2023 Highlights
I took a three-year gap before posting about my yearly highlights. The reason is that the last three years have been tough on a personal level and apart from losing my father, nothing life-changing happened. 2023 brought equal joy, hope, success, and pain. I learned to stop being in denial and despite the heartache, accept the vacuum left by my father´s death. My career in Germany finally started flourishing and I am a proud mistress of my home. At the same time, I dealt with the insanely twisted German bureaucratic system without screaming in frustration at their massive obsession with a letter trail. My language skills improved by leaps and bounds and I can successfully file my taxes in Germany (which is an achievement in itself). This year, our little family welcomed Amora, a Main Coon and Persian mix kitten and she is adorable. My limited circle of friends is as good as gold – reliable, trustworthy people for whom I can put my hands in the fire – and I am surrounded by well-wishers. My boss is a kind, helpful gentleman and I have wonderful colleagues. Can anyone ask for more? Perhaps, travel-wise, I have explored less, and haven´t been to any offbeat destinations, but I have managed to spend quality time with myself, and been steady with my finances. Overall, 2023 was a life-changing year that taught me a lot and left me with the hope of a brighter, more peaceful future. It reminds me of Shakespeare´s famous lines in As You Like It, “The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and ill together.”
India, the best of my yearly life highlights
When I say that I travelled less, I mean less than I used to do before. That still meant that I visited India twice and explored two of its most beautiful destinations: Kashmir and the Sunderbans. Although I have been to both before, these two places never fail to mesmerize me. Both are magnificent. One is about mountains and valleys and the other is about islands and mangrove jungles teeming with wildlife including the tiger. I also visited my favourite city in the world, Delhi, twice and met up with my close friends. Delhi always pulls at my heartstrings and I am happy whenever I am there.
A bit of Germany
This year, I explored different parts of Germany and did a lot of local activities like autumn mushroom hunting. We went to Frankfurt to enjoy its magnificent museums and to the Black Forest region for some nature. Charlemagne´s city of Aachen happened sometimes in summer and during the year, I visited Ulm, Eisenach, and Wartburg (of Martin Luther King´s fame), and the Swabian Jura region. Somewhere during the year, we even spent a relaxing week in Goa. That was my year in a nutshell.
Have a great new 2024 folks. Wishing you all lots of love, peace, and happiness. See you soon in 2024 and stay tuned for lots of brand new travel experiences. Now you can connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for your daily dose of exciting travel experiences.
RESPONSIBLE TRAVELING-BECAUSE I CARE
FAQs
What are 2023 Highlights?
The year’s highlights included two trips to India (revisiting Kashmir and the Sundarbans), two visits to Delhi, and closer-to-home German adventures like Frankfurt’s museums, the Black Forest, and the historic city of Aachen.
What are the must-see picks among 2023 Highlights?
Kashmir and the Sundarbans stand out as the most memorable travel highlights of the year, alongside quality time spent with friends in Delhi.
Which Highlights are top rated?
The return trips to Kashmir and the Sundarbans rate highest, both for their natural beauty and how much they continued to mesmerize on repeat visits.
Which of these should not be missed?
The Sundarbans trip stands out as the one not to overlook — its mix of islands, mangrove jungle, and wildlife including tigers makes it genuinely unique.
What makes this list of 2023 Highlights worth following?
It offers an honest, personal look at balancing fewer big trips with meaningful ones, alongside everyday life highlights like adopting a new kitten and settling further into life in Germany.
Can you recommend a well-rounded list for 2023 Highlights and explain why each pick made the cut?
Each highlight reflects a different kind of joy that year — Kashmir and the Sundarbans for natural wonder, Delhi for friendship and familiarity, and Germany’s Frankfurt, Black Forest and Aachen for closer-to-home discovery.
Which item from 2023 Highlights would you personally prioritize if time were limited?
If choosing just one, the Sundarbans trip stands out for its rare combination of island life, mangrove wilderness and wildlife encounters.
What criteria make something worth including in 2023 Highlights?
The highlights that made the list are the ones that left a genuine impression — places and moments that brought real joy during a personally challenging year.
How would you rank 2023 Highlights for someone visiting for the first time?
Start with the India trips — Kashmir and the Sundarbans — as the year’s biggest travel highlights, then explore the smaller, closer-to-home German adventures for a fuller picture of the year.
What’s an underrated pick within 2023 Highlights that most people overlook?
The local German highlights, like autumn mushroom hunting and exploring the Black Forest, are easy to overlook next to the India trips, but represent a quieter, equally meaningful part of the year.
