EVER SINCE I was a child, I have dreamt of travelling around the world. Over the years, this dream evolved into a plan with increasing levels of detail. When the pandemic brought our lives to a halt, my plan took on a sense of urgency. On the bright side, working from home during the lockdowns proved that living as a digital nomad was feasible in my job as an editor for a wealth management company. There is no need to sit in an office in Zurich to do my work. So, last July, my friends and family gathered at Zurich Airport to celebrate my 60th birthday and to launch me on my journey.

A Year Without Socks

I wanted to experience life in different places; I will still be working like everybody else, but while learning and seeing new things. A year divided into a month in 12 countries seemed to be a good framework. Ideally, the itinerary should take me around the globe from one destination to the next. Nice and warm climates ranked high on my list—coming from a country with long, cold winters, a year without needing to wear socks is an appealing concept.

Out of the countless possibilities, I chose six countries that I had visited before (Sweden, Greece, Samoa, Argentina, Morocco and Spain), and six that were new to me (Estonia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, New Zealand, Japan and Rwanda). I decided to book my flights and accommodations on a rolling basis, which soon turned out to be a good idea. Since I was travelling alone, everything I carried had to fit into a suitcase, a backpack and a handbag. All my other belongings went into storage. My luggage was checked when my guests arrived on the visitors’ terrace for a relaxed happy birthday and going away party.

Neck and Legs!

I was greeted at Stockholm Airport by Erik, an old Swedish friend and the first of many super hosts. The following day, we went sailing, criss-crossing Stockholm’s archipelago for an entire week with perfect conditions. It was a glorious start to the year ahead—nothing beats summer in Scandinavia with its endless days! On the way back, I broke a shoulder blade and two ribs, but I was lucky because the bones grew together within a couple of weeks without surgery. And I was still able to visit some of my favourite museums, restaurants and bars in the city aptly dubbed Venice of the North.

It was a very entertaining overnight ferry trip to Tallinn and a scenic bus ride to Rõuge in the Southeast of Estonia. Rõuge is my friend Mirjam’s hometown, and we spent a great week in her summer house. She introduced me to lots of friends and arranged a couple of singing lessons so I could join her and her choir—one thing the Estonians are passionate about. For the rest of the month, I had the whole property, which offers spectacular views over green fields, to myself, skinny dipping in the pond under the starry skies and foraging fresh food from the garden and surrounding forests. I might have devoured more mushrooms in four weeks than in my entire life.

Something Old, Something New

A short flight took me to Athens, where I stayed in Exarchia, a buzzing corner of this megacity. My favourite hangout spot was the colourful food market that stretches an entire street, and my favourite activities were sketching and practicing yoga at dawn on a hill next to the Acropolis. I joined a couple of walking tours with local guides, learning lots of interesting facts about its history and politics, street art and food culture. An extra benefit for single travellers is meeting like-minded people—I am still in touch with friends I made on these tours.

Of course, no visit to Greece is complete without a trip to the islands. Two friends from Switzerland joined me on a sailing trip to a handful of picturesque places in Athen’s archipelago.

The next stop was a former plantation near Fort Galle in Sri Lanka’s lush forests. It had been converted into an ayurvedic resort—perfect to gain back my mobility with daily treatments and yoga practices for three weeks. I even got my first taste of meditation after years of fruitless attempts. Another skill that I happily added to my toolbox before moving on to Malaysia. My super host for the last week had turned a ruin in the jungle into an amazing mansion. From there, it was a short drive to Fort Galle, a compact and pretty UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Eat, Pray, Love

Penang’s rich and unique mix of people and cultures were the primary reasons to put George Town on my list. I love the spectacular city nestled between the hills and the sea. Excited by the street art and other surprises waiting around every corner, it felt perfectly safe to roam the colourful neighbourhoods day and night. This UNESCO World Heritage Site has so many different flavours and lives up to its reputation as a pan-Asian food hotspot: my palate visited all of Southeast Asia within a couple of blocks. I stayed with another super host who had converted one of the many colonial houses in George Town into a stylish AirBnB. He generously shared insider tips to the city and introduced me to his friends—a great gift!

By the time I had to move on, it was mid-December, and the next destination on my list was covered in snow. Not ready for the socks, I decided to spend the holidays in Bali, one of my all-time favourite places. I was greeted by my “adopted” Balinese family, made new friends and even met my old flame from the other side of the world! We spent a couple of weeks together, adding a romantic episode to my trip. After a brief trip to the Philippines, we returned to Ubud, which has everything we love—from the graceful people and their unique culture to the best yoga schools, traditional music and Bachata nights, gorgeous accommodations, delicious food and pockets of lush, unspoilt nature.

You Can’t Make Old Friends

After all that bliss, it was time to discover Wellington, where the Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts had just opened its doors. I saw some interesting exhibitions and enjoyed lots of great performances, including plays, concerts, ballets and comedy shows. This city has it all—from hills dotted with pretty Victorian houses, rolling down to the coast with its mid-century buildings to a glitzy financial district, thriving restaurant scene as well as beautiful beaches. I took the ferry across the strait to the Southern Island to visit my old friend Nicky, who had moved back to her home country almost 20 years ago. As the saying goes: You can’t make old friends!

Japan had been on my wish list for decades, and my expectations kept growing over the years. When I finally arrived, I experienced the full cherry blossom season from the very first blossoms to the last days when carpets of petals turned the landscape into ephemeral mosaics. I stayed in my Japanese super host’s beach house in Kamakura, a lovely small town on the coast south of Tokyo during the week and ventured into the big city over the weekends. A highlight on top of all the other highlights was a trip to Nara, the first imperial city in Japan, and to Naoshima, an island turned into an open air museum. It would take a full page to describe this experience—safe to say, it exceeded all my expectations!

A Sad Thought To Be Danced and An Astonishing Change

The trip to Buenos Aires was very long, and the change from spring to fall got to me—time for socks and sweaters. I delved into Argentina’s history and current affairs on several walking tours with extremely knowledgeable guides, brushed up my Castillano (the Spanish spoken in Argentina) and took a couple of Tango lessons. There are some 20 milongas every night, where people revel in the “sad thought to be danced”. I even hired a professional dancer for two milongas—a brilliant idea for those who want to dance on a level that would take years of training.

It was high time to visit my friend Alice in Kigali. She returned to Rwanda 12 years ago to start a branch of an NGO that helps businesses grow, changing the lives of hundreds of entrepreneurs, their employees and families. 30 years since over a million people were killed in a genocide, I witnessed how the local economy is thriving, all social indicators have improved significantly, and women now have a say in the country’s development. What a refreshing contrast to all the bad news haunting us! It was a great privilege to get to know some of the women at the forefront of this impressive turnaround.

Top Of The World

Since I had added Indonesia and the Philip - pines to my original list and stayed longer than planned in some places, Samoa and Spain were put on the waiting list, while Morocco became the last destination of this trip. I landed in Marrakesh on Eid, an important Muslim holiday. While I expected lots of festivities, the medina was deserted (but for the cats). After visiting Villa Majorelle—one of the most enchanting gardens I have seen—I drove to Essaouira, my main destination. I love this charming small town on the coast for its relaxed atmosphere, and the wind keeps temperatures at a pleasant level. I had a riad—a traditional house built around a central court—to myself most of the time; my cosy room on the rooftop became my last home-office away from home.

Looking Back—And Forward

How has this adventure changed me? I am now confident that I can live in many places and manage perfectly well on my own. That I will never get bored in my own company. That I have amazing friends at home and abroad and can meet wonderful people wherever I go. That I get by with much less baggage and without a fixed address—it is the people we care for that count.

I wanted to discover places, get to know people, meet old friends and learn new things. All these have been more than fulfilled. I immersed myself in different cultures, improved my language skills and my understanding of current affairs, tasted lots of unknown flavours, sang in a choir, foraged for mushrooms, tried my hand at sketching, became a competent sailing crew member, deepened my yoga and meditation practices, danced Bachata and Tango, finished a book project, started a new one and found inspiration for the next one.

At the end of my trip, I am even more grateful for how privileged I am. When I landed in Switzerland 365 days after my departure, my loved ones welcomed me home with open arms. It must be true what they say: those who are firmly rooted can wander far with a light heart.