My Top 10 Travel Moments of 2022

And just like that, 2022 has come and (almost) gone! So in honour of the new year being just a few days away, I thought I’d look back at my top 10 travel moments of 2022.

While 2022 wasn’t the biggest year of travel I’ve ever had – that honour probably goes to 2019 when we went to Southeast Asia, moved to Prague and then travelled all around Europe – it was still a pretty awesome travel year! We travelled with family and just us two, we went to old favourites and new places, we went on long weekend trips and enjoyed a few longer stays. And I’m so grateful for each adventure, especially as we learn to navigate travel in a post (mid?) covid world.

So without further ado, let’s look back on my favourite travel moments of the year! 

Note: The below 10 moments are in chronological order, not in order of preference. I loved all of my travel moments equally!

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Epic landscapes in Kauai, Hawaii

My very first trip of 2022 was to Kauai with my husband, my mother-in-law and my aunt-in-law in January. It was the first time any of us had been to Kauai and we lucked out with an amazing week of sun and beautiful activities.

My favourite memories from our time in Kauai were definitely the stunning landscapes and scenery we got to see. Driving through Waimea Canyon and stopping at all of the lookouts was a huge highlight. I also loved the beaches and waterfalls we stopped off at during our week in Kauai. And I really enjoyed exploring Makauwahi Cave Reserve with the coastal, cave, beach and forest landscapes.

Read more: How to Spend 5 Days in Kauai, Hawaii

 

Delicious food in Hawaii

While the scenery in Kauai was amazing, the food was a whole other level of awesome! From poke bowls and Asian burgers to acai bowls, malasadas and everything in between, I loved the eating we got to do while we were there. My favourite foods in the world are probably fresh seafood and fresh fruit, which Kauai had plenty of.

With only a week in Kauai and a limited budget, we didn’t get to try it all. So I’m excited to get back to Kauai or another Hawaiian island someday soon and enjoy more delicious Hawaiian foods!

Read more: The 10 Best Places to Eat in Kauai and Top 10 Must Eats in Honolulu, Hawaii

Seeing 4 shows in 3 days in New York City

In May 2022, Colin and I travelled to New York City for a long weekend. (Fun fact: New York was actually our first trip together back in 2015!) And since I’m such a musical theatre fan, you know we had to fit in a show or two while we were there!

We ended up seeing four shows in three days: Islander, American Buffalo, Dear Evan Hansen and Six. They were all amazing but Six totally blew me away. It was the one I was most excited about and it totally lived up to the hype! So much so that I may try to see it again when I’m in London this coming January.

Read more: 21 Things to Do on a First Time Visit to New York City

 

Exploring Ellis Island and the Tenement Museum in New York

Another highlight of our New York trip was the museums we visited. Two really stood out to me: the Immigration Museum on Ellis Island and the Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side. Actually, these museums are kind of related! The Immigration Museum tells the big picture story of immigrants who came to America through Ellis Island. You get to follow their journey off the boats and learn more about US immigration past and present.

The Tenement Museum zooms in on one immigrant family who lived in a New York tenement building through a specific period of history. Instead of learning about masses of people, you get a look at daily life in New York. In our case, we learned about an Irish family from the 1800s on a small group guided tour.

Read more: 7 Mistakes I Made in New York City – So You Don’t Have To

 

Enjoying our annual family trip to Pender Harbour, BC

For almost his entire life, my husband has been heading up to Pender Harbour on BC’s Sunshine Coast for an annual family get-together. Every July 1st weekend Colin’s family will gather in a burst of tents and RVs and spend the weekend fishing, diving off the dock, taking in the views and sipping beers by the campfire. The weekend culminates in the legendary horseshoe tournament and roast dinner.

I’ve been lucky enough to join Colin and his family at Pender Harbour for the last seven years and it’s a tradition I hope we continue for the rest of our lives. It’s such a peaceful place to unplug and reconnect with family.

Read more: My Favourite Annual Weekend at Pender Harbour

Catching up with friends & family in Toronto

Speaking of reconnecting with family, 2022 also saw us heading back to my hometown of Toronto for a whirlwind trip. While we only had five days, we managed to squeeze in family dinners and BBQs, a trip to my cousins’ place in Brantford, catch-ups with friends, and a wedding.

It was a busy five days but I’m so glad we got to see as many people as we did. It’s always so nice catching up with everyone in Toronto. I hope 2023 sees some of my Toronto friends and family coming out to visit us in Vancouver!

Introducing Colin to Amsterdam (and watching him fall in love with it!)

In 2014, I studied abroad in Amsterdam and absolutely fell in love with this charming European capital. In 2018, I returned to Amsterdam with my dad and fell in love all over again. And in 2022, I finally got to bring my husband back to Amsterdam. Safe to say, he’s a fan!

We had a few awesome days in Amsterdam this September staying in the coolest bridge house accommodation and enjoying the late summer sunshine. We toured the Anne Frank Museum, ate delicious brunches, cruised down the canals, caught up with old friends, and picnicked in the park. I didn’t quite convince Colin that we should move to Amsterdam but I’m still working on it!

Read more: 3 Day Amsterdam Itinerary and 12 Things to Know Before Visiting Amsterdam

 

Finding an unexpected number of things to do in Brussels

After Amsterdam, we continued onto Brussels in Belgium. Brussels is always seen as a second rate city; most people prefer Bruges or Ghent to Brussels. And while it’s not my favourite European city, I was pleasantly surprised by how much there was to see and do in Brussels and how much we enjoyed our time there!

Don’t sleep on some of Brussels’ funkier museums, like the Sewer Museum or a museum dedicated to action figures. There’s an underground palace to explore, a miniature EU theme park and the 1000+ outfit wardrobe of Manneken Pis. Plus, the food and drink scene in Brussels is awesome!

Read more: The 16 Best Rainy Day Activities in Brussels, Belgium

 

Taking in the views in Ghent

While Brussels was great, I do think Ghent has my heart and is probably my favourite city in Belgium (sorry Bruges & Antwerp!). We visited on a gloriously sunny day and had the best time wandering around medieval Ghent. From the Gravensteen castle and royal residences to boating down the river and admiring a famous painting, we loved it all.

But I think my favourite part of Ghent was all of the spectacular views. I loved seeing the city from the castle and the Belfry, and even just from the bridges that crossed the old town. If you love charming cities, don’t miss Ghent!

Read more: 11+ Things to Do in Ghent, Belgium

Moving to our new house!

Okay, this probably doesn’t quite qualify as a travel moment, since we only travelled a 15 minute drive from our old house, but it was still a pretty big change of scenery!

After a series of housing misadventures in September and October, we finally settled into our new apartment in the Fairview neighbourhood of Vancouver at the end of November and I could not be happier. I really love our new home and finally feel rooted in a place that is ours. It has been so fun to spend the last month settling in, decorating and discovering our new space. I look forward to getting to know the neighbourhood more once the weather improves!

PS: I’ll likely share a house tour in a future post so keep an eye out for that!

What’s coming up for travel in 2023?

So 2022 saw me travelling to Kauai, New York City, Pender Harbour, Toronto, Paris (briefly!), Amsterdam, Brussels and Ghent. Looking back, that’s a pretty epic year! So where am I going in 2023?

The year is starting strong with a solo trip to the UK in January. I’m flying into London and the plan is to spend a few days there, visit a friend for a few days, and then spend a few days in Bath before I fly home from Amsterdam. While January isn’t a great time of year to visit the UK, I couldn’t pass up the amazing flight deal ($160 CAD round trip!).

Then we have our big bucket list trip of 2023: three weeks in New Zealand! We’ll be heading out right after Easter and I cannot wait for the itinerary we have planned through the North and South Islands. Look out for lots of photos and posts on Hobbiton, geothermal areas, Milford Sound, mountain hikes, meat pies and more!

In the fall, Colin has another week off work and I’m brainstorming a few trip ideas. At the top of the list right now is a Las Vegas + Southwest US road trip! I’m envisioning a couple of nights on the Strip (fingers crossed Adele is still playing!) followed by a road trip through the Grand Canyon and maybe another national park in Arizona or Utah.

So that’s what 2023 travel is shaping up to look like. Of course, things always change and I would not be mad if we added another trip or two. I’d love to see my Toronto family – whether that’s in Toronto, Vancouver or meeting up somewhere else in the world. It’s also been much too long since I’ve been to Asia, but that might be too big a trip to squeeze into 2023. I guess we’ll see what happens!

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I’d love to know: What were your top travel moments of 2022? And what travel plans do you have for 2023?