Written by December 30, 2022

The End of 2022 (recap + adventures)

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The time has come. Another winter, another busy holiday season, another end to another year. 

I really slowed down with my blogging in 2022. One of the biggest things I learned this year is that as you grow and move into new seasons of life, priorities shift. Blogging was one of those shifted priorities. I’m still planning on blogging in 2023, but I won’t be as frequent as in the past. Still,  I couldn’t resist making a yearly recap post and so, without further adieu, here is my year: 

Books Consumed: 

This year I read barely 40 books. I don’t know how many books I’ve read in past years, but I feel like this year I focused on quality over quantity. I read more challenging books and tried new genres. Here are some notable reads from the year:

Where the Crawdads Sing – I read this solely out of peer pressure. It was good, I can understand the hype for it, but I didn’t absolutely love it and I have no idea why. Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for a true crime mystery? Either way, I read it. *bows* 

To Kill A Mockingbird  – This is my new favorite classic.

The Star that Always Stays – The launch for this was so much fun, and I really enjoyed reading this. It was such a simple and sweet story. 

The Little House on the Prairie series – I reread this series throughout the summer and fall for a major nostalgia trip. 

Treasure Island – I’m actually just about to finish this, but I’ve really enjoyed reading this. The pirate mood is so fun. 

And I read a decent amount of nonfiction! Lessons from a Lemonade Stand, Liberty Defined, and The Butchering Art were some of my favorite nonfiction books. 

Movies Consumed: 

I did something new this year and kept track of the movies and TV shows I watched. Here are some notable ones: 

The Queen’s Gambit – This was another show I watched mainly because of the hype around it, and I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did. The costumes and sets were so cool, but the ending was absolutely amazing, and you can bet that there will be an upcoming blog post about why it works so well. 

The Lego Movie – I watched this with my little brother, and realized that this is actually a really good movie. It’s entertaining, nostalgic, and tells a good story. I forgot how awesome it is and I bet you did too, so go watch it. (extra points if you make it a fun movie night with a little sibling) 

Oh Brother Where Art Thou – This was actually the second time I watched this. This time around I had an easier time following what was happening and understanding the Southern accents and really enjoyed this. 

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – this was a very recent watch, but my family has been non-stop quoting it for weeks. 

Writing: 

Some writing adventures were: 

  • Writing 7k words in one day to finish a short story in time for a deadline. 
  • Making an absolutely insane outline for my ghost story because I added too many subplots. 
  • Joining the Inklings and getting super helpful feedback on my writing.

Life Shenanigans 

This year I really feel like I grew up. I got my driver’s license, traveled across the country alone, started figuring out how to use a bank card, and just… started getting more comfortable with the idea of moving out and getting older. 

I also learned a lot of new things this year: 

  • How to drive (okay, but to be fair I was learning to drive in 2021 too, but I learned how to drive alone this year) 
  • Square dancing and swing dancing and, thanks to the Ydubs Conference, a bit of ceili dancing. 
  • How to work Zoom and get more comfortable with Zoom calls 
  • How to play in an orchestra 
  • How to survive the humidity and bugs of Tennessee 

Another thing I really got into this year was fitness. I stopped doing gymnastics, which was a very bittersweet moment. But then I had more time to try out track (although I am definitely not a runner) and from track I really got into cycling and now have legs of steel. In January my family did a 30 day workout challenge, and then from there I started doing consistent workouts throughout the year. 

I also did some fun sewing! I sewed some everyday clothes to wear and in the spring I sewed my prom dress. Then, in the fall, I decided to try to recreate Liesl’s dancing dress from The Sound of Music and it turned out a lot better than I expected. 

Plans for the New Year: 

In 2023 I want to: 

  • Blog consistently once a month 
  • Start in-depth edits for my ghost story. 
  • Go on a road trip and/or camping trip with friends
  • Ride sixty miles on la bike 
  • Spend less time on my phone and more time reading and writing 
  • Focus on coming up with ideas consistently (this is a topic I shall expand upon later) 

*** 

Overall, I think it was a good year. There were definitely some lows, but I’m happy with the improvements and changes I made, and I’m excited for 2023! 

How has your year been?

I hope you have a great start to 2023!

-Hannah

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