This year flew by quickly for me. I guess it’s true when they say time speeds up as you advance in years…. Although we didn’t travel as much as we would have like to, we had some good stops in the U.S., like Golden and Granby Lake in Colorado, Miami, Florida, and Salt Lake City, Utah. We also finally traveled abroad again to Romania and Greece with a short stop in Munich, Germany. Each one of our trips offered a different experience, and we enjoyed them all. Here are some highlights.

Golden, Colorado—February 20022

For some reason, this little mountain town in Colorado captured my heart right away and continues to stay a favorite. Of course, everything is better with PUPPIES, so when I heard about the town’s annual Goldens in Golden festival, I was there! What’s not to love about a town full of fur babies? Read about it here.

Miami, Florida—May 2022

A long overdue reunion with my brother prompted a visit to Miami over Spring break. Even if it was hot and crowded, we were glad to gather and taste some of the city’s delicious seafood and sample its variety of attractions, from the beach to the swamp.

Granby Lake, Colorado—July 2022

It’s great to have local friends who can first of all guide you to local attractions, and then invite you to their property on Granby Lake! We crashed our friend’s party just for a quick weekend stop in the summer and loved every minute of it.

Breckenridge, Colorado—July 2022

Once again, it’s great to have local friends :-). This time, we visited Breckenridge and our friends who have a time share in the resort. I had visited before with friends from out of town but my husband hadn’t seen Breck. We made sure we stopped by Mimi & Pin, the little sweets and coffee shop near the gondola to get THE BEST churros and coffee.

Europe: Munich, Germany; Romania; Greece—September 2022

When an airline strike forced us to change our trip, we actually gained one day in Munich, Germany. The break was welcomed not only because it was nice getting some rest after a 10 hour flight plus a few hours delay in the airport, but also because we got a nice introduction to the city. We got lost walking back to our hotel and befriended a local, who told us more about his hometown. We also savored a copious meal of BBQ ribs, washed down with a pint of Dunkelweizen beer. On our way back to the U.S. we had just enough time to catch a train to downtown, scarf down some pastries and catch a glimpse of the beginning October Fest celebrations.

I hadn’t been home to Romania in four years, so I was ecstatic to finally see my family and hometown, Brasov. I also loved taking a special trip to one of the many wine regions in Romania and touring a few wineries. If you haven’t heard about Romanian wine, you’re seriously missing out. But more on that later ;-).

Once again, we found ourselves in Greece. We visited dear friends in Athens, then explored the island of Naxos, complete with al fresco dinner on the beach, and friendly kitties on our balcony overlooking the Mediterranean.

Guanella Pass, Colorado—October 2022

When my beloved feline friend of 20 years passed away, I found comfort in nature. Fall colors around the nearby park and a trip to the mountains helped sooth the pain, if only temporarily.

Fall colors come and go quickly in the Rockies. We were lucky to beat the crowds one sunny and warm fall day in October on the road to Guanella Pass for some wonderful leaf peeping.

Salt Lake City, Utah—December 2022

December started with a trip to Salt Lake City. I had one day to explore the city, but was glad to get a taste of it and check “Utah” off my list (although of course there is so much more to see in Utah).

Holiday Lights: Golden, Westminster, Denver—December 2022

At the end of the year, we stopped by Golden once again, this time to admire the Winter Wonderland Christmas Light Display, celebrating 100 years of this tradition with 45,000 bulbs of light.

To end the holidays season on a high note, we visited Denver Botanic Gardens again to walk through the enchanted winter garden for the annual Blossoms of Light.

All in all, 2022 has been good to us and we are so excited to finally get to travel again!

I found that traveling keeps the soul young. Also, I don’t know about you, but I always seem to eat more and weigh less when I travel (since it usually involves a lot of walking). So for the new year’s resolutions, there’s not much to add to old ones: travel more, get or stay healthy, be open to opportunities, have fun, and cultivate quality relationships.

I hope you are excited about the new year and the new opportunities to travel. I wish you health, happiness, and many fun travel adventures!

Happy New Year!

Oana