December always seems like a time to reflect back on the year. I was looking at my posts on the blog and while I picked up blogging again in May after my travels to Portugal and some life changes, I fell off with blogging towards the end of the year. December has been a busy month with only one December weekend just home and chillin.
I never did a post on 2021 reflections. Honestly last December was hard as the year ended, a new year started and I still didn’t have any leads on jobs. But now I can say it worked out just as it was meant to. I fully believe that “everything happens for a reason” but it’s hard to wait to find out when something will happen. Although if you really knew when, it wouldn’t feel as special either. Life is tough that way.
I thank the fact that I have photos to go back to, as I pull up my January 2022 folder and remember what I did that month. From a bachelorette party to ingrown toenail removal (I know you didn’t care to hear that one) to painting and finally sanding the floors in the spare bedroom. I started 2022 with lots of Ebay listing and preparing our house for future selling honestly. I wanted certain house projects to be completed so that when I did get a job offer (knowing I wanted to move), we wouldn’t have to feel as rushed.
In February 2022, I got Covid. I managed to stay clear for almost 2 years and was boosted. I thankfully had mild symptoms and never lost my taste or smell. It was mostly like a cold and really the first 2 days were the worst with a sore throat and stuffy nose leading me to have very little sleep in the first couple days. Again, timing is everything, if there was ever a “good” time to be sick, it was exactly the week before my friend’s wedding which meant I was fully recovered by the time of the wedding to be Maid of Honor but unfortunately, I passed Covid to Brian and he had to stay home.
March 2022 included some fun weekend outings with Brian, working on living in the present moment was my motto for 2022 as I tried to get interviews for jobs. I did some snowga and made my mini apple pies for Pi Day because I’m a math geek.
Then April 2022 came along, a month that forever changed me, but it definitely didn’t start out smoothly. I talked about it here. The beginning of April is my birthday and I had a couple friends come down for the weekend which was amazing but I had no job leads at the time. Then right before my Portugal Yoga Retreat, I was squeezing in interviews, wrapping up training for work for when I would be gone and before I knew it I was at the airport, receiving a job offer and boarding a plane to Portugal. And 3 days later when I accepted the job, my life and the rest of the year would come to look very different but all for the better.
Portugal was amazing! I met the most amazing ladies and will be forever grateful for that trip. For so many years I’ve wanted to do a yoga retreat and when I heard about this one back in 2021, I knew I had to make it happen. When I got back, it was the start of May and typical month end stuff at work, but I also gave my 2 week notice.
Then I had to figure out a place to live, which thankfully I had met so many other people from the Philly area and had a place to crash for my first week at work. Apartment hunting in the area was insane but I took the only place that I found close to work with an apartment available right away. I moved in May 31st and here we are 7 months later. I’m still happy with my apartment and job decision.
In the summer, I found a good fitness routine for myself between lifting and swimming. I initially did some Pure Barre but that was too much to fit in, plus expensive. I had a pool at my apartment that I could sit by on weekends. I soaked up that warm Philly sunshine because it averages about 10 degrees warmer than Binghamton. Brian came down a couple times and I went up to Binghamton a couple weekends as well as we do long distance life again. Overall I think I fit in a lot of social time this summer while also having some weekends where I would do food prep and then sit by the pool for a couple hours.
We even had a wonderful Portugal reunion in August where we couldn’t believe 4 months had passed.
In September, work started getting busy with the budget but I was also having fun on the weekends. Labor Day weekend I spent in Binghamton and was able to go to the NYS fair.
Then the following weekend, I met up with a Penn State friend for apple picking and enjoyed Longwood Gardens for the first time with Brian even with the rain. Last minute towards the end of the month I decided to join Jen’s weekend retreat for a day. I couldn’t take off work at the time so I planned to drive down and return on Saturday but then they had an extra bed so I stayed the night. That was a lot of fun and beautiful weather.
October brought on the fall activities and a couple trips to Binghamton only because one weekend I had an appointment there too.
I was happy to stay local the rest of October and enjoy some aerial yoga again.
November started with another trip to Binghamton for an appointment and lots of catching up with friends there. I even headed to Syracuse to meet Ashley half way for axe throwing. It was a good social weekend. We also had some beautiful weather in the Philly area before the cold returned. I took a long walk at Valley Forge and realized I need to go there more because it is a perfect trail to walk and get out in nature.
Brian wasn’t off for Thanksgiving but luckily he was able to stop by for a night and then I visited some family friends the day after and helped them decorate for Christmas. That was fun since I knew I wouldn’t be doing much Christmas decorating myself this year with traveling and mostly being at my apartment.
That brings us to December. The end of November I must have pushed myself too hard that I had a stiff neck suddenly so the beginning of December included lighter workouts, mostly walking and yoga. I also attended an aerial acro workshop and that was a ton of fun.
Before I knew it, it was time for Arizona! For a week I went to visit my sister and my parents and Brain flew in as well. We had a whole agenda and even if you put 2 things on the to do for the day, that is plenty! There was only one day we really got to chill which was in the middle of the week as we made a Christmas dinner. I made my annual gingerbread cookies and enjoyed playing Mario Party with my sister and her boyfriend for the afternoon. If there was a perfect Christmas, it would be chillin at home, playing Mario Party, eating gingerbread cookies and unwrapping gifts. I really think it was the perfect day other than Brian ending up not feeling well but it was a good day for him to nap and recover as well.
I felt very much in the present moment in Arizona and didn’t worry about work. When I returned, I looked forward to sleeping in my own bed and ended up going to bed early and sleeping a glorious 11 hours. That was my only issue on the trip was my sleep was not as good.
I checked my work emails over the weekend and was glad there weren’t too many to follow up on. It was right back into meetings Monday morning, but it helped make the day go by quickly. I still am learning so much in my job. Since the tasks can be a little different quarter to quarter, I now have to learn some year end and quarter 1 tasks in the next few months. Then I will almost be at my 1 year mark with the company which is crazy.
I still can’t believe we are at the end of 2022. Working on the 2023 budget at work for so many months, I sometimes get confused that we are in 2022 still, but at the same time I can’t believe I’ve been at my new job for 7 months now. My new job seems to be either super busy or not so busy. There isn’t really an in between right now.
This year I really feel like I have been learning and growing both personally and professionally so much from this much needed change which really excites me for the future.
I know this post was all over the place and I laid out most of the highlights of the year. There were definitely some stressful times with the moving and buying all new furniture and planning for the future as well. I still worry about the housing market because we really only wanted to rent for a year, but I think I have to let go a little, keep on browsing what is out there, but live in the present and see what comes with that.
Happy Holidays!!
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So fun to read this recap of your year. I hope 2023 is another good year for you and your family, and that the job continues to be rewarding and (hopefully) fun.