Happy New Year! It’s January 2026, and for the first time in months, I am sitting still. As I sift through my digital archives from the past year, I realized something startling: I spent nearly two full months out of the country in 2025. For a travel advisor, that’s actually a little below average, but the impact of those miles was anything but ordinary.
While I’m obsessed with capturing the world through my lens, I live by a strict "three-click rule." I refuse to spend a world-class sunset squinting at a tiny screen when I could be breathing in the salt air. I "shutter" to think how much of life I’d miss if I stayed behind the viewfinder all day.
Below are my personal Top 10 photos from 2025. They aren't here because they are technically perfect; they made the cut because they represent the fleeting moments I captured before putting the camera away to actually live.
1. Brooklyn Bridge, NYC | January
A freezing but fulfilling hike across a global icon. My nephew Jack visited all the way from Australia, trading the Outback heat for a crisp New York winter morning. We took a few quick snaps, locked in the memory, and then tucked the camera away to go hunt down the city’s best Chinese dumplings.
2. Seattle Waterfront | February
The ultimate "corner office" view at the Thompson Seattle. Balancing work and wanderlust is easy when Puget Sound is your backdrop. I took one quick photo to prove I was actually "at my desk," then promptly closed the laptop to find world-class coffee with Sarah, our resident Seattle team member.
3. Normandy Beaches, France | March
A misty, eerily quiet morning at the British sector beaches during a Uniworld Seine river cruise. The stillness was heavy and humbling. After two frames to capture the atmosphere, I spent the rest of the visit in silence, honoring the history of the sand beneath my feet.
4. Tower of London | April
History meets the daily commute. I caught this "London in a frame" view right outside the Four Seasons Hotel London at Tower Bridge. It took five seconds to snap the Tube sign against the ancient fortress before I headed off to walk across Tower Bridge, lens-free.
5. Wellington Barracks, London | April
Insider Tip: Skip the Buckingham Palace elbows and head to the Barracks for a front-row view of the Changing of the Guard. My colleagues Kendall, Sara, and I grabbed a few tight shots of the uniforms at the start, then lowered our phones to enjoy the precision of the march before heading to the Churchill War Rooms.
6. Alila Kothaifaru, Maldives | May
Thirty years of marriage, and we finally found the ultimate place to switch off. While the Maldives are impossibly photogenic, I deliberately left my phone in the room on several occasions. When you’re celebrating three decades together in paradise, the view is better with your own eyes.
7. The Valleys of Norway | July
The reward for a serious vertical climb during a spectacular Silversea cruise from Bergen to Copenhagen. Looking out over the dramatic Norwegian landscape, the air was as crisp as the scenery. I snapped one shot to capture the scale, then sat back to soak in the silence before descending back to the ship.
8. Urnes Stave Church, Norway | July
Quite possibly my favorite shot of the year. This 12th-century masterpiece is the oldest stave church in Norway. I took a single frame of the weathered wood and ancient carvings, then spent the rest of the hour marveling at how it has stood the test of time for nearly 900 years.
9. The Treasury, Petra | September
Nothing matches the anticipation of the walk through the Siq. When the Treasury finally reveals itself through the narrow canyon walls, it actually exceeds the hype. I captured the classic view, then tucked the phone away to feel the weight of two thousand years of history.
10. Home Sweet Home... | December
This is what happens when a nomad stays grounded. Having run out of passport pages, I turned to LEGO to get my Paris fix! While I might look a little "manic" building my plastic Eiffel Tower, being home with family was the perfect end to 2025. It’s a reminder that whether I’m in a desert canyon or my living room, I’m always planning the next great view.
Looking back, the best part of travel isn’t the photo you walk away with—it’s the person you become while you’re there. 2025 was a year of incredible sights and even better silence.
If these shots spark a bit of wanderlust, remember that J5Travel is ready to help you plan your 2026 adventures. Whether you want to disappear for a week or a season, we’ll make sure you’re in the right place at the right time to put your own camera down and just be.
Where do you want to stand (camera-free) in 2026? Contact us today to start planning your next journey. Click the button below to get started.
