It’s that time of the year when people look back at what they have accomplished and what happened in their lives during the previous 12 months. I am doing the same in terms of my photographic goals, as this was the first year for my website. Here are some numbers:
Total photos taken: around 13,000 (282gb)
Total photos sold: 2,304
Total amount of visitors to this website: 4,789
Total countries visited: 10
Furthest point from home: 9,590km (Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia)
I consider myself lucky since I can’t think of any better way to end this year, with the hope of repeating my success next year. Visiting 10 countries in a year was possible only after some serious planning and trying to grab the best deals. I am not rich and everyone knows that the salary of a teacher is quite miserable. Apart from that I have several commitments that take away a good part of my salary. However with careful planning and research I made my way to Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, Italy (twice), France, Monaco, Malaysia, Indonesia and finally Thailand. Nobody can say that they cannot travel nowadays just because they are not rich, since in my opinion anyone can afford a €150 4-day trip (like the one I did in Provence). You just have to want it hard enough and have some time to invest in planning. Finding the right deal has been made easy thanks to the internet and low cost airlines have made flying from one country to another even cheaper than land transport in certain cases. When it comes to accommodation I always set a budget and stick to it – sometimes I stay in apartments or in hotels since it’s unbelievable how far you can get with low budget in poorer countries.
Another important milestone this year was the Facebook group Maltese travellers, where I share my experiences with other Maltese who love to travel. It always feels good to know that there are a lot of others as crazy as you are about travelling.
What are my plans for next year? Well funnily enough I haven’t booked anything yet! However, having visited Europe, Africa and Asia, my next target is America. Which country or countries I will be visiting is still unknown, however I have been making research on Peru, Brasil, Chile and Argentina. Nothing is yet confirmed so stay tuned for the latest updates.
I have chosen a photo representing each country I have visited this year. To view complete galleries for each of these countries visit my Travel Portfolio.
1. Austria – Hallstatt
2. Switzerland – Davos
3. Liechtenstein – Vaduz
4. Germany – Hohenschwangau
5. Italy – Christmas markets in Trento
6. France – Lavender fields in Puimoisson
7. Monaco – Harbour
8. Malaysia – Street Food in Penang
9. Indonesia – Sipiso Piso Waterfall in Sumatra
10. Thailand – Long Tail Boats in Koh Phi Phi
