Looking Back on 2022 – A Year in Review: Our Personal and Travel Highlights

If you’re reading this, then I hope you had a great end to 2022 and that you are also feeling positive for the year ahead.

It took me a few weeks to pull together my thoughts on the last year.

2022 has been a year of big transitions for us and as it came to a close, just like in the previous years, I like to sit down and look back at some of the best and biggest moments of it.

The great disruption of 2020-21 – yes, can you believe it’s been a long two years – has led many people to reconsider the way they live and work, the way they relate to those around them, and the life choices they make. The past two years have made people reflect on what is important in this life and what actually gives them joy and we were no exception.

Therefore, at the beginning of 2022, we were determined to make big changes such as cutting back on screen time, slowing it down for the things that we love, spending more time with loved ones and having the courage to live a life true to ourselves.

In case you need a catch-up on the last few years of my life, here are my previous year in review posts:

A Year In Review: Our Top 2021 Personal and Travel Highlights

A Year In Review: Our Top 2019 Personal and Travel Highlights

Buying a first home is a major milestone in anyone’s life, it is probably one of the most significant purchases anyone will make in their lifetime and from our personal experience, I can tell you that it can be an exciting yet at times daunting experience, particularly for first time buyers who might not know what to expect.

Finding a home that you and your partner agree on, that’s within your budget, in a desirable location, and where you could comfortably spend five to 10 years isn’t easy—particularly in a highly competitive real estate market with record-low inventory.

But like many other first-time buyers, looking for a first home during the COVID-19 pandemic we naively believed that as two professionals we would somehow survive the process largely unscathed. That optimism abruptly evaporated once we made our first offer on a house—and were promptly outbid by about fifty thousand.

In the end, it took us nine months of scouring the market in County Sligo touring dozens of homes, and losing multiple bidding wars before we finally closed on our home late last year – a cute renovated duplex in Sligo Town.

Regardless of where you live, the novel coronavirus pandemic has likely split up your family and loved ones just like ours. The urge to be with family for the holidays or gatherings was strong, even during a deadly—and surging—viral pandemic. Everyone wanted to see their family, and everyone was tired of being cooped up.

But having 1930.6 miles between Sligo and our home towns meant that we didn’t get to see our family in Latvia for almost three years.

We knew that even after several countries started lifting stay-at-home orders or travel bans, visiting elderly family members who won’t be able to dive back into regular routines just yet in person may be just as risky as it was when the pandemic first unfolded. So we waited until the number of coronavirus cases finally started to decrease and we gradually moved towards a new normal, before we booked our flights home to Latvia.

It was a rainy March day in 2000 and I had no idea whatsoever that before the day was over, I would meet a guy that would send me on an incredible series of adventures.

Every anniversary is a milestone but 20 years together is a lot to celebrate, and it’s hard to believe that the two of us have been through two decades of ups and downs as a couple.

Given that for travel lovers like us, true romance means hitting the road, we decided to ditch the flowers and chocolates and commemorate our special milestone with an amazing trip to Northern Ireland’s capital Belfast.

Visiting Belfast and stopping by Titanic Museum.

One of the biggest highlights last year was becoming parents again.

Much to our delight, on the 19th of October Madara Lilly Borovska was born at Sligo Hospital weighing a healthy 3,950 kg.

Being pregnant and having a child for the second time was as exciting as the first. From feeling a little heart beating right next to mine and enjoying two smiles, two voices, two ways of playing and living life to getting the chance to relive all the good parts of my first pregnancy and birth, I get to enjoy the greatest happiness of all.

The first time being pregnant felt like a voyage into the unknown for both of us. Every mood change, every twinge, every shift in body shape was magnified because it was so new. The second time around, we both had a map which gives us a better sense of when something was off course.

It’s no secret that I’ve fallen head over heels in love with Edinburgh, and given that we live a mere 50-minute plane ride from the Scottish capital, I use every opportunity to visit it.

In April, shortly before the midterm, on a cold and stormy spring evening, I spontaneously booked flights and accommodation in Edinburgh and whisked off to Scotland’s capital with Ericeira as my travel companion.

I have to say that nothing helps strengthen the bonds between a mother and daughter more than participating in activities shoulder-to-shoulder and sharing new experiences. I find that mother-daughter trips are a perfect way to accomplish both — and those long hours of travel time can be the perfect way to enjoy quality time.

As yet another opportunity represents itself for me to go on a short solo trip just before we travelled to Latvia, I hopped on yet another short and comfortable flight to Edinburgh to meet up with a friend, and explore some of the city’s museums and independent bookstores.

In April, we spend an incredible week touring Netherlands and Belgium by train. First, we jetted off to Amsterdam to visit Valters cousin and then caught a train to Ghent stopping shortly at the second-largest city in Belgium Antwerp. The main reason for our stopover in Antwerp was to see one of the most beautiful train stations – Antwerpen-Centraal.

Set over three levels, Antwerpen-Centraal certainly makes for a memorable start or end to any trip to the city. Its cavernous main hall is decked in marble, with elegant columns and a marvellous central staircase presided over by a lovely clock face.

We spent five days exploring Ghent to the fullest. We wandered around Ghents Historic Center where we could feel its ancient past on every corner. We admired the centuries-old architecture in every small street, stopped by its castle, and tasted some of the best chocolate, waffles, mussels, and beer here.

The more time we spend in Belgium, the more delightful I find this country. Flemish architecture is a photographer’s dream. The busy squares, cobblestoned streets, cosy cafes, and friendly locals are sure to make your trip to Belgium memorable.