Reflections of 2022

It’s been 8.5 years since I’ve started RailTravel Station, and 2022 deserves a reflection post after so long.

2022 marked many positive changes around the world with the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and especially on travel. For me, I had left my full-time job early this year to do exactly that – travel. This also meant that I did RailTravel Station full-time for the most part of 2022, which was a huge change to be relying purely on a small amount of ad revenue to sustain me each month. Nevertheless, this “gap year” is something that I’ve been wanting to do, and it was the perfect time for me due to various situations happening around the world, based on people around me and the general situation of the world. For this, I have much to be grateful for in 2022.

Rail Travel is Back

Travel is finally back for me in 2022 after 2 years of not even being able to visit JB on a short 5-minute train ride across the Causeway.

I left for my long European holiday in March 2022 when travel was still slightly restricted, but not overly-preventive. If you did not already know, I was mostly in the UK with short trips out to Germany, France, and Italy during that period. It was surreal to be hopping on a flight once more after a long 2 years during the Singapore-Malaysia VTL, with passengers’ tears falling and some even prostrating themselves before the arrival hall knowing that they are truly back in Malaysia, to be jumping on a long-haul Singapore Airlines Business Class for my next flight all the way to London, which was my first Singapore Airlines Business Class experience I had in my life.

For this, I am grateful for Andre, Leslie, and Frédéric who offered me places to stay during my long trip, saving me lots of money on accommodation.

In that same breath, I’m also grateful for Wetherspoon, the Too Good To Go app, and Lidl for keeping my food costs affordable and delicious, and Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury’s when I need some yellow stickers on premium instant food, fresh bakery, or meal deals. RailTravel Station is down to earth with basic travelling and pleb food, but this allowed me to last long in Europe.

You had probably not known much of my European travels yet as the internet there is not as advanced as in Asia. My WiFi in Edinburgh still ran on ADSL and it took me 3 hours to upload pictures for London Transport Museum, which would probably take 2 minutes if I had done it at home in Singapore. It also crashed the internet for that day at my friend’s house with other internet functions ceasing thanks to my single-post picture uploads.

Oops.

With picture uploads during my 3.5 months in the UK close to impossible, I still have an immense backlog of content sitting in my desktop and hard drive, even as 2022 draws to a close.

I had planned for this trip with a leap of faith, prepared to sustain myself based on my savings through the 2 years of staying at home. However, RailTravel Station was a huge blessing to me with a sharp spike of visitors during the VTL period causing a surge in ad revenue during that period, which when combined with my then-full-time-job salary, allowed me to travel with a peace of mind, something which I am immensely grateful for.

I recognise that travelling especially during that period was a very privileged thing to do, be it financially, or taking the leap of faith with a one-way ticket out of Singapore when quarantines were still in place, and to be able to do it for so long without breaking the bank. With a Singapore passport, visas weren’t even needed.

It was also a time of retreat for me after 5 years and 5 months in my previous job, something which I loved and do miss sometimes. I guess it’s sentimental since it was my first job after graduation, but based on my timeline, this gap year of a lifetime was a now-or-never situation.

I am 30 years old in 2022, which means this is the last year to apply for the 26-30 Railcard which saves me 1/3 on rail fares throughout Great Britain for a whole year. If I want discounted train fares in the UK, this is the last year to do it, until I reach senior age. The 26-30 Railcard also includes discounts on the London Underground, so it was significant savings. I also thought that I should do such a long trip while I still had energy to do so. Who knows what would happen when (or even if) I reach retirement age.

I had also wanted to visit some friends in Germany and France during this trip, and it was great to re-connect in person after so long. I had met my Berlin friends first on the Trans-Siberian Railway, and looking back, it was indeed special as it would be close to impossible to do the exact same trip again today, which also means that if we did not do the trip then, we would never even have met in our lives. Something small but intense to reflect upon.

Another highlight of my Europe trip was most definitely in Rome. Now that I had proper savings to travel instead of being a broke student back in my previous trip, I got to explore a lot more in the eternal city now that I am actually willing to buy attraction tickets and join tours instead of being satisfied to simply visit courtyards of places or peek from outside if even possible. I took a longer-than-usual trip to Rome as compared to most pilgrims, based on schedule and airfare. Thank you Ryanair for forcing me to stay longer in Rome based on your low fares made simple, and for granting me a random emergency exit row aisle seat with extra legroom after threatening me with a middle seat during the check-in process.

Among other miracles and signs, I managed to clear every place I had wanted to visit in Rome and more, seen the Pope more times than I had expected to, caught the once-weekly train out of Vatican City Railway Station which finally resumed operations coinciding with my visit, and took a lot more train rides than expected, which led me to visit Church of Santa Maria Regina Pacis in Ostia Lido before it was even held by H.Em. William Cardinal Goh, and before the rest of the Singapore Catholic community knew about the church’s existence and what even is a titular church.

For these experiences, people involved in this journey, and more, I am extremely grateful. I had the opportunity to return to Rome, which I left in peace, and had a clear knowledge of what I should (not?) be doing shortly after I returned back to Singapore.

Growth

Having looking at RailTravel Station every day, perhaps I did not recognise that the ability to sustain it was a gift, and the good work I have done to share train travel information, until others had to point it out to me.

I am pleased to share that RailTravel Station has achieved more than 2.6 million views in 2022. (Although I’d like to caution first that this increase in numbers is also due to the surge in travel curiosity during the VTL days which are thankfully now over with almost-free-for-all travel nowadays.)

Never in my wildest dreams in 2014 when I first started RailTravel Station that I would ever think that 1.3 million people would want to read anything that I write, especially with something as niche as train travel.

Nothing too luxurious, exclusive, or clickbait-y over here. Just plain, factual experiences. No sugar-coating or over-selling an experience. Experiences that you and I will get the same. Be it a good or bad experience, I write it as it is.

For this, I am grateful to all of you, especially if you are reading this lengthy post. Thank you for your support and sticking around after all these years.

2022 is also the first year that RailTravel Station is gaining recognition in the public space. While some of you railway fans already knew that I am behind RailTravel Station since a long time ago, it’s the first time I am acknowledging that it is indeed me in the public space, with an interview by The Financial Coconut, Singapore’s first financial literacy podcast. Nothing much financial related, but more on train travel.

Watch here if the embedded YouTube video isn’t working.

Show some love to the The Financial Coconut if you enjoyed my podcast with them, and I hope I didn’t bore you with it. Thank you once again to The Financial Coconut for having me on your podcast.

I also had my first media familiarisation trip this year with Resorts World Cruises to KL, Penang, and Phuket, and another surprise one just last week to Surabaya and Bali. Thank you once again to Resorts World Cruises for inviting me on board Genting Dream.

I am also grateful to being able to meet up with the Express & Excursion Bus Association (EEBA) and Tourism Malaysia to close off 2022 on a good note.

It’s a bit strange to be potential partners with cruises and express buses, but I guess that’s what happens when you can’t even take the train from Singapore to KL in a single day any more.

Conclusion

2022 has been a year of certainty and stability for many, coming out of the pandemic era. Some are finding new paths and opportunities now that the world has changed. I am one of them. I could not have done sustaining RailTravel Station without you, the reader. The statistics that I have are quite the opposite from many websites, including having a spike during uncertain travel periods. Nevertheless, I am grateful. Each year of sustaining RailTravel Station gives me something new to learn, and 2022 has been largely positive.

Thank you for staying with me on RailTravel Station, and I hope that you will still be here in the years to come.

Happy New Year.