The New Year is often when we try a new hobby, get into a new habit, or set goals for the spin around the sun. So why not get into some new music too? Crossing lines of time, languages, and genre, together, these songs make a great playlist for the year—twelve songs for twelve months of 2022.

In the second he opened that door, the world stopped. There she was, the most beautiful goddess in the world. Her blonde curls were playing joyfully with the wind. Her blue eyes were as clear as the Mediterranean Sea. She had dimples when she smiled and she was smiling at me.

The Czech Republic’s Vltava River begins in the Šumava Mountains, ends near Prague, and flows through some of the country’s most beautiful scenery. That’s why it inspired the most famous piece of classical music in Czech culture: the symphonic poem Vltava (you might know its English title, The Moldau), named after the river, and composed by Bedřich Smetana. Smetana’s piece is a paean to the wonders of the Czech landscape.

This year has been one of the most challenging on record, especially in the travel world, so it may seem counterintuitive to talk about celebrating anything. Bad news plagues our social media and televisions, the entire world is stressed out. It is in these times, however, that celebrating is more important than ever. Small victories are all around you if you look for them.

The American Myth was still alive in my mind until, married to an American, I finally visited the States and slowly, by living there, came to realize how much that myth—like all myths—existed more as a vehicle for escapism from the pains of daily life. And despite its power and influence over popular culture, it didn’t necessarily correspond to reality.