What a crazy year 2022 was! Here I will show you my personal highlights of 2022. The plan was to spend another year in the Caribbean. We wanted to celebrate Easter under palm trees and leisurely sip cocktails on the beach throughout the summer. We wanted to use the fall to look at the remaining things from Barbados and then celebrate Christmas in paradise once more.
But everything turned out differently. Everything turned out even better. Unplanned, much further away, and yet, in the end, so close!
My favorite word of 2022: exciting boredom!
What does exciting boredom Actually? It comes about through reflection. For me, reflecting is extremely important in life. So much is always going on. We're traveling with family, working a lot, and having a great time with our kids. Because we're always seeing new places, meeting new people, and taking on new projects, we quickly run the risk of time just flying by.
Therefore, I reflect on everything and pay attention to the small and smallest details. This makes everything seem very „boring“ in a positive sense. I call this „exciting boredom„Nothing is forgotten, nothing is lost, and I can enjoy all impressions and experiences much more. And blog posts like this year-end review 2022 naturally contribute to that as well.
First tip for the year 2023: Do it too! So, when I say reflecting 😉 I don't just mean at the end of the year looking back at everything I've done, achieved, and completed. But rather, every now and then, every few months. And of course, I also check what's still on my bucket list and what plans are open for the next few years.
But enough of the preamble… now here's my Highlights in 2022. It wasn't entirely easy to summarize these. It also gets a bit philosophical at times, and I've included a few good tips that I want to pass on to you.
Traveled around the world 1.8 times with 15 flights in total.
According to Google, I traveled a total of 73,000 km in 2022. That's equivalent to 1.8 times around the world. Well, twice around the world would have been a bit over the top. For that, I needed 15 flights and 7 rental cars.
One of my highlights in 2022 was actually this mobility. Together with my family, we got to know so many different cultures or got to know them better.
The world is so big, and every journey continues to shape you. „Looking beyond your own nose“ is so often neglected. However, it is often more important than ever, especially in today's world. My travels show me so often how privileged we Europeans actually are. In most cases, this has nothing to do with money. Mostly, the privileges and differences come from the different cultures, religions, and ways of life, depending on the country and region.
Furthermore, our kids also benefit from the many trips, of course. On their travels, they develop either no prejudices at all or far fewer. They play with children from all over the world. In Barbados, they fed monkeys with children from Nicaragua. They danced ballet with children from Serbia and practiced handstands with friends from Colombia. They had swimming lessons with children from England, and our oldest was comforted by a friend in Australia when she broke her arm. At the last birthday party, there were children from seven different nations.
Skin colors don't exist for our kids. With English as a second language, they can communicate „almost“ anywhere. This removes many inhibitions and they immediately make friends.
Travel brings parents and children closer together. The fact that families on trips „have to“ spend significantly more time with their children than they do in a fixed location should not be underestimated. On most days, you are together every single minute, sleep in the same bed, and experience the exact same things. For me, that's great, because seeing my children grow up so intensely is another privilege I appreciate and am infinitely grateful for.
An former boss told me when I last resigned: „I (meaning me! 😉) have half a million francs per year in income, but I haven't really seen any of my children grow up.“ He would do things differently if he had the chance again, and he hopes I don't make the same mistake. Time never comes back, so choose wisely how you spend it.
Editor's note: I am not making the same mistake! 😉
12 Countries in 12 Months – 2022 Year in Review
Well, that sounds quite relaxed in itself. A different country each month. But as mentioned above, many things happened very spontaneously for me. That's why we stayed in Barbados for the first seven months and basically did the other eleven countries in five months.
Barbados
The Paradise – I've rarely felt so comfortable in a country right from the start. Many great travel reports were created here, and we met countless wonderful people. Barbados was an ideal place for me to work. There were few distractions, even though the white sandy beach and the turquoise blue sea were right outside our door.
2 years vacation in the Caribbean
The 10 Most Dangerous Animals in Barbados
Germany
Home visit. I'm often asked, „Where is your home?“. And the answer to this question is often surprising, because home is actually where my family is and therefore not tied to one place. But Germany is my homeland in terms of origin and connection. I love it Saarland, so small and lovely on the edge of the republic. In April, we visited family and friends in the Saarland and discovered the Easter Bunny there.
It's exciting every time to discover what has changed. Okay, admittedly, not much changes there, but that's exactly what has ensured the feeling of home has remained over the years. And for that reason, I'm happy to dedicate a spot in my 2022 year-in-review to this great area here.
Switzerland
My adopted home and one of the most beautiful countries in the world. In April, we were still able to find snow in Graubünden, which the kids in particular were extremely happy about. In July and August, we were back in Switzerland and planned our next trips from here. This works really well in the mountains. Besides a few great Family Hikes, we also visited many friends and our family here in Switzerland.
Trinidad & Tobago
WHAT? Why? It's quite simple. The pandemic offered us so many opportunities, including a day's stay in Trinidad, where we stayed near the airport. We even had to apply for a visa just to work at Starbucks for a day. But it was great and the people here were extremely nice and helpful.
Curacao
What a beautiful island. We flew on from Trinidad to Curacao. We spent a few days there and saw the country. Apart from all the Dutch people, we really liked that we found European products in the supermarket again. That was more the exception in Barbados. We spent some really nice days here in July and even got almost a whole extra day due to a flight delay. That's how it should be 🙂
Family vacation in Curacao 2022
Netherlands
Back in Europe. Yay! We're spending a few days in Amsterdam, getting used to the hustle and bustle we haven't had for two years. If you have an appointment for 2 PM here, you're expected to be there a little before 2. In Barbados, everyone goes more by the sun. =) But Amsterdam is great, and we enjoyed the shopping and sightseeing.
We then took the train to Switzerland, which with the German ICE is always an experience in itself. Will we arrive, won't we arrive, will we arrive a day late? Fortunately, in the end, almost everything worked out. While we didn't get all the way to Basel, Switzerland, we were able to change trains and go directly to Zurich Main Station, where we were picked up.
Vacation with family in Amsterdam
France
Long live France We took a short detour to Alsace. I don't really like France that much, but Alsace has beautiful, picturesque places that invite you to relax. Riquewihr is one of those places, surrounded by a city wall, with great restaurants and cafes. If you are ever in the area, definitely visit it! It's so great that it even gets a spot in my highlights for 2022. (And because I simply wanted to list all the countries we visited here too 😜)
Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein is one of my favorite hiking destinations. So we always make a detour when we're in Switzerland. The Fürstenweg is ideal for families because there are always great barbecue areas and playgrounds along the trail. Unfortunately, the wasps in summer 2022 thwarted our plans. Our planned BBQ only lasted a few minutes, and then we kept walking.
Nevertheless, the principality makes it onto my list of highlights for 2022. It is simply a beautiful country.
Austria
In August, we'll check out the Karren in Dornbirn. We'll take the Karrenbahn cable car up and enjoy the view, which stretches all the way to Lake Constance. In the distance, a Zeppelin makes its rounds while we enjoy a delicious ice cream up here. The kids will run around on the playground, and afterward, we'll walk back down into the valley from the Karren on the family hiking trail. A great place, definitely check it out. For me, clearly one of the highlights of 2022, because I'd wanted to go there on and off for the last few years.
Tip: It always makes sense to keep points on your bucket list for years.
The coolest family hike in Dornbirn
Australia
Oh Yeah! Finally! We only came up with ideas in August about what else we could do this year. Australia was one of the very spontaneous actions, with the biggest effort. We set off for Perth with a one-way ticket. With the whole family, of course, although the "family" here probably symbolizes a huge suitcase filled only with toys.
My next tip for 2023If you have an idea, implement it. See later if it works, otherwise you'll never do it!
So, after five weeks, we realized that Australia isn't really our country. At least not the region around Perth, where all the residential areas are built so anonymously and identically; we wouldn't feel comfortable there. Additionally, our visa lasts a good year, and we have to spend that waiting period outside the country. But those five weeks were just MEGA!!! It won't be my last time in Australia. Next time, though, I'll be armed with a campervan.
The distances in Australia are just huge. We had chosen a great beach for a day trip. It was 12 hours away, although on the map it was only a few centimeters. Here in Australia, we also had many great moments, as you can read in the following reports. Exciting boredom guaranteed and one of my favorite highlights of 2022.
4 Super Beautiful Zoos In Western Australia
2 Great Botanical Gardens in Western Australia
4 Must-See National Parks in Western Australia
Australia Travel Report 2022
United Arab Emirates
From Australia, we then went via Qatar to Dubai. We are spending two weeks in the coolest city in the world. A sensational experience for all of us, and therefore one of the highlights of 2022.
The city is pure entertainment. While in Europe lights are being turned off to save electricity, a sheikh is currently contemplating how a 1.3 km high building could be built. Meanwhile, the entire city is lit up and every little plant is wrapped in fairy lights. That's life.
Since you can practically do anything imaginable in Dubai, there's a lot of exciting boredom here 😉 We didn't plan our days here extremely tightly, as a visit to a cafe or restaurant can sometimes take a whole day. We experienced this ourselves in a cafe where we went in for breakfast and stayed until dinner. It was a game cafe with over 500 board games 😀.
Family Trip to Dubai 2022: Travel Report
Malta / Gozo
Short stopover in Switzerland to gather strength for the last action of 2022. We pack all the kids back in and set off for Gozo. This was the toughest flight of the year, flight number 15. Sometimes you need a bit of luck for the plane to be able to land with the last drop of fuel. But we arrived safely in Malta and are now living in Gozo. This lovely little island offers us what we had imagined for 2022. And now we are enjoying the Christmas season and the turn of the year here.
There is hardly a better place in the world to spend the Christmas season. EVERYTHING is incredibly beautifully decorated here. It feels like people here prepare for this time all year round.
1 horse, 15 cats, 6 sheep, and countless chickens
We discovered another paradise. The island of Gozo. Clearly one of the highlights of 2022. We are now living in the north of the island and are enjoying a tranquility I couldn't have imagined. At least now in winter. In the summer, of course, tourists come and then there's a bit more going on here. But now we are enjoying the quiet time of the year.
The kids can let loose here. Our apartment includes a huge garden with barbecue areas, a cave, its own playground, and even its own chapel. We also now have a horse, tons of cats and chickens, and even six sheep. Everything that would make a child's heart beat faster, so to speak. For us parents, this clearly means: If we want to do something, we just need to go into the garden. Pack a picnic and off we go.
In 2023, I will of course write one or two posts here about Gozo and Malta. But for the 2022 year in review, I want to mention this trip already. When we were still in Dubai, I didn't even know the island. Sometimes the unknown is precisely what is exciting about such trips.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2023
This year I got a head start on some things, and my 2022 year-in-review will be finished right on time for Christmas. This year, visitor numbers here increased significantly again. Just as they had in previous years. A big thank you for that, and it makes writing about my travels and experiences a little more fun.
We will be celebrating Christmas and the New Year on Gozo this year, as mentioned above, and I will of course report on it. Both here on my blog, and on Instagram. If you don't already follow me on Instagram, you should definitely catch up quickly. 😉
I wish you and your loved ones a wonderful Christmas. A peaceful and quiet time to recharge your batteries for a fantastic year 2023. Have a happy New Year and take care!
Merry Christmas!!!!! 🎅
My 2022 highlights in pictures
Here are a few more snapshots from 2022. Of course, they don't include all the places we visited. I focused on the essential ones. Let them inspire your next trips, or simply enjoy the great landscapes and sights.
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On my travel blog Wandernotizen I'll take you along on our family trips around the globe. Between wanderlust and everyday chaos, you'll find honest travel reports, tips, and plenty of material to ignite your wanderlust. 🧭 ❤️ 🏝️