The Year 2022.
Twenty twenty two was a succession of yet another hard year. There was no rest after the wild and wicked twists and turns of the previous two years. Omicron. Ukraine. Iran. Roe v. Wade. Climate disasters. The demise of Twitter. Even the Queen of England, who was seemingly invincible with her seven decade reign, up and died!
But I’d be remiss if I just focused on all the bad news headlines of 2022. This year really drove home the fact that nothing stays the same and change can happen overnight. You never know what tomorrow will bring, so your best bet is to just live your life for today. With that in mind, I didn’t have any time to waste this year because I was too busy living!
In 2022, I went full throttle into doing what I love — embarking on experiences, both old and new:
- Travelling to new places overseas (Athens, Santorini, Dublin, Belfast, Amsterdam)
- Attending concerts again (Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, Jason Mraz, Alicia Keys, Mariana’s Trench at Ambleside Music Fest, Carly Rae Jepsen, Lizzo, Brooke White)
- Seeing live shows (Simu Liu’s book tour, Hamilton the Musical, Mariachi de Vargas, and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra)
- Hitting up festivals like Pride, Pet-A-Palooza, Bard on the Beach, the PNE, VIFF, and the Celebration of Lights fireworks
- Returning back to office culture and work outings with workmates (Rugby Sevens, baseball, kayaking, sports day, sunflower fields, karaoke, and team retreats to Vancouver Island)
- Prioritizing fitness by completing the Sun Run (or shall I say Sun Walk?), hiking Tunnel Bluffs, dancing on rooftops, and doing cardio on the beach and yoga in the park
- Discovering painting, joining the West End Singers choir, and the pursuing other new creative passions
- Scoring deals at warehouse sales (clear sign that nature is healing)
- Treating myself to high tea and spa days
- Supporting friends’ new babies, from new additions to their families to new business ventures
- Trying out new cuisines and restaurants (and yes, even lining up for the Jollibee grand opening downtown)
I’m usually one for writing lengthy reflections at the year’s end, but admittedly, I’m pretty spent right now and heading into 2023 with a lot of uncertainty. Right now, all I want to do is dance off 2022 and hope beyond all hope that 2023 starts off with a glimmer of hope for us all. What I will share with you is what I consider to be the most important life lesson I’ve learned from this wild and equal parts wicked AND wonderful year:
Just as you should be compassionate, kind, and patient towards others, you have to give that to yourself as well, because if you don’t take care of yourself, you risk losing yourself.
See you in 2023!
Music in 2022.
Books in 2022.
All of the books I read in 2022 (via Goodreads)
Films in 2022.
All of the films I watched in 2022 (via Letterboxd)
Television in 2022.
These were the TV shows I binged in 2022:
- New Seasons of: Saturday Night Live, Queer Eye, And Just Like That, Hudson & Rex, Ted Lasso, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Flash, Bridgerton, Sanditon, Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk, Girls5Eva, The Umbrella Academy, Never Have I Ever, Making the Cut, Glow Up, The Empress, Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls, The White Lotus, The Crown, Emily in Paris, Abbott Elementary
- Miniseries & Specials: Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, Getting Curious with JVN, Chris Hemsworth’s Limitless, Stanley Tucci’s Searching for Italy, Derry Girls, From Scratch, Blockbuster, Partner Track
- Bingewatches: The Golden Girls
Elizabeth Rosalyn 