2024 Travel Roundup: Navigating toddler travel and back to work!
It’s time to reflect on another year lived and explored, albeit one that looks a little different now that there’s a rambunctious toddler in tow. But my 2024 travel roundup also features some highlights of what was a huge year personally and professionally, too. It hasn’t yielded as much travel as I would have liked, but the sacrifice has been worth it to kick some professional and educational goals.
This year I returned to work full time in a new role which has been a great challenge and very fulfilling. I’ve also been studying part time and finished off the year being accepted into the Masters of Business Administration program after completing my Graduate Certificate in Business Administration – my first ever official qualification!
January – Melbourne
Each year we make the annual birthday pilgrimage to Melbourne to celebrate my birthday and this 2024 travel roundup is no exception. I now sharing the celebration with my two young nephews. This year, I was surprised by my partner with tickets to the Australian Open tennis semi-final which honestly is one of my favourite experiences of the whole year. Melbourne during the Australian Open is such a vibe and I cannot wait to go again – I feel like this might have to be an annual tradition! January also marked my return to full time work after 12 months of maternity leave and several months of part time work – a massive adjustment for both me and Grace.
February to April – home in Sydney
Being back to full time work, it has been harder finding the time to explore this year. I’ve definitely still enjoyed seeing new pockets of Sydney where possible and one such gem is the amazing children’s area of the Australian Museum which literally kept us sane during cold winter weekends. We’ve also loved making the most of the warmer months by catching a ferry to Manly for lunch or exploring the always stunning Taronga Zoo.
May – a weekend in Berry
A long weekend in Berry is always a good idea and to celebrate a family birthday we headed off to the Shoalhaven region with toddler in tow. I loved sharing with our daughter the amazing food of the area including the delicious hot cinnamon donuts from the Famous Berry Donut Van.
June – exploring Japan
We haven’t spent much time overseas recently, but I jumped at the chance to take Grace to one of my favourite destinations – Japan. We spent four nights in Osaka and five nights in Tokyo which was the perfect length of time to explore slowly and purposefully, finding new and exciting experiences for our toddler to enjoy. I loved seeing these cities through her eyes. There are so many things to do in Osaka for toddlers, such as visiting the incredible Osaka Kids Plaza and wandering the vibrant Dotonbori area.
Tokyo is incredibly kid-friendly with amazing attractions for the whole family to enjoy such as Tokyo Disney, the Tokyo Toy Museum, Fire Museum and the immersive teamLab Planets experience. Honestly, it was the perfect destination for a busy toddler. And Grace absolutely LOVED the food. The kid was inhaling ramen noodles like a local.
July – Sydney
After a huge trip to Japan, it was a relief to return home in July and take it easy. I returned to study in earnest and it felt like every spare second was spent writing essays and listening to lectures to complete the subjects I’d taken on. To be honest, it was really self-affirming to find that even though it had been a really long time since I’d done any tertiary study that I was able to succeed.
August – friends trip to the Blue Mountains
August is the perfect time to visit the UNESCO World Heritage listed Blue Mountains region of New South Wales. Our group of friends had been talking about taking a trip together for years and COVID sadly forced us to cancel one that we had booked back in 2020. Fortunately nobody minded that we were now coming with toddler in tow and Grace had a blast playing with all her new friends. We stayed at a gorgeous AirBnB in the valley of Hartley which had a hot tub, pool table and fire pit. It also had wild kangaroos that regularly visited at sunrise and sunset.
September to October – Sydney
September and October were months of hectic study and full on work with little time for play. It has definitely struck me that this is a balance I need to get better at in 2025. Whilst I am really passionate about completing my studies, I definitely want to make sure there’s time for family, friends and leisure. October is also Grace’s birthday, so we had a relaxed shindig at home with a few friends and family dropping in.
November – Melbourne
November brought two visits to Melbourne – one was a gorgeous day out at Flemington Racecourse for Oaks Day. The other was to mourn the devastating of my best friend’s mother who had shockingly passed away far too young. It so happens that my sister also gave birth early and my third nephew made it safely earthside, giving me the opportunity to have some lovely newborn snuggles. The great circle of life is strange, isn’t it.
December – Christmas in Sydney
We alternate years for Christmas in Melbourne and Sydney and this year was a Sydney occasion. It was also the first year that Grace really understood what was happening, which made the season far more fun. We spent December getting our Christmas tree up and decorate, meeting Santa for photos and exploring some of Sydney’s lovely Christmas decorations. Finally, we saw in the new year with a homemade pizza night at our home with some friends.
In summary: 2024 Travel Roundup
2024 was a huge year. It didn’t yield as much travel, but there was still plenty of exploration both personally and professionally. Honestly, I am so proud of myself for what I’ve achieved this year – returning to work fulltime with Grace starting daycare and thriving, completing my first ever university course and taking on a new job at the company I work for.
From a blogging perspective, Emma Jane Explores has also had its best year ever from a readership perspective and I thank all of you for stopping by and allowing me to help you plan your next trip. And with that, the 2024 travel roundup is complete. Onwards to 2025!
