had a few dates in February and March, but nothing came out of them. However, it wasn’t until April that I went on a date (then a second, then third…) with my now-wife that it turned into something special. I am so glad I met her, and I love her with all of my heart! ❤

Our relationship blossomed in the summer, and we spent a lot of time getting to know each other. We explored our hometown together, seeing sites and eating good food along the way. I also introduced her to my friends from out-of-town, and I attended one of my friend’s weddings in August. Things were getting serious, as we were introducing each other to our friends, then family, and we’re fortunate that both sides get along so well!

Travel-wise, I had a small jaunt to San Diego with my family in June. Then, I took my first international trip in over three years in November to Argentina, which I’d been meaning to visit for a while. It was an epic two-and-a-half weeks exploring the country from north to south, and I also got to dip my toes into Brazil and Uruguay in the process. Although I ended up getting COVID (again!) from the trip, I was so happy to flex my travel muscles and head out of the country after so long. As the worst of the pandemic started to fade, I would return to overseas travel going forward, and I was looking forward to it.

2023

There were a few notable milestones that happened in 2023: for one, I turned 30! I celebrated the big 3-0 by taking a trip to London and Paris, the latter which I hadn’t returned to since pre-pandemic. I also finally got approved to telework for my job, after over two years petitioning for it– working from home has been a lot better for my mental health, and I’m very blessed for that! Finally, I moved in with my wife at the end of the year, after one-and-a-half years of being together.

Aside from visiting England and France, I stuck to travel in California for the rest of 2023, including trips to central California with my wife and her family, as well as a first-time visit to Catalina Island and a family trip to Big Bear Lake in November. California is my home state, and you can spend an entire lifetime (plus more) trying to see it all. Otherwise, 2023 was a solid year, as I felt better mentally with WFH and navigating my relationship with my wife, stronger than ever.

2024

I had a notable year of travel, as I got to go overseas not once, but twice! I rang in the New Year with a trip to Malaysia and Singapore, with a brief stopover in Taiwan to see family– I’d wanted to visit those Southeast Asian countries for so long, and they lived up to my expectations! I also went to Canada with an old friend in the fall, where we visited Banff National Park, and it was absolutely stunning. 2024 was the first year in a long while that I was able to pack more than one international trip in, and it’ll be a while until I can do it again (perhaps in the next couple of years)?

In addition, I took a handful of domestic trips with my wife throughout the year. We celebrated my birthday in San Francisco, and it was a fun extended weekend in town. Also took trips with her to Georgia (the US state) and Monterey, California in the summer, as well as Boston in November. 2024 was the year I began doing more domestic trips to see more US states, and while I’m barely halfway through the 50 states, I’m still glad I’ve gotten to see more of my home country!

As much as I enjoyed all the traveling, I was also going through some mental health struggles at home, mostly due to work stress and other personal issues. I’m grateful that I traveled so much to take my mind off the stress, but at the end of the day, I still had to cope with it. I got back into therapy and took up indoor climbing, both of which have helped a good amount and keep my mental health at bay.

2025

2025 was another year of milestones– for one, I got engaged! My now-wife and I proposed to each other in Denmark, and from there, we began our wedding planning right after (e.g. securing our venue, hiring a wedding planner, photographer, DJ, getting catering, etc). We also adopted two cute kittens, and honestly, they’re the love of our lives. ❤

As mentioned, my wife and I traveled to Denmark over the summer, visiting Copenhagen as well as heading to the Faroe Islands (a bucket list item for me). It was our only international trip for the year, but a beautiful one. Outside of that, we took a good handful of domestic trips to Texas, DC, and Washington state throughout the spring and summer, and I had a couple of weekend breaks in Chicago and New Orleans. I saw a lot more US states this year, which inspired me to visit more for the following year and onward.

My mental health was better compared to 2024. Besides continuing with therapy and climbing, I also started anti-depressants– while it has helped me with regulating stress and anxiety, I don’t know if I’d want to continue with it long-term, so that’s something I’m still reconsidering into 2026. Outside of work and travel, I was busy taking care of the cats with my wife and continuing to climb (despite getting a few injuries throughout the year). Things were looking up!

…and 2026!

Although 2026 hasn’t ended yet, I’d like to include it in my blogiversary post. A lot has happened within the first half of the year, and a lot of good things, too. For one, I got married!!! My now-wife and I tied the knot in June at a beautiful venue close to home, surrounded by family, friends, and loved ones. We’d been planning for our special day over the past year, and it turned out absolutely magical. We’re married now, AHHH!!!

Wedding planning took up most of our time and energy, so I haven’t and probably will not be traveling too much this year. However, I did go on an epic adventure to Antarctica in February with my family; it’d been over five years in the making, and we finally got to visit this less-known continent on Earth. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

What’s happening next? As mentioned, I’ll probably be traveling less than usual, but I do hope to go on a few long weekend trips within the US, as well as my honeymoon with my wife at the end of the year. Besides getting married, we’re also in the middle of some big changes with work and living, so we’re preoccupied with that for the rest of 2026. I’m really happy with how everything’s turned out so far, both for 2026 and this past decade– granted, there were ups and downs, but at the end of it all, I’m happy and blessed with how life’s turned out, and I look forward to the next decade of blogging, adventures, and overall, living life!

Again, thank you SO SO much for the support over the years, and I hope you have a fantastic day! Take care 🙂

— Rebecca