December flew by as I enjoyed Christmas festivities and an end of the month trip to Morocco. I attended a Christmas carol concert with friends, did two rounds of celebrating Christmas with Mark’s family, and drank plenty of mulled wine and gingerbread lattes. At the end of the month, Markell flew to London and we had a few days in the city before joining my dad and uncle for a trip to Morocco, a new country for me. Here’s what I got into in December 2025.

Destinations visited:

Witney, Gloucester, and London, England

Casablanca and Rabat, Morocco

Favorite destinations:

Rabat, Morocco – Rabat was a pleasant surprise in Morocco. The city had many nice cafes, the beautiful Kasbah Oudaya surrounded by gardens and overlooking the ocean, a medina with an assortment of well-priced items, and historical sites like Hassan Tower, a 12th century minaret, and Chellah, a medieval fortified Muslim necropolis and ancient archeological site.

Highlights:

My first ever rugby game – I attended my first ever rugby game in December, watching Gloucester Rugby take on Castres Olympique. I really enjoyed the sport and felt like I picked up on the rules quickly since there are similarities with American football.

London with Markell – Markell had not been to London since he was a kid, so it was fun to experience the city with him now that he’s an adult. We went for a few nice meals, had some cocktails, and enjoyed the city’s Christmas decorations together.

Challenges:

Being sick for Christmas – I was just a few weeks out from getting over a nasty cold in early December when I got sick again just before Christmas. Thankfully this cold wasn’t anywhere near as bad and I was OK again after a few days of rest, but it was a little frustrating to be sick around the holidays.

Posts:

Top Attractions to See in San Francisco in 30 Hours – How to best see the highlights of San Francisco in a limited amount of time.

Coming up in January 2026:

2026 will start on a high note as I continue my travels around Morocco and will be in Marrakech for a few days. From Marrakech, I fly to Rome for a week and am really looking forward to seeing the city for the first time. Mid-month I have a day trip planned to Bletchley Park, a famous site known as the top-secret home of Britain’s World War II codebreakers. On the last day of the month I’ll be flying to the Washington, DC area to visit family and friends for a few weeks.