Mark Baker

Probably not one for the ages

2022: Look Back at a Challenging Year

As I write this in mid-December 2022, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t happy to see this year pass. The third year of the COVID pandemic was not quite the return to normality that we all hoped it would be – at least not for me. I don't want to exaggerate. Compared, for example, to the challenges that Ukrainians face every day in their battle against Russia, I have nothing to complain about. That said, the past year threw some unexpected curve balls my way (as well as a couple of more-pleasant surprises and the return of at least some paid travel-writing work). Here’s my annual year in review that might help explain why I’ve been relatively quiet on this site – and also why I hold out hope that 2023 will be at least a little bit (and hopefully a lot) better.

Boating, biking and horseback riding

Part 1: My Days At Radio Free Europe

About the author

I’m an independent journalist, travel writer and author who’s lived in Central Europe for nearly three decades. I love the history, literature, culture and mystery of this often-overlooked corner of Europe, and I make my living writing articles and guidebooks about the region. Much of what I write eventually finds its way into commercial print or digital outlets, but a lot of it does not.

And that’s my aim with this website: to find a space for stories and experiences that fall outside the publishing mainstream.

My Book: ‘Čas Proměn’

In 2021, I published “Čas Proměn” (“Time of Changes”), my first book of historical nonfiction. The book, written in Czech, is a collection of stories about Central and Eastern Europe in the 1980s and early ‘90s, including memories of the thrilling anti-communist revolutions of 1989. The idea for the book and many of the tales I tell there were directly inspired by this blog. Czech readers, find a link to purchase the book here. I hope you enjoy.

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