Updated on January 15, 2026 by Angelika Klein

2025 was not an easy year—but it was a groundbreaking one. It was marked by big decisions, organizational feats, farewells, and new beginnings. It was a year in which many things fell into place at once: my home, my financial situation, my working life, and my outlook on the future.

In addition to all this, there were trips that left a deep impression on me, books that had a lasting impact, and blog projects that grew despite all the turbulence. This review is my attempt to bring all of this together—and the fourth annual review I've written as part of the legendary „Jahresrückblog“ challenge by blogger coach Judith Peters .

My topics and highlights in 2025

Moving into my own apartment!

After almost 16 years in the same apartment (a record for me!), I was about to move for the 16th time in January—this time into my own apartment. I have already written about the background to this in my 2024 Year in Review . My friend Jutta from northern Germany, who had already painted my new apartment at the end of 2024, was back here for the move, and gave me her full support.

On moving day, January 15, of all days, there was black ice in the morning. It was slippery as glass in front of the house, and we briefly feared the worst. But the movers were professionals and transported everything safely to the moving truck without any injuries. My sister came to help after work, and by the end of the day, at least the most important cabinets had been unpacked.

I have to admit: moving house is one of the most stressful events in my life. The inner and outer chaos they bring with them is particularly stressful for me. Before the move, I lugged countless boxes to the recycling center and the bookcase, and after the move, I organized furniture pickups, complained about damaged new purchases, and coordinated replacement deliveries. The usual madness.

Since this time it was residential property, moving in was by no means the end of the story. Right up until shortly before my vacation in May, I was busy dealing with the notary, the land registry, and the bank. Almost until the last minute before my flight to Hanoi, I was unsure whether the financing would be finalized in time. Of course, everything worked out in the end—but the last few weeks were very emotionally demanding.

Almost everything has found its place now, the paperwork is done, and I have settled in. It is a great relief to know that I no longer have to worry about whether I can afford a nice apartment in the future. Thank you, Dad, for making this possible!

I am retired

While sorting out my mortgage, I was eagerly awaiting my pension notice. I had already applied for my retirement pension starting April 1 back in November 2024 – and by early April, I still hadn't heard anything. So I gave them a call. They said everything was fine on their end, there were just some delays. If necessary, my April pension would be paid in May. Great. The notice finally arrived on April 19—Easter Saturday and just two days before my departure for Vietnam.

Being a pensioner has its good and bad sides. The financial security is good for me—and yes, I've earned it after 43 years of contributions, a burnout, and a long working life. I am one of the many baby boomers who are now retiring. There were always a lot of us, and we had to fight hard for jobs, status, and recognition. At school, there were over 30 children in a class. The quiet ones—I was one of them—didn't have it easy. We were overlooked by our classmates and teachers.

Our parents were children of war, refugees, and displaced persons, who compensated for their traumas through work and thus created the German economic miracle. We children of the 1960s learned early on to conform, not to stand out, and to function—even later in our professional lives.

When I became a mother, I took just six months off work—financially, I couldn't afford to take any more, as child benefit at that time was only 600 German marks. After my divorce, as a single parent, I soon went back to working full-time. In the past, I often asked myself why I and many women of my generation, when it came to mothers' pension have fallen through the cracks. My daughter was born in 1986, before 1992, which is why I now benefit from the new mothers' pension. Even if I'm not otherwise a Söder fan: I think he's right on this point. 20 euros more pension per month doesn't make up for the thousands of Deutschmarks in daycare fees or everything I had to do on my own as a working mother - but it's better than nothing.

I started this blog because I can't live without work. But I am very aware that today, at almost 64, work only works for me on my own terms. The pressure I put on myself is the only pressure I can still handle.

Okay, now I've digressed. Actually, I just wanted to say: I have worked hard for my pension. and now I'm happy about the reliable monthly transfer 😂.

The good thing about retirement is the security. The difficult thing is that you suddenly become acutely aware of your own mortality. The pension is both a consolation and a mission: to be mindful of the time we have left, to enjoy it—and to avoid as much as possible anything that could unnecessarily shorten it (even if Gen Z might not like to hear that 😁).

My travels in 2025

My year of travel brought many discoveries, both big and small—from previously unknown corners of the Swabian Alb to unforgettable days in the Blue Land, the alleys of Hanoi, and the karst caves of Halong Bay.

In February my sister and I spent a few wonderful days with our father in New Town on the Wine Route. The almond blossoms were still waiting to bloom due to the cold weather, but we found plenty of cozy wine bars. A highlight was our visit to the Hambach Castle, which is closely linked to German democratic history.

Shortly before my trip to Vietnam, I spent two days in Frankfurt – a city that I have only really discovered for myself in recent years. The rhododendrons were in full bloom in the Palmengarten, and I marveled at the impressive dinosaur skeletons in the Senckenberg Natural History Museum.

Vietnam was a long-cherished bucket list goal and fulfilled all expectations. Together with my friend Paula from Melbourne, I spent three weeks in the country. By chance, we were in Hanoi on the 50th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon. The streets were full of people, flags, and national pride—it was loud, crowded, and fascinating at the same time. You can find out more about this trip in my Monthly review May 2025.

From June numerous excursions in my home region followed: for example, to Lichtenstein Castle, to Sigmaringen, the Princely Park Inzigkofen and to Grafeneck Memorial. These and many previous tours resulted in my comprehensive guide to the 52 highlights of the Swabian Alb.

In August I traveled with my sister to Regensburg: . City tours, Thurn und Taxis Castle, Walhalla, the Danube Gorge, and Weltenburg Abbey made these days a real summer highlight.

The October was marked by my first Educational leave „On the trail of National Socialism in the Alpine region“ with the Georg-von-Vollmar-Akademie – combined with a trip to Blue Country around Murnau. Thanks to a stroke of luck, I met Tour guide Jac-Peter Tölkes who gave me a very personal introduction to the town and the Murnauer Moos. A real gift.

In December followed by two short trips to Augsburg and Aachen – with Christmas markets, UNESCO World Heritage sites, intense impressions, and a long-awaited personal meeting with the Travel blogger Anja from Travel on Toast.

My year as a travel blogger

In 2025, I published significantly fewer articles than in the previous year—due to moving, organizing, and personal stress. Nevertheless, there were important milestones: my first CMT with a press pass, new contacts, lots of ideas.

My most comprehensive article was devoted to the Highlights of the Swabian Alb – 52 destinations, researched over several months. More regions are to follow, with the Blue Land coming next.

My new Pinterest workflow was a major step forward. Instead of using external tools, I now work directly with Canva and spreadsheet imports. In October, my peak month, I achieved over 63,000 impressions and more than 1,100 clicks on Pinterest alone. I achieved most of my Pinterest clicks with a single pin to my article about the most beautiful christmas markets in Germany, closely followed by the article on Excursion destinations around Würzburg.

My article on Educational leave with the Georg von Vollmar Academy – arose spontaneously, but met with a great response.

In November, as part of the The Content Society Advent calendar challenge, I developed my newsletter advent calendar with city tours through historic old towns in Germany. The first digital products are to be created from this in 2026.

My favorite books of 2025

In 2025, I didn't read novels, I listened to them – thanks to my Audible subscription, which accompanied me on walks, train journeys, and long evenings. When you listen to stories, the voice and rhythm give them a power all their own. Three of the 27 audiobooks have stayed with me in particular – and those are the ones I'd like to briefly introduce to you here.

Florian Illies: When the sun goes down*
Florian Illies recounts the summer of 1933: a time of transition, repression, and fatal misjudgments. The focus is on Thomas Mann, who travels to the Côte d'Azur with his Jewish wife Katia and their children—without realizing that their exile will be permanent and that the villa on Poschingerstraße in Munich will be lost forever. Illies shows the tensions within the family and the grueling wait, while political events come to a head in the background. The result is a dense panorama of these weeks – both private and historical at the same time.

T. C. Boyle: No Way Home*
T. C. Boyle tells stories about people on the margins of society, moral gray areas, and decisions that cannot be undone. The characters find themselves in existential conflicts that reveal how thin the veneer of security and civilization can sometimes be. Boyle's writing is pointed, ironic, and at the same time mercilessly honest—and that is precisely what makes the book so powerful. What remains is a lingering sense of unease.

Caroline Wahl: Wind force 17*
„Windstärke 17 is the sequel to 22 Bahnen – this time told from the perspective of the younger sister, whereas the older sister was the focus of the previous novel. After a profound change in her life, the protagonist is drawn to the coast, where the wind, sea, and physical labor become an outlet for her grief, anger, and feelings of guilt. Caroline Wahl's writing is clear, unvarnished, and emotionally dense. Although the two novels build on each other, they can also be read independently of one another.

More wonderful and special moments in 2025

My conclusion on 2025

What I am proud of

• on the decision for my apartment and my independence
• that Anja from Travel on Toast has included me in their list of the 50 best travel blogs
• for mentioning my blog at Nomad Story as one of the 100 best German travel blogs
• almost 150% more website visitors than in 2024
• the strong reach of individual articles via Pinterest

What did I learn about myself in 2025?

• I'm less afraid of missing out on things.
  Because I have already experienced and seen so much, I no longer feel the need to do everything. An intensive trip to South America—for example, to the Pantanal or the Iguazú Falls—still appeals to me, but it is no longer urgent. Not everything has to happen right now.
• Tropical heat affects me more than I thought.
  Vietnam was scenically and culturally magnificent, but we were there too late in the year: hardly any rain, but oppressive heat. For future trips, this means that I will definitely pay more attention to the optimal travel time—tolerable temperatures are now more important to me than perfect weather statistics.
• Traveling light remains a work in progress for me.
  Although we could get our laundry done cheaply everywhere in Vietnam, my suitcase ended up weighing over 20 kilos again. Constantly lugging around my suitcase is simply not good for me anymore—after every trip, my right upper arm hurts for days. I need to work on this issue. I would be grateful for any helpful advice 😉
• Without reliable blog statistics, I lose my bearings.
  After the Borlabs cookie update in June, significantly more visitors opted out of tracking, meaning that Google Analytics now shows less than half of the actual traffic. Although I quickly switched to Matomo and Koko Analytics, I still struggle with the fact that Google Analytics no longer provides me with a reliable data basis.

First times – I experienced this for the first time in 2025

2025 was a year of many firsts. I signed an inheritance contract for the first time and became a property owner for the first time. I have been retired since April 1, 2025—something that really only happens once in a lifetime 😃.

In January, I visited CMT for the first time with a press pass and talked to exhibitors. In October, I took my first educational leave—as a retiree 😆.

There were also many firsts in terms of travel: Vietnam, the Blue Land, Kochelsee and Walchensee, the Herzogstand, Linz, Aachen and Augsburg were all on my personal map for the first time. In Vietnam in particular, I discovered many new culinary delights - such as egg coffee, which reminded me of the taste of tiramisu, and fresh summer rolls, which I have clearly preferred to deep-fried spring rolls ever since.

Within Baden-Württemberg, I visited several places for the first time in 2025, including the Schopfloch Moor, the Randecker Maar, Sigmaringen Castle, the Princely Park in Inzigkofen, the Heuneburg, the Federsee, the Wimsener Cave, the Grafeneck Memorial, and Schwäbisch Gmünd.

A special experience was my first visit to a reading by Florian Illies in October—including a signed book, which I later had read to me on Audible. And in December, I saw the Richter window in Cologne Cathedral for the first time, which wasn't there when I last visited around 20 years ago.

Gratitude and challenges

My biggest challenge was juggling renovations, moving, and organizing various construction sites. Without Jutta, I would hardly have managed it. I am all the more grateful that my health was good and that I was able to enjoy many wonderful encounters.

My 2025 in numbers

• Website visitors in 2025: 32,677 vs. 13,428 in 2024.
• Number of blog articles I published: 15 with a total of 39,017 words – a bit low, but it was also a very challenging year in my personal life. In 2024, I published 30 articles. My longest article this year was the one about the Highlights of the Swabian Alb with a total of 14,474 words, which is more than a third of my annual output. But I also worked on it for about 6 weeks.
• Number of blog articles published on my website: 68 with a total of 207,546 words. Few articles, but a lot of words! That's because I've written several articles that could be turned into a book.
• Blog articles that qualified for VG Wort royalties: 14 (vs. 12 in 2024)
• Books read: 27 (excluding travel literature)

My outlook for 2026

2026 should be more structured, focused, and productive—without the pressure of recent years. I know that not everything can happen at once. But I now know exactly what is important to me.

What I will do differently (better) in 2026

• I will have digital products available by February at the latest.
• There is also a €0 product available in February.
• I am working specifically towards collaborations (at least 5 in 2026).

How you can work with me in 2026

• I am open to Cooperations all about traveling in Germany. I am happy to work with tourism authorities, agencies, hotels, vacation home providers, etc., as well as with other bloggers. Feel free to write me an e-mail at , if you would like to cooperate with me.
• Subscribe to my newsletter and be one of the first to know when my mini products are available to buy.
• If you are a travel blogger, tour guide, or vacation rental owner, would you like to be featured on my blog with an interview about your hometown or region? Then please contact me by email. with me.

My goals for 2026

My business goals:

• Starting in February, my first digital products will be available—guides for tours through beautiful German old towns with maps and marked routes for cell phones.
• 5 Enter into partnerships with hotels, destinations, or local guides.
• Write 52 blog articles—one for each week of the year.
• I would like to write some guest articles about traveling in Germany. Feel free to contact me at , if you have a blog with a relevant theme and are looking for guest authors.
• Participate in a blog challenge by Judith Peters .
• Post at least one short video per week on YouTube.
• Maintain my Pinterest routine with 2 to 3 pins per day.
• At least double the number of subscribers to my newsletter. 👉 Earn karma points by signing up to my newsletter .

My travel goals:

• I'm going on a big trip to Japan, Borneo, Sicily, or the Gulf of Naples.
• Two educational leaves with the Georg von Vollmar Academy have already been booked: Alpine tourism – a space for everyone?! in April and in November Identity, guilt, and nation: Strategies of the New Right in the battle for memory culture with Niklas Fischer from Tatort Geschichte as a seminar leader.
• I'm going visit Speyer with my sister for a few days 😍 — a city that's not that far away and that we both don't know yet.

My personal goals:

• Travel to Innsbruck for my daughter's graduation ceremony .
• Lose at least 3 kilograms.
• Continue to do strength training at least once a week.
• Spend a lot of time with family and friends.
• For a two-week trip, I'm not taking my largest suitcase, just my second-largest one. Oh God, I'm already scared... 🙈🙈

My motto for 2026:

For me, 2026 will be all about: Not everything. But the right things.
After a year of big decisions, I want to focus my energy on projects that are truly important to me and on living a life that feels right.