My 2023 in 12 Photos

January Challenge

I seek thoughtful reflections, and at the end of each year, I look forward to writing down insights and lessons learned, as well as looking forward to what I’d like to happen next. This past December, one thing that came up as I reflected on 2023 was to be more intentional about taking photos and stretching myself in how I do that.

Needless to say, when I found out about this month’s challenge on In Living Color, I immediately knew I wanted to join in.

In fact, I’m excited about several photography-focused challenges. I’ll certainly continue my contributions to the Six Word Photo Story Challenge; I patiently waited for January 1st to start the photo-a-day challenge with Weeds & Wildflowers; and I’m really interested in joining Full Frame’s 52 week photography project. The latter intimidates me quite a bit since I have no technical background in photography and each submission I read last year was so creative and engaging, I’m not sure I’ll belong.

I love a true challenge, though, so we shall see :)

So here it goes: my 2023 in 12 photos.

The beginning of 2023 found me in Madrid. I had flown to the city from the United States at the end of 2022 to await the arrival of my second nephew. Spending a few months in Spain aligned perfectly with my shift to remote work and slow travel, and I’d be able to help my sister, so there’s that :)

The photo I chose for January is from the very first day of the year. After weeks of constant rain as 2022 came to an end, the sun showed itself at the start of the new year, and my sister’s family and I couldn’t wait to go out for a nice, long walk. We chose Casa de Campo with its large lake, views of Madrid landmarks in the distance, and hundreds of ducks to feed.

The sun’s appearance that day seemed like a good sign for the new year, and I desperately needed better days ahead. After not doing much else but trying to work while supporting my sister as she cared for a newborn and a 3-year-old who caught every single virus that passed through his kindergarten, I couldn’t wait for a break in the exhausting routine.

As January progressed and wrapped up, I felt more comfortable taking a day off here and there from aunt duties to explore Madrid. Rainy days were still around but not as frequent. The entire family could finally venture out in the sun, walking, playing, and enjoying local events.

By February, spring was in the air and we spent every weekend visiting and walking around different parks in Madrid. That’s how I found myself enjoying the almond blossoms in the Quinta de Los Molinos garden.

Having worked in Washington, DC for eight years, I knew very well the joy and madness surrounding the blooming of the cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin. As such, I was pleasantly surprised by how much calmer the whole affair with the almond blossoms in Madrid was. Maybe we just got lucky the weekend we visited.

As March commenced, in addition to wandering around Madrid and discovering its green areas, I decided to also check out a few museums, one of which was the Reina Sofia Museum.

Amidst all the collections and exhibitions, what caught my attention was the above wallpaper with large red roses. Originally from the land of roses and having grown up in a house with prominent wallpaper (which my parents still have!), I couldn’t help but take a photo.

Done with my aunt duties (for the time being), I flew out of Madrid late March and for the first time since 2001 spent the month of April in my native land, mostly walking a lot.

During the week, I focused on urban exploration while working remotely, and on weekends, I visited my parents in the countryside and spent a lot of time roaming the fields and hills outside their village.

A highlight from the month, however, was joining a friend for an evening of drinking wine and creating art with Scandinavian moss. I’d been looking for opportunities to engage my creative muscles, so when my friend asked if I was interested, I immediately said yes. Would love more of this in 2024!

A lot happened in May but nothing beats getting to spend a week enjoying my favorite song contest of all time — Eurovision. I’ve been a fan since Bulgaria first participated in 2005 (and I learned this magical and completely wacky event existed).

It wasn’t initially easy to watch while living in the US, though it did become popular there eventually, too. I’d watch and think how lucky the audience is, never even considering it’s possible to be in that audience.

Getting tickets was stressful, and many pieces had to fall into place for me to attend, but let me tell you, the experience is zillion times better in person. I’ve now been lucky to attend two years in a row and can’t wait to do the same this year.

Liverpool, the 2023 host city, truly committed and even though I’m sure not everyone in the city cared for or liked Eurovision, they knew it was happening. From border control, to the train and bus systems, to every restaurant and gallery and museum, Eurovision was all around.

Because of the above, there was so much Eurovision-related content that this would have been fun to attend even if I didn’t get show tickets. Liverpool does love music and a party, or a hundred!

I should probably now move on to the next month, right? :)

In June, I finally made good on my goal to explore more of Bulgaria and did quite a few trips, including attending (for the first time) the annual rose festival, checking out the most fascinating abandoned place in the country, and hiking in the Balkan Mountains.

The photo I chose for the month is from Shipka, a mountainous town with huge historical significance to Bulgarians. The Shipka Memorial Church is a sight worth visiting. A few years ago I heard on the news that the church was pretty much falling apart due to lack of care, so I was glad to see it back to its full glory when I visited.

Slow traveling around my native land has been a unique and meaningful experience, and I’d like to do more of that in 2024.

I spent July in the United States, traveling across the East Coast, leading a couple of storytelling workshops, visiting friends and former colleagues, and exploring new locations.

One such location was Bethlehem, PA where I came across SteelStacks. If you know me, you’d know that I absolutely love repurposed locations. The former Bethlehem Steel plant, once the second largest steel manufacturer in the US, has been transformed into a space for celebrating art, community, music, and culture. The greenery you see in the photo are the native gardens maintained by local volunteers.

In August, I was back in Bulgaria, spending a lot of time in the countryside with my parents, sister, and nephews. The boys love nature, so despite the heat, we were out and about every single day. My older nephew is at an age where all manner of living beings wow him, and if allowed, he could spend hours just watching ants do their thing.

I spent most of September in Madrid (my sister refuses to fly with two young kids on her own, and I’m never not ready for a trip). The temperatures were still high but not unbearable, so I got to do some more park explorations before flying to Bulgaria.

My flight from Madrid to Sofia happened to take place at just the right time for me to enjoy a two-hour sunset. Not too shabby, right?

Work picked up in October, but it finally started to feel like fall, so when not coaching or tutoring or writing, I escaped to the countryside for long walks, solo or with my mom. It was clear the land desperately needed rain, but there had been no rain since June.

Committed to exploring through slow travel as I take advantage of remote work, I also spent a week in the mountainous town of Smolyan, chasing after the sunrise each morning, going back in time in the only village in Bulgaria recognized as an architectural and folklore ethnographic reserve, and enjoying lovely hikes in the Rhodope Mountains.

I spent the first half of November in Bulgaria and the second half back in Spain for my nephew’s first birthday. My highlight that month was visiting Blagoevgrad, home of the American University in Bulgaria. I had volunteered to judge at a debate and speech tournament and instead of just coming for the weekend, I made it a week, working remotely and walking around. Plenty of opportunities to hike, too, many accessible from the town so no vehicle needed. My kind of town!

December was all about the holidays, and I sure did a lot of walking around Madrid, enjoying the lights and decorations, taking my nephews to the many free events in the area.

The highlight of the month, however, was getting on Spain’s fast train from Madrid to Barcelona to catch up with Lily Boyer who had decided to also take advantage of remote work and spend a month working from Portugal and Spain with her husband. We traveled to Sitges for a day, and it was such a treat to enjoy the warm sun on my face while listening to the soothing sounds of the Mediterranean Sea. Must come back.

This was such a fun and reflective challenge to participate in. I sure am ready for more slow travel, hiking, creative fun, family adventures, explorations of Bulgaria, and lovely get-togethers with friends in 2024.

Here are three other articles on the topic that grabbed my attention: