LIFESTYLE | Reflecting Back on 2023

Well, hello there and here we are looking back on 2023! I will say that this was by far the fastest year I have experienced! Personally, a lot happened for me that made everything whiz by in a flash! Though I don't expect you to read through what happened in my life every month of 2023, I find doing these types of posts valuable just for my mental well-being especially when I feel like I can't remember exactly what happened in March or May. I'd like to think that I was still conducting my life in a valuable way and maybe it allows you all to know more about me and how perfectly boring my life is. In a good way of course!

LIFESTYLE | Reflecting Back on 2022

Maybe it's who I follow, but I have come across a number of people who have said that 2022 was a tough year and though I am trying to resist falling into the trap of "Good riddance to 2022 and bring on 2023!" we all know what happened when we thought that about 2019 going into 2020. It's no surprise that I find it hard to characterize 2022 as anything other than the year we lost our beloved kitty companion Hugo, but I really wanted to look closely at the rest of the year as bad and good things will continue to happen on our individual life timelines and whether they happen on the calendar year, fiscal year, or however you want to organize time, I don't want to say that one year was bad so the next year must be good. The next year will just "be" and I can choose to add some things to it or circumstance will spice it up for me. Whether I like the taste is another issue, but as I turn 40 this year, I will probably throw more caution to the wind and open myself up to new experiences!

LIFESTYLE | Looking Back at 2021 (It Was Kind of a Crazy One)

I often refer back to my previous year's post for 2020 just to see where my head was at and now a year later, I feel like not a lot has changed AND that the world has changed. When I wrote my post last year, there was no vaccine for me yet and now after two doses and a booster to come, I don't feel quite as afraid, but now we have the Omicron variant to deal with. I think at some point, no matter how careful I am I will probably catch it as this variant seems to be much more infectious, but thankfully survivable for most. This past year has been somewhat dystopian in feel with the world being divided over vaccinations, vaccine passports and government mandates and I am thankful that most of my friends and family are fairly rational people. 

LIFESTYLE | Let's Have a Look Back at 2020, Shall We?

I almost want to laugh in a sad way at this reflection post because I think many of us are finding a certain camaraderie in 2020. We are both relieved and in disbelief that it's over and 2021 is here and it's supposed to be better, right? Shit happens every year, but this year that same shit hits a little bit harder because you can't see your family, friends or escape for a vacation or do anything outside your bubble. Well, you COULD do all of those things, but then you would be a huge dick since the rest of us are trying to keep COVID at bay and protect those who are most vulnerable, including my asthmatic husband. While I had a bit of a tough time at the beginning of the lockdown being off work, there came a point where I felt like I had mentally let much of the financial worry go and just decided to "ride it out" which has sort of been the motto in the back of my mind for the last 7 months. I am grateful every day that my husband and I have a job to go to as I know others have not been as fortunate and so even though I have my days where I struggle to wake up and go to work, I am happy to be there and I am also happy to be home safe and healthy with my little family. Hugo's grumpy face sums up a lot of what 2020 has been like and he is also annoyed that my husband is now home 24/7. He shows up looking like this on all his Zoom calls and stares everyone down.