Another year has passed and so it is time to go back and have a look.
Normally I would write a retrospect in chronological order. This time, however, I will start near the end of 2013 and move backward in time.

I could have lost my job!

The company I work for had planned mass dismissal in late November. The company fired many, but I was not one of them.
Had I known of the imminent layoffs and risk of loss of income, in the beginning of the year, I may have held back on some major expenses. As it turned out, I did not get a chance to worry about it – and I did not need to either.

I did not have much to say in 2013, resulting in some pretty boring reading.

Back in July, I wrote some hints for potential tourists. I wrote that winter was not the best time in Denmark, and until now, I have been right: It has been a dark and rainy November and December. Denmark can be very beautiful at spring, summer and fall, but not so much in the winter.

In June, I wrote about my struggle against pollen allergy. This year I have tried acupuncture instead of traditional medicine. Though I was skeptical, it actually worked! Amazing. It has not cured me (yet), but I have had the best pollen season for as long as I can remember.

When 2013 started, it was winter – and it continued to mid-April. It seems like there will be no winter in Denmark between 2013 and 2014. We have had no snow, just rain and reasonably high temperatures.

I started 2013 with the trip I had dreamt of for so long, but up until two years ago never thought possible. Suddenly I got the chance of taking a trip to Antarctica, and I took it!

It had been necessary to book the trip almost a year earlier. The last part of 2012 and early 2013 was spent purchasing appropriate clothing for the trip. It had to be warm enough, but still so light that I could have it in my luggage.

As it turned out, I got almost the right amount of clothes to keep me warm almost all the time. 🙂

The trip to the Antarctic was fantastic! So marvelous!

It was – by far – the most expensive trip I have ever taken, but it was all worth it. Oh, and yes, I get seasick very easy, and yes, the boat trip between Argentina and Antarctica are one of the roughest places to be on a boat; but it was still worth it.

It is impossible to plan the days in detail when you travel in these parts of the world, so I just had a hope that I would get ashore and that I would see penguins. I got both wishes fulfilled on the very first day of my arrival to Antarctica. Everything after that was just a bonus: Visiting one stunning site after the other – taking only photos, leaving only footprints.

That was my 2013. Now it is time to look forward to a new year.