Another year has passed and with it so many great memories. It’s been a year of contrasts, with the first half being on the road, exploring new things every day and getting to know a lot of new people. The second half however, I’ve spent most of my time sitting at home, getting back into my hobbies and catching up with friends. Not having a job, I had a lot of time on my hands, but it didn’t bore me. Fair, initially I may have spent too much time watching Netflix, but I also had the chance to go to language school, I spent hours applying to jobs only to get rejections, I enjoyed exercising in the quieter hours of the day and I’ve started preparing myself for a change in my future work life. Looking at 2025 as a whole, it’s been a year of many reflections and a much needed time away from the office. So here are just of few of the interesting moments last year.
January
I hadn’t ever thought that much about going to Antarctica. I guess you could say I even booked it on a whim. A bit strange considering the price tag. But sometimes a decision comes fast and gets rewarded. The moment I embarked on the expedition ship the magic started. It was the buzz of excitement. I didn’t really know what I had gotten myself into, and so the experience exceeded all my expectations. I entered a world where I was amazed on a daily basis. I left my worries in Ushuaia and immersed myself in a different world. It was tough leaving the ship again, leaving the bubble, but luckily my year had more beauty in store for me.
February
At the end of January I walked across the remote border between Argentina and Chile. It was an adventure I shared with a few other hikers and bikers who took this less common route. Due to windy weather I arrived in Chile a day later than expected, but I still decided to stay in Villa O’Higgins for a few days. It’s a tiny town at the end of the Carretera Austral with a pleasant hostel and bunch of beautiful hikes. Part of the beauty is that you can still feel alone here. I barely met a soul on the two hikes I did. This photo is from the Alta Vista trail, which took me to some incredible viewpoints.
March
As I made my way up Chile’s carretera Austral, I made a detour to Futaleufú and into Argentina before returning to Chile’s main road. I headed to Esquel (Argentina) for a chance to visit the Los Alerces national park. Unfortunately the weather had other plans, as well as the low season bus schedule, so I ended up staying in Esquel much longer than expected. It was a very surprising, but welcome break from traveling. The hostel I stayed at was comfortable and quiet and I met several interesting people there, with whom I sat in the garden, talking about life. I enjoyed little excursions in the area and eventually did end up camping in the national park.
April
In April I celebrated my birthday in Buenos Aires. After many months being mostly in nature and hiking many kilometers, it was refreshing to be in a big city. It’s a different kind of tourism and I was enjoying tours of the city, trying cafés, admiring street art, and visiting parks and historical sites. I got to celebrate my birthday with two great people, who took me to different places in their city.
May
May was filled with movement, including a few road trips in rental cars. One of them got me in a vehicle with two other Dutchies, exploring the Northern region of Argentina. It wasn’t even on my radar when I started my trip, but the many Argentinians I met along my journey convinced me it was worth the trip. I had the time of my life and appreciated the contrast between what I’d seen in the South in Patagonia and what I was seeing here. The red and purples of the high altitude mountains. The culture of the indigenous peoples. The excitement of the freedom we had in our car. The songs we enthusiastically sang along to. Above, our reflection in a pool on the Salt Flats near Jujuy.
June
At the end of my trip through South America I squeezed in one more country: Bolivia. What a gem it is! A bit chaotic and uncertain, but a gem! Due to the political situation it was a bit harder to get around, but I still saw incredible things. And if the political situation wasn’t uncertain enough, the weather also plays its parts. I was on the way by plan to the Amazon region when the weather changed and made it impossible for the plane to land. After some wasted hours I teamed up with a bunch of guys to head to the Amazon on the night bus. I don’t even remember their names, but I am so grateful to have had those people with me. We were in an ‘we’re all in it together’-mood and made the best of our afternoon in La Paz, organizing our transport to Rurrenabaque. Eventually I only had time for a 3 day trip into the Pampas of Bolivia’s amazon. Yet even for those 3 days it was worth the loooong trip by bus. Otherwise I wouldn’t have seen this incredibly cute family of capybara!
July
Back in Berlin! What a crazy time. I took the boxes of stuff from my basement and reorganized my apartment. I was so happy to come back into my own place, but I still felt a bit misplaced. It seemed like nothing had really changed much while I was away. You kind of step back into your old life, including into some old habits you would have preferred to have left in the past. But the most exciting thing about being back was getting back to my hobbies and the places I’d like to visit. I quickly got back to dancing salsa and in the summer it was great to head to the nearby bar for some after-dance drinks.
August
After visiting The Netherlands for a couple of weeks in July, I had to get real about life. I had to start applying for jobs. But at the same time I didn’t want to let this precious free time I had go to waste. So I decided to continue Spanish classed for some weeks. Every morning I would head into Prenzlauerberg for classes and then I’d have the afternoon to myself. What a great way to keep South America close!
September
Late September my parents came to visit. Since we stay in Berlin most of the time, we decided to head out to the island Usedom for a few days. We had gorgeous autumn weather with plenty of sunshine. It was great to walk on the beach and just spend some time ‘out of it all’. I’d been applying to all kind of jobs and finally had some positive replies. In the end they didn’t end up working out, but at this time it felt like there was progress in the job search. Yet after so many hours searching the internet and writing applications, I was happy to have a few days away.
October
Yay! A friend from Buenos Aires came to Berlin! She chose the days with the most horrible weather. It was pretty much raining all the time, but together we walked a long way through Mitte. We enjoyed some cake to warm up and dry a bit and then continued again. Here are our feet at the line of the former Berlin warm. One of us in the former East and on in the West.
November
Getting back to another hobby. Since July I’d been practicing improv theater with my regular group again, but this fall I signed up for two 8-week courses: scripted acting and improvisation with patterns and repetition. My memories of November are mostly around practicing for 2 different shows in December. Besides that, I had an amazing improv workshop with my regular group and attended a couple of improv jams. Great to be on stage again.
December
As is usual, December was pretty busy. I went to the Netherlands, to Bratislava and to Dresden. This photo is taken from the castle in Bratislava. I was there for selection days for a freelance job and had a morning to myself. Miraculously it was the only sunny day and I enjoyed it immensely. Later that day I would meet my competition, a great bunch of people who I quickly connected with. It was an intense day and a half, but it led to a promising opportunity for the future. And besides that, a reconnection with people who have similar views and wishes for their lives.
