December 2025 – NorthAmericanDarrell

15 Countries visited in 2025📍🌎😎

2025: My first full year taking a run at retirement!

2025 turned out to be my most traveled year ever—and somehow, I feel that I’m just getting started.

January – Vietnam
(HCMC, Nha Trang, Da Nang, Hoi An, Hue, Phu Quoc)

February – Cambodia & Thailand
(Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Bangkok, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao)

March – UK & Europe
(London, Greece, Iceland, Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Italy)

April – October–US & Mexico

(Mesa and Rocky Point—two incredible home bases)

November & December – SE Asia
(Hanoi, Kuala Lumpur, Bali)

Every trip felt different. Every move resets my brain. And somehow, it all worked out absolutely perfect!

2026: Already Booked (Of Course It Is!)

January to mid-April
Mexico, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Philippines

May to October (Homebases in Mesa/Mexico)

Volaris + Frontier all-you-can-fly chaos—route TBD, cheap is guaranteed

Nov and Dec– Europe by Rail-pass

Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Southern Spain/Portugal…
Eastern Europe is still being self-negotiated with my grade-three attention span.

Malaysia – short but sweet visit! 🏭

I was fortunate enough to have visited Kuala Lumpur for a few days in December 2025. It was a pretty big bucket list to check off, as I have always wanted to visit. I spend three days whipping around on the double-checker tour bus, making stops along the way.

I’ve wanted to visit for years, and it absolutely lived up to the hype.

I spent three days ripping around the city on the double-decker hop-on, hop-off tour bus, jumping off whenever something caught my eye. Skyscrapers, temples, markets, street food, neighborhoods I couldn’t pronounce—full-on tourist mode, unapologetically activated.

And yes… pubs were involved.
Because cultural immersion is about balance. 🍻

From my home base in Hanoi, the Asia road trip continued to Bali—and the craziest part? Three flights for $190 USD total.

Asia travel math just hits different.

One thing that really stood out while taking public transportation from the airport was the presence of women-only train cars. It was the first time I’d encountered that setup since visiting the UAE in 2024.

I actually learned this lesson the hard way—I boarded a women-only car by mistake. Totally unintentional, despite the signs being very clear once you actually slow down and look. Someone kindly pointed it out, and I stepped a few feet into the next car. No drama, just a reminder that different cultures operate with different norms.

Moments like that are part of why I travel. They force awareness. You don’t have to fully understand or agree with every custom to respect that it exists and learn from it.

Malaysia was fascinating from a cultural and architectural standpoint, and I’m genuinely glad I went. The city is impressive, the infrastructure is solid, and the experience checked a long-standing bucket list item for me.

That said, it’s probably a one-and-done destination for me—and that’s okay. Not every place has to be a repeat visit to be worth experiencing.

Here are some more pictures of the architecture, which was the reason I visited. Malaysia. Malaysia is home to one of the largest congregations of skyscrapers in the world. The country ranks fourth in the global list

The Burj Khalifa^[a] (known as the Burj Dubai before its inauguration) is a megatall skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, it is the world’s tallest structure, with a total height of 829.8 m (2,722 ft, or just over half a mile) and a roof height (excluding the antenna, but including a 242.6 m spire)^[2] of 828 m (2,717 ft). It has also been the tallest building in the world since its topping out in 2009,

That surpassed Taipei 101, which had held the record for a half-decade.

Another cool admission is that I visited Taipei, Taiwan, with work in the early 2000s. It was my first trip to Asia, and I did not go back for over 20 years. They were still building Taipei 101, but I clearly remember going there. There was a mall, movie theater, and restaurants that were completed.

Before Dubai rewrote the record books, Taipei 101 was the building everyone talked about. Formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center, it stands 508 meters (1,667 feet) tall and held the title of the world’s tallest building for several years.

One of its standout features was its high-speed elevators, built by Toshiba. At the time of completion, they were the fastest in the world—rocketing passengers from the 5th to the 89th floor in just 37 seconds, hitting speeds of 60.6 km/h (37.7 mph). You don’t ride those elevators—you launch.

Bali, Indonesia – It’s worth the hype!

Traveling in Asia hits differently for me. I get bored easily—dangerously easily—and staying in one place too long starts to feel like a personal failure. Asia fixes that, which is a way that is hard to explain other than the fact that you can road trip within Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia … for well under a $100 one way.

I currently have a condo in Mesa, AZ, a studio in Rocky Point, Mexico, and three all-you-can-fly passes with three different airlines. I am always on the go, which is somewhere between amazing and loneliness.

I’m not saying I have commitment issues… but if movement were a sport, I’d be on a performance-enhancing medication watch list.

You get the idea. I’m fine. Totally fine. Probably.

That was my December 2025 Asia road trip, operating out of my month-long home base in Hanoi and bouncing over to Kuala Lumpur, then finishing strong in Bali.

Three flights.
Three countries.
$190 USD total.

Read that again—slowly.

This is exactly why Asia hits differently. Flights are cheap, distances are short, and changing plans doesn’t require a spreadsheet or a minor panic attack. One minute you’re eating street food in Hanoi, the next you’re city-hopping in Malaysia, and before you know it, you’re barefoot in Bali, wondering how this all costs less than a mediocre dinner back home.

This isn’t luxury travel—it’s smart movement, maximum flexibility, and letting geography work in your favor.

And yes… this is how the spiral continues.

These road trips definitely weren’t kind to the slow-travel budget—but that’s the trade. When your home base costs under $300 USD a month, you earn the right to occasionally blow the spreadsheet. The cheap, stable housing absorbs the volatility, which makes splurging on experiences feel intentional instead of reckless.

In my case, this trip was less about optimization and more about momentum—I was actively checking off bucket-list items. And when you’re in that mode, strict budget purity matters less than actually doing the thing while you’re there.

The key is that the foundation was solid. Low rent created room to say yes.

I don’t optimize for luxury. I optimize for optionality.
Build the base cheaply, then spend the difference on travel experiences.

Christmas 2025 – You’re a mean one …

Christmas time is for kids, since I do not have any minions, it is not my favorite holiday.

We all have regrets, but again, we all have to play the cards we dealt ourselves!

It’s not meant as pity, pride, or judgment—just a sincere look at my life, told with a level of honesty most people rarely allow.

Thinking about having a family—and then creating a fake one on ChatGPT—hits a special kind of loneliness during the holidays, with just enough imaginary alimony and child support to keep it extremely real.

That’s part of why, most days, I am grateful for my life, as this is how it was supposed to work out.

Not because family is bad or wrong—but because forcing a life that didn’t fit would cost me more than it gave back. Freedom mattered more to me than appearances. Movement mattered more than checking boxes that society forces you to check whether you want them or not.

I didn’t have a good father, and the fear of becoming anything like him was always front and center. He bailed on my mom and me in the worst possible way, and that kind of exit leaves a mark whether you want it to or not.

For a long time, that experience quietly shaped my decisions.

That awareness didn’t fix everything, but it ultimately changed my thought process. And sometimes, that’s enough to start choosing differently—on purpose.

Chasing a different dream became my outlet, my structure, and, honestly, my mission. I have lived life in many different cities, having a lot of conversations and many life experiences with people who saw life differently. It became pretty obvious that the way most people lived life was not the only option.

It was not the same generational life, over and over.

Go to College

Get married

Buy a house and have kids

Work until you’re 67+

Enjoy maybe five to ten years of retirement while your body starts to fail you.

I didn’t opt out of life—I opted into my version of it.

Less scripted.
Less predictable.
More honest with who I am

I’m learning to be good with that, and people who judge my alternative lifestyle should, too.

The Grinch that hated winter in Canada!

The cold.

The snow.

The shoveling.

Driving on a skating rink.

The heating bills should feel normal.

Extreme taxes at every angle.

(carbon taxes?!)

The lies people told themselves, “It was normal not to feel your face going outside.

While Family and friends in Canada scraped windshields, living a great Family life!

The Grinch did the math.

Sunshine was cheaper elsewhere.

A lot of money could also be made elsewhere.

So, while others layered sweaters, he booked a one-way ticket south.

He turned in his snow boots for flip-flops.

He drank iced coffee in December.

They said he “You missed the reason for the season,” and called him a sellout!

The Grinch said, “I optimized my life,” in my own way!

He didn’t steal Christmas.
He *Geoarbitraged it!

*Geoarbitrage is the practice of living in a location with a lower cost of living while maintaining the same income, allowing individuals to save and invest more effectively. This concept is often associated with the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement, where individuals leverage geographic differences to maximize their financial resources.

Click to read more on my Geoarbitrage goals

“Geoarbitrage – retire sooner “

Hanoi, Vietnam – water puppet show!

One of the coolest tourist traps in Hanoi is the traditional water puppet show—and I snagged front-row seats for about $12 USD. Absolute steal, especially since I could see all the behind-the-scenes chaos too. Turns out it’s mostly smoke, mirrors, and very committed puppeteers.

The traditional water puppet show in Hanoi—especially at the famous Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre—has been running continuously every single day since it opened in 1969, making it one of the rare shows in Asia to perform water puppetry 365 days a year without a break.

The traditional water puppet show in Hanoi has been running every single day since 1969.

That’s over 55 years of zero sick days, no holidays, and puppeteers and other artists who absolutely do not mess around.

Vietnam – slow travel life at its finest!☕🧘🏻

I’ve been dreaming about Vietnam ever since I watched Anthony Bourdain on Parts Unknown. Vietnam felt like one of Tony’s true loves—the kind of place he didn’t just visit, but listened to. He chased meals down side streets, sat on plastic stools, and showed that the best moments were always far from the tourist traps. Watching him there made travel feel quieter, more honest—less about seeing things, and more about understanding them. Vietnam wasn’t a backdrop for Tony; it was a reminder of how travel is supposed to feel.

Anthony Bourdain lived a life that blended food, travel, honesty, and deep contradiction—one that resonated because he never pretended to have it all figured out. Like me, I just go with the flow while traveling to a new place.

In 2025, I rented a condo for over two months in Vietnam—not as an experiment, but as confirmation. Five weeks in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), followed by a month in Hanoi. I wasn’t glued to either place; I took road trips, disappeared for stretches, did what I wanted. But I always came back to my own place. A real home base. Which, it turns out, changes everything.

This was slow travel exactly as I’d imagined it: living in the city instead of orbiting it. Falling into routines. Becoming a regular. Building friendships. Having days that felt both normal and quietly exceptional. Life didn’t pause for travel—travel became life.

At this point, I’m not pitching a dream or romanticizing a theory. I ran the play. It worked. And now it’s very hard to take seriously any version of life that costs more and delivers less.

Both apartments were under $400 USD per month, which quietly solves a lot of problems. With a stable, inexpensive home base, I could take road trips without uprooting my entire life. Most of my belongings stayed put, luggage stayed minimal, and travel stayed efficient instead of exhausting. I made side trips over Vietnam at the beginning of 2025 while taking my show on the road to Malaysia and Indonesia at the end of the year.

This is the underrated advantage of slow travel: logistics scale down while freedom scales up. Low rent means less financial pressure, fewer bags, and more optionality. When your housing costs are that low, movement becomes modular—you leave, explore, come back, repeat—without ever feeling like you’re starting over.

I made some side trips across Vietnam in early 2025 (Nah Trang, Da Nang, Vung Tau, Hue, and Phu Quoc). I then fully committed to the chaos and took my show to Malaysia and Indonesia later in the year kocking out two massive bucket lists.

It’s not a hack. It’s just better planning. And once you’ve lived this way, it’s hard to take expensive inconvenience seriously ever again, which is why it will be a massive part of my future travel items in Kuala Lumpur and Bali.

If you made it this far by chance and want to learn more about my slow travel plans.

You can read my blog on the topic by clicking

HERE

In the end, slow travel keeps the costs low and the adventures high—and that’s the whole point around here.

The quest for the best Pho … 😋🍜🤤

I do sometimes wonder how I’m not at least moderately famous with gems like this. Then I immediately remember (and genuinely don’t care anymore) that these blogs may never get read. And honestly? That realization was freeing.

Once I got past feeling like a total failure and a loser, everything else went downhill—in the best possible way. No pressure. No audience chasing. Just writing because I actually enjoy it. Even if this all ends up being an autobiography for myself, I’m good with that.

Phew.
That one came straight from the therapist’s chair.

Anyway… back to Pho

I remember when people used to pretend to like sushi, pho, dim sum, and whatever else was trendy at the time. They’d make sure you knew they were going, had gone, or had just returned from eating “the best ever,” while clearly forcing enthusiasm.

Well… look at me now.

That’s me.
I love pho.
I love sushi.

Turns out trying things for yourself beats talking about them from the sidelines. Funny how that works.

FOFO, indeed

Other than Google, there’s a foolproof way to spot a great place to eat: look at the line—and more importantly, who’s in it.

This one was packed. And not with tourists holding cameras and guidebooks—this line was full of Asians, which is always a very good sign. A quick Google check confirmed what my instincts already knew: this spot was serving some of the best pho in the Hanoi Old Quarter.

Turns out it wasn’t just “one of the best.”

It was #1 on the list.

Rich broth, perfectly cooked noodles, tender meat, zero nonsense. The kind of bowl that makes you slow down halfway through because you don’t want it to end.

I’ll talk about #2—aka Obama Bun cha version of Pho (and yes, it absolutely nailed it too). But this one?

Pho 10 was undoubtedly the benchmark.

Sometimes the line tells you everything you need to know.

I’ll talk about #2—aka Obama Bun cha version of Pho (and yes, it absolutely nailed it too). But this one?

I’ll talk more about #2—aka the Obama Bún Chả version of pho—later in the blog (and yes, it absolutely nailed it too). But this place deserves its own moment.

The visit gave rise to the now-iconic “Combo Obama”, which includes:

Bún Chả (grilled pork with noodles and herbs)

Crab spring rolls

A local Hanoi beer

Simple. Perfect. Universal.

This spot became famous after Barack Obama shared dinner here in 2014 with Anthony Bourdain, during an episode of Parts Unknown. Obama was president at the time, Bourdain was doing what he did best—using food as a bridge between cultures.

Plastic stools.
Cold beer.
No security theater.
No ego.

Just two people eating great food in Hanoi, proving once again that the fastest way to connect across cultures isn’t politics—it’s dinner.

The food lives up to the story.
The story lives up to the moment.

Some meals are famous because they’re good.
Others are famous because they mean something.

This one managed to be both.

Honestly, visiting this restaurant wasn’t about Barack Obama for me—it was about Anthony Bourdain.

Vietnamese food—and pho in particular—was something Bourdain genuinely loved. He talked often about Vietnam as a place that shaped him, not just as a cook but as a traveler. What always stuck with me was how far he was willing to go for food: wandering down side streets, eating at hole-in-the-wall spots, and staying out until absurd hours just to find something real. The ironic part is that once he found something real, it turned into a tourist trap.

That mindset influenced how I travel. I’ve always tried to do the same—skip the polished places, follow instincts, watch where locals eat, and say yes to places that don’t look impressive on the outside.

So sitting there, eating Vietnamese food in Hanoi, felt less like a tourist stop and more like paying quiet respect to someone who showed a lot of us how to travel differently—through curiosity, humility, and a love of good food.

For me, that’s what made the place special. I try to live life the way he did, as he was such an absolute travel legend.

Here was my experience eating the “Bourdain” combo!

Only a few things make me happier than finding these kinds of places that fuel more travel.

Hanoi, Vietnam – train street!🚆

If you’ve watched even a handful of travel videos, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve seen Train Street in Hanoi.

The concept is beautifully unhinged.

Feed people beer.
Sell them questionable souvenirs.
Pack everyone into a narrow alley.
Then send a full-size train blasting through at close range like it’s part of the entertainment.

Every few minutes, café owners calmly tell everyone to pull their knees in, lift their drinks, and trust the process. The train whizzes by, missing people by inches, and everyone cheers like they didn’t just flirt with death for Instagram content.

It’s equal parts:

terrifying

fascinating

absurd

and somehow very organized chaos

You leave thinking, “That was amazing… and I absolutely should not still be alive.”

My assistant (ChatGPT ) can be a bit dramatic at times—but I can promise you this: when that train comes through within inches of you, it absolutely feels like a near-miss incident.

Standing on Train Street in Hanoi, your brain knows you’re technically “safe,” but your body does not agree. The ground vibrates, the wind hits you, and suddenly that narrow track—already looking a little suspect—has a full-size train ripping through it at well over 50 mph, depending on route.

Your heart rate spikes.
Conversations stop.
Beers are clutched like emotional support animals.

It’s loud, fast, uncomfortable, and wildly memorable. No video really captures how intense it feels in person. For a split second, every instinct you have says, “This is a bad idea.”

And then it’s gone.

Adrenaline fades.
Everyone laughs.
Phones come back out.

Was it dramatic? Yes.
Was it a dangerous feeling? Absolutely.
Was it unforgettable? 100%.

That’s Hanoi train street- it was so awesome,

Here are three angels as I went back for more training:

Someone put their phone on the tracks, and they were nice enough to share the video with me!

I can honestly say this was way cooler than I expected, even after seeing it a hundred times on TV and YouTube.

Some things only make sense when you show up.

You can watch the videos, read boring blogs like this one, and scroll forever—but none of it compares.

Standing there, feeling the sheer force of that train ripping by with a beer in your hand and phone filming in the other.

Life doesn’t reward spectators. It rewards participation.

Get off the couch. Book the trip. Go see it for yourself.

I would love to motivate and save you some money if needed – send me a PM

A little bit of monkey business …🐒

… just a back rub…

They say monkeys are basically people.

Case closed.

Please don’t make me explain this again

🫣.

I spent a fun few hours wandering around the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary in Ubud, which was equal parts entertaining and mildly threatening.

I’ve had the chance to see different species of monkeys in Thailand. The Philippines and Costa Rica, as well, and I can confidently say this is a global truth:

They’re all kind of assholes.

The rules are posted everywhere posted in the park:

1. Don’t bother them while they’re eating.

2. Don’t look them in the eye.

What they don’t explain is what happens if you do both.

Spoiler alert:
They absolutely explain it to you themselves.

Still, it’s an incredible experience—just keep your snacks hidden, your sunglasses tight, and your confidence low.

Click play – Exhibit EH

The monkeys run that park, and they know it.

The cool part is how organized it all is. The staff actually knows the different monkey groups—their neighborhoods, their territories, and which troop belongs where inside the park.

It’s not chaos; it’s a full-on monkey city with zoning laws and unwritten rules.

Watching them interact, I’m pretty sure these monkeys use gang signals, have beef with rival crews, and settle disputes with intense staring contests.

And honestly?
I wouldn’t be shocked if they listen to Snoop Dogg, too.

Same confidence.
Same “this is my block” energy.
Zero respect for personal space.

You’re just a visitor in their neighborhood—and they make sure you never forget it.

For additional clarification, please refer back to Exhibit EH.

Here’s a little throwback to some other fun with monkeys in Costa Rica.

Part of The NorthAmerican Darrell Project—and easily one of the most unsettling wildlife experiences I’ve ever had.

If you’ve never heard a howler monkey before, imagine:

a demon

trapped in a jungle

screaming through a broken megaphone

I woke up convinced something terrible was happening outside, so I went for a pre-dawn walk. Turns out it was just monkeys… aggressively announcing their presence to the entire rainforest.

Spooky.
Loud.
Unforgettable

Manuel Antonio National Park – Quepos, Costa Rica

I’ve visited Manuel Antonio National Park in Quepos, Costa Rica, a couple of times.

Manuel Antonio is beautiful. Jungle trails, beaches, sloths, monkeys everywhere. What they don’t emphasize enough is that the animals there are professional thieves.

No food out.
Backpack zipped.
Situational awareness is high.

That’s when I realized Manuel Antonio isn’t a park—you’re just walking through their neighborhood. The monkeys aren’t cute mascots; they are just trying to steal the show from the sloths we came to see. They’re organized, confident, and clearly working in teams. One distracts, one steals, one watches for tourists making bad decisions like watching them eat or looking them in the eye

Just another fun Costa Rica lesson learned:
You are not the main character in Manuel Antonio.

Bali, Indonesia! Amazing! 😎

I’d been in Hanoi for about two weeks and needed a break. It’s an incredible city, but the traffic, pollution, and constant chaos will wear on anyone eventually.

The good news? I was surrounded by amazing places—and getting to them was ridiculously cheap.

As usual, I shifted into bucket-list mode. Malaysia and Indonesia were basically within spitting distance, with one-way flights hovering around $45–$90,

At that point, the decision was easy. I booked three flights under $200 USD:

~$45-Hanoi, Vietnam to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

~$55-Kuala Lumpur to Denpasar, Indonesia (Bali)

~$90-Bali to Hanoi, Vietnam

I took off on an EPIC ten-day road trip—proof that adventure doesn’t have to be expensive.

Cost
Every time I visit Asia, my brain starts asking extremely reasonable questions like: Why do I live anywhere else? Two to three months of slow travel doesn’t feel aspirational anymore—it feels inevitable. The math works. The lifestyle works. At this point, I’m just pretending this isn’t already decided.

Proximity for adventure

When boredom hits, you simply leave. A casual monthly escape to Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia, Malaysia, or Indonesia usually costs under $50 each way. Food and housing stay the same, so the only real variable is how often you decide to disappear. Routine, but make it optional. Stability, but with an exit plan.

The boxes are checked:

The prices are undeniable.

The proximity to adventure.

Every trip to Asia makes “normal life” feel like a bookkeeping error.

There’s a reason Bali is the Aussies’ playground—and every bar at 10 a.m. confirms it!

It’s wild how distorted prices have become in some places. In Bali, a $20 hair cut makes you a “Big Boss.”

A normal haircut was well under $10, and leaving a $10 tip felt huge there—probably made his day or even week. It beats getting the sideways look for leaving less than a 20% TIP in North America.

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Careful what you wish for …

Careful what you wish for… it starts with ‘just one trip’ and ends with no fixed address,

No shoes, no shirt, and no problem! Right?!

(Got drunk, lost my shoes, probably should wear a shirt, and clearly still have some problems)

I just wing it now, though!

Since taking a run at retirement in February 2024, everything has been going as planned—and I’m choosing to believe this streak will continue.

The stock market 💹

Airbnb rentals 💰

Bucket list travel 🌍

I always dreamed of the traveling life. Planning helps—but trying is the only thing that actually counts.

The stock market

Relying on the stock market to go up forever is wishful thinking at best. I’ve learned to go with the flow and accept that corrections aren’t disasters—they’re just part of the ride.

Personally, hiring a great financial advisor makes sense. We shouldn’t YouTube our way to self-diagnose serious medical issues, so pretending we’re all finance experts seems… optimistic

Airbnb rentals 💰

Having a side hustle to support retirement is always a plus. I managed to turn my AZ condo into exactly that, and it’s been a game-changer for my roaming lifestyle. I don’t love the word “lucky,” but I’ll happily admit this decision was very fortunate.

I’ve had amazing guests so far and genuinely enjoy making sure they have a great stay while they’re in Arizona. After crashing in more than a hundred Airbnbs around the world, I’ve learned a lot about what works, what doesn’t, and what makes you think, “Wow, this host actually gets it.”

My latest low key, amazing guest!

I try to bring those little things I appreciated as a guest into my own place—basically paying it forward, one comfy stay at a time, so I can keep paying for planes, trains, and questionable travel decisions.

Renting my own full-time Airbnb in Rocky Point, Mexico, has been an absolute lifesaver. I can escape to Mexico on a whim as it is only a four-hour drive—and my rent costs less than my monthly Arizona homeowners’ fees.

Bucket list travel

Without the above two falling into place, this might not be possible. I have used patience and whittled down my panic attacks of going back to work to twice a day to make it all work out.

Since taking a serious run at retirement, it’s almost embarrassing how many travel bucket-list items I’ve absolutely obliterated over the last two years. Honestly, I’ve lost count. That’s why I hope you read my blogs—sharing these experiences is the whole reason I spend so much time writing.

Progress is progress

If my stories help even one person take a leap of faith, then it’s worth it.

There’s never a perfect time to do anything in life.

You just dance like no one is watching… panic attacks and all.

Tokyo, Japan – $12 on points Feb 1st, 2026!

A few years ago, during a perfectly innocent fishing trip to Hawaii, I applied for a Hawaiian Airlines Mastercard.

Somehow, this resulted in 70,000 points.

Those points have been burning a hole in my pocket ever since—quietly judging me every time I checked my balance.

Until now.

I officially booked a trip to Tokyo, Japan, departing February 1st, 2026—paid entirely with points. Turns out, the long game does pay off.

Especially when it ends in Tokyo.

That’s right—$11.20 to get from Phoenix to Tokyo using points.

Eleven dollars.

And twenty cents.

I haven’t finalized my return flight yet—because commitment is overrated and flexibility feels very on-brand. Plus, Korea is just around the corner and on the bucket list.

The plan is to stay two and a half months, since my Airbnb is locked in until April 15th.

If you’re curious how a fishing trip turned into a trans-Pacific flight for the price of a vending machine snack, you can read more about the Hawaiian Airlines credit card on my blog by clicking:

HERE.⬅️⬅️

You can read my long-winded Kona fishing blog.

No refunds. Never getting that time back by clicking

HERE

Why Japan Tops the Travel Charts

Japan is often ranked the number one travel destination because it’s a magical mix of tradition, technology, and sheer wow factor. You can go from serene ancient temples and cherry blossom gardens to bustling neon-lit cities and bullet trains in a matter of minutes.

Add to that world-class food, from Michelin-starred sushi to street-side takoyaki, ultra-clean streets, incredibly polite locals, and a culture that balances the ultra-modern with centuries-old customs—and it’s easy to see why travelers can’t get enough.

Plus, every season brings something spectacular: spring for cherry blossoms, autumn for fiery leaves, winter for skiing, and summer for festivals that make your Instagram explode. Japan isn’t just a trip—it’s a full-on sensory adventure.

NorthAmericanDarrell

Monthly Archives: December 2025