My Year 2023 in Travel

Happy travel and happy new year!

After Covid finally subsided, we started to travel again, with a vengeance. The year 2023 has certainly been my busiest travel year in the last five years, perhaps even in my lifetime.

January — San Diego

My husband had a business meeting in San Diego, and I tagged along. The last time I visited San Diego was over 20 years ago. The city had undergone considerable changes, yet the timeless natural beauty unique to San Diego remained the same. As we strolled along the vibrant streets and coastlines, memories from my earlier trip resurfaced, but I was equally captivated by the allure of new discoveries.

Sunset Cliffs was sublime:.

Pelicans and seals (or sea lions?) at La Jolla Cove were always cute.

Other iconic San Diego scenes included the “Embracing Peace” statue, Balboa Park, A Valadon painting in the art museum, and Torrey Pine Beach.

A nice surprise was Temecula. I’d heard of this up-and-coming wine region but never linked it to San Diego. When I chatted with ChatGPT about possible day trip destinations, it suggested Temecula, among other places. Temecula immediately struck a chord. I spent a day there and had a nice time.

February — Lake Tahoe

February found me at Lake Tahoe, my favorite place. Unlike this year, there was plenty of snow at the beginning of the season. Not surprisingly, we did a lot of skiing.

March — Costa Rica

In March we had our first big trip of the year. Costa Rica was a beautiful country. I had my first unobstructed view of the lush green land skirted by the blue ocean when I flew from the capital city of San Jose to the Osa Peninsula.

The deep blue water of Golfo Dulce:

Abundant wildlife inhabited the dense rainforests of Corcovado National Park.

Elegant beaches with little human vestige were perpetually lapped by gentle ocean waves and occasionally traversed by gurgling streams.

Even when we ventured into the country’s more touristy areas, we could experience plenty of tranquil beauty, especially when we deviated, however slightly, from the well-traveled paths. One example was the Viento Fresco Waterfalls.

There is a saying in Costa Rica, Pura Vida. It is a philosophy that encourages the appreciation of a peaceful, simple, uncluttered life with a deep appreciation of nature, family, and friends. I liked this philosophy so much that I wrote an article about it earlier this year.

May — Hong Kong

At the end of May, I went back to China to visit my parents whom I hadn’t seen for more than three years due to the pandemic. I stopped by in Hong Kong, a beautiful city which I, to the surprise of many friends, had never set foot on.

A few words about the last picture. At first, I didn’t know who these people were. They reminded me of the homeless, yet I could distinctly feel they weren’t the same. Later a local friend informed me that they were Philippine domestic workers. More than 200,000 Philippine nannies work in Hong Kong. They all have Sunday off, which happened to be the day I wandered the street. They gather in free public spaces to unwind, have a good time, and socialize with friends and fellow compatriots.

June — China

Most of my two weeks in China were spent in Changsha, my hometown. I had many morning runs on the promenade by the Xiang River.

The only place I traveled to from Changsha was Wuzhen, a Venice-like water town. It was a little too manicured to my taste. But it was very pretty.

I missed my train on my way to Wuzhen. You can read about this unfortunate incident here.

August — Iceland

Oh boy, how could I convey the incredible beauty of Iceland with only a few pictures! First, let’s look at the waterfalls.

My friends and I, soaked, jumped in front of a waterfall with sheer joy.

Other natural beauties abounded. Fjadrargljufur Canyon is my favorite.

Vestrahorn is also stunning.

We stayed at this inn for one night (all our other lodgings were similarly picturesque).

There were so many beautiful sceneries that it was hard to name all of them.

September — Alviso

I didn’t travel far in September. But a stunning spectacle unfolded before my eyes. The salt pond in Alviso Marina County Park about 20 minutes from my home displayed a lovely pink color and quickly became a local sensation. I heard it even gained some sort of international fame due to social media’s amazing reach.

October — New York, Washington DC

I went to New York City and Washington DC and enjoyed a variety of activities. The most visually stunning part of the trip was the visit to the Storm King Art Center two hours north of New York City.

The most interesting was the visit to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello.

November — Lake Tahoe, Again

Early winter was suitable for both hiking and skiing, both of which we did.

And Lake Tahoe is always as beautiful as a dream.

So, this was my year 2023 in travel. I’m grateful that I’ve seen so many beautiful places. As the year’s end approaches, I look back and savor all the wonderful memories. I hope the post gives you travel ideas and brings you joy.

I’m planning a couple of big trips in 2024, including one to South America and another to Asia and China. Stay tuned. I will share my experience here. In the meantime, I wish you a happy holiday and a healthy, peaceful, and prosperous new year!