I visited 8 countries this year by train, plane, and cruise ship. 5 things surprised me that will change how I travel in 2023.

I've traveled more in 2022 than in any year prior.

I started the year flying back and forth between New York City and Phoenix to visit my partner.

In February, I traveled to and from NYC and Baltimore, Maryland, in Amtrak Acela's business-and-first-class accommodations.

Two months later, I flew to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to take my first-ever cruise onboard Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas — the largest cruise ship in the world. During my seven-night cruise, I stopped in Honduras, Mexico, and the Bahamas.

In May, I flew to Austin, Texas, to visit extended family.

Two months later, I took a business-class Amtrak train to Niagara Falls, New York, where I crossed the border into the Canadian province of Ontario. From there, I took coach and business class trains up to Montréal and Québec City in Canada's Québec province using the country's Via Rail system.

That same month, I flew to Salt Lake City, Utah, for a wedding.

In October, I flew to Berlin and traveled by train through four European countries over the course of two weeks — Germany, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland — trying out train classes on multiple different lines, including OBB Nightjet, Trenitalia, and InterCity Express, from coach to first class, and two different sleeper cabins.

Finally, in November, I flew back to Arizona to visit family, and before the end of the year, I plan to fly back to Austin once more for the holidays.

But rather than leave me exhausted, all those trips left me invigorated to continue seeing the world as much as I can. And I learned a few surprising things along the way that I'll keep in mind next year when I hope to travel just as much, if not more.

In March 2020, the cruise industry shut down in light of the coronavirus pandemic, according to Cruise Hive. Then, in 2021, cruise ships began to sail again with restrictions in place, like reduced capacity and wearing masks, another Cruise Hive article stated. But by 2022, cruise ships were allowed to operate at full capacity with less restrictions, Cruise Critic reported.

But I was still surprised to find that I could book a cabin on the largest cruise ship in the world, Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, with no masking required.

In April 2022, I embarked on my first adventure at sea with more than 5,000 other guests onboard. Although the ship wasn't operating at full capacity, it felt full to me. After two years in pandemic mode, I thought it was surreal to see so many people in the same enclosed place.

The experience also made me realize that crowding still made me uncomfortable, despite travel restrictions easing, and I learned that I've come to hate crowds in general.

While I could escape to my cabin for some personal space, I thought many activities, restaurants, and shows on the ship appeared filled to the brim with cruisers. The crowds were so commonplace onboard, I waited nearly two hours in line to play laser tag for just 10 minutes on one occasion.

Next year, I'll take another cruise, but I'll opt for a smaller ship with fewer people onboard to make me feel more comfortable in a more intimate setting.

From Venice to Rome to Zurich, I experienced heavy crowding in Europe this fall.

I trudged through streets and alleys where I thought tourists were packed like sardines just to get from place to place. And I stood on my tippy toes to see popular historic sites above rows of heads obscuring my view, like the Colosseum in Rome.

Since I traveled to Europe in October after the summer was over, I wasn't expecting to see so many people on vacation, even in major cities. But upon arrival, it was clear I hadn't waited long enough. I thought I'd see mostly locals in major cities during this time of year, but instead, I found countless other tourists.

When I visited the Colosseum in Rome, I waited in line for about a half hour to use the bathroom. I saw people pushing each other forward and arguing about who was in line first. One woman took her whole tour group and pushed to the front of the line, cutting several people. When it was my turn to go, another woman shoved me forward as soon as a stall opened up before I even had a chance to take a step. I was truly shocked at how people behaved in this situation, and it soured my experience at the historical landmark.

According to SOTC Travel Limited, a travel company based in India, Europe is less crowded with tourists in September and October than it is in the summer. But in the fall of 2022, traveling during shoulder season became a big trend, Elite Daily reports. I couldn't even imagine the streets of Rome to be more crowded than when I visited in October.

Next year, I'll plan getaways in European cities between November and March. According to SOTC, there are fewer crowds in the winter than at any other time of the year.

Trains are the best way to get around next year, in my opinion.

With all the full flights and packed gas stations I experienced in 2022, I found trains to be the least crowded form of travel. And after driving in constant traffic and waiting out flight delays, I also thought trains were the most reliable. I realized that even though they're not as fast as these days.

Every train I've been on this year in the US has had a less-than-full car, making it more spacious than any cruise ship or flight I've been on. Most times, I've gotten a row of seats to myself. I only had to sit next to someone during half of one train ride this year in the US.

Most trains I've taken this year in the US and Canada have had about an hour delay, but that's nothing compared to the hours I've waited to board delayed flights in 2022. While my train journeys haven't had a perfect track record, nearly every train I took in Europe departed and arrived on time.

I also think train seats are more comfortable than plane or car seats. The headrests on the Canada Via Rail and Trenitalia trains I've been on were curved, so I could rest my head comfortably when lounging.

Additionally, learning about travel sustainability this year made me think about the impacts my adventures have on the planet, and I want to travel more sustainably moving forward.

Train travel is almost always more eco-friendly than plane travel, the BBC found, using the EcoPassenger calculator, a tool by the International Railways Union and the European Environment Agency that calculates the carbon footprint of various forms of travel. This is because trains tend to emit less carbon than planes.

In my opinion, trains offer the most comfort, reliability, and personal space for one of the lowest costs and least environmental impact, and I'll be riding more of them in 2023.

For my European adventure, I booked a combination of Airbnbs inside and outside of the city center to see what life is like in the surrounding areas.

During my visits to Berlin and Zurich, I stayed in small towns that were about an hour outside the city by train and commuting by train each morning and evening made me feel a bit like a local.

When I visited Berlin, I stayed in an Airbnb in Neustrelitz, a small, quiet town with cobblestone streets. It was a 20-minute walk from the train station, and I enjoyed starting and ending each day with a peaceful walk through town, where I spotted the occasional backpacker among mostly locals.

I also loved the rolling hills and quaint neighborhoods of Roggwil, a small village in Switzerland near Zurich where I witnessed a gorgeous sunset. In fact, I liked it more than almost any other part of Europe I saw. I couldn't help but think that if I hadn't booked this specific Airbnb, which was a 2-minute walk from the town's train station, I probably never would have seen it.

I thought that getting to and from the Airbnbs felt like a little adventure each time, and I enjoyed experiencing the quiet, slower pace of suburban life while photographing landscapes in less-visited areas of Europe.

Next year, I plan to visit more small towns on my travels, and perhaps make them the destinations themselves rather than a place to stay while exploring major cities.

Solo travel was on the rise in 2022, according to Travel Pulse.

And according to WTM Global Hub, Google searches for solo travel have quadrupled since 2020, and I was a part of it. This year, I traveled by myself to Baltimore, Canada, Germany, and Austria.

I found solo traveling to be challenging at first, especially during my first week in Europe. Getting used to navigating, exploring, and falling asleep in foreign places on my own took some time without having someone else to share the process with, making the first few days difficult for me to fully enjoy.

So I was surprised when, by the end of the first week, I felt settled into the nomadic lifestyle and confident in my abilities to navigate. Each challenging moment I faced gave me an opportunity to grow, though, there were plenty of times when I went to the wrong train station, got caught in the rain, or struggled to sleep. When I dwelled on these mishaps, I felt really negative and incapable of enjoying the experience.

So early in my travels, I made a conscious choice to push through and focus on what I could control, like buying an umbrella, arriving at stations early, and making extra time to sleep. I viewed these choices as small wins that boosted my spirits and helped me stay positive. I'd highly recommend other solo travelers do the same if they're struggling.

I was ultimately surprised to learn that traveling solo in new countries is hard, but rewarding. I learned a lot about myself and feel like a stronger person coming out of these trips.

Next year, I want to push myself even further by taking more trips to new places by myself.

I learned a lot about traveling in 2022, and I'm looking forward to another year of train rides, small-town surprises, and solo experiences around the world.