The moments that made up 2022

2022. Whew, what a year.

It has been the most transitional, turbulent, freeing, transformative year of my adult life. (I’ve specified ‘adult’ there as I imagine the baby years were transformative too. From newborn potato to walking, talking human takes a bit of transitional work.)

The me from January 2022 was determined that this would be the year of change and she followed through in a big way. My life here in December 2022 is entirely unrecognisable from the one I was living 12 months ago.

Naturally with big change comes some big emotion. However, I have ridden the wave of 2022, and I’ve made it to the shore safe, sound, and incredibly proud. I haven’t been in such a positive mindset for as long as I can remember. The hardest work is done and the foundations are laid for things to go up, up, up from here. I’ve switched analogies mid paragraph haven’t I? Am I a surfer or am I a builder? I seem to be both. So multi-faceted.

In a rare break from riding waves or laying foundations, I went for a run this afternoon and reflected on the year that’s been. Good and bad moments flitted across my mind as I glided like an elegant gazelle through the streets. (There are no witnesses to say otherwise so you’ll just have to trust me on this one). I came home and jotted some of them down below. I’ve binned the less perfect moments from the list in the spirit of toxic positivity.

So, here you have

An Eclectic and Not-in-Order List of Some of My Best Moments of 2022

The movie moment airport reunion with mum

Turning on my OOO for the final time

When it dawned on me that somewhere along the way work friend turned to life friend turned to best friend

Walking through Manhattan full of giddiness purely for the fact that I was in NYC

Rooftop BBQ with an Empire State Building view

Having the Beijing girls all together for the first time in 8 years

Seeing a true friend marry her true love

A run on the beach with my favourite Swede

A lunch date that turned into a 48 hour staycation

Following my heart over my head

One last Florida sunset on the beach surrounded by some of my favourite ever women

The first bite of pizza after a 3 month seperation

Playing volleyball again and remembering how much I love the sport

A blue sky, Scottish, coastal weekend, with non stop delicious food bite after bite

When Harper first attempted to say Lisa, and then also when she actually learnt to say Lisa

Basically everything about sobriety

Seeing the first sea lion at the bus stop in the Galapagos

Sleeping with a duvet again after months of sheets

Wearing my heart on my sleeve

Finding out that my Mayan “zodiac” is the monkey, or the artist

A very improbable romantic encounter that made no sense but perfect sense

The moment I realised I was free of a difficult relationship and actually cheered alone in public

My baby turning 30 surrounded by so much love

Finishing the 117km Camino walk

Dad saying that having kids had significantly improved his life

Standing up for myself

That first night in a twin room instead of a hostel

My heart bursting on a bench in the Meadows and wanting to laugh and cry simultaneously

Breaking through a mega pesky internal block

The incredibly kind and lovely feedback I received after finally starting to write again

The toadstool message from the universe

Nosecco and heart to hearts al fresco with my soul friend

That day at Neighbourgood Market

Reconnecting with old friends and picking up right where we left off

Getting back to Edinburgh

Flipping a coin to decide my future

An uncertain date that ended up being a really, really great date

A reunion with my ducklings

Surprising Nikki with an MJ shaped appearance

Laughing til I cried time and time again

Watching the sun rise in Belize

That whole day in El Salvador

Starting the year hangover free and with a Jan 1st 5km run feeling smug as hell

Singalongs outside the beach house

The simplest but most amazing bowl of cornflakes

Costa Rica barbeque-ing as the sun set

Fateful timing and the universe bringing me the connection I needed at the perfect moment

The most ridiculous and fun no ski ski weekend

Finding out that love really is all around (didn’t think I had this level of cheese in me)

There you have it. A roundup of some of the happiest moments that came to mind first when I reflected back. Even in the brief time since I finished writing the list above more moments have come to mind. I could spend hours on this exercise and write a list with a thousand moments on it, but a) that would get a tad dull, b) there’s some moments I’d like to keep for myself, and c) I can’t actually run for hours. So I’ll end it there.

2022: It’s been everything. 2023 sure has some big boots to fill. I believe that she, and I, can do it though.

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