Hello, 2023! Let’s start the year off with my annual review quiz. Here’s my 2022 year in review round-up.
Happy New Year!
Ummm, how is it 2023 already?! I feel like this break over the Christmas holidays has gone by in a blink of an eye and I’ve had no time to actually prepare for the new year the way I’d planned to. This New Year’s Day has come around far too quickly for my liking!
Let’s take a look at how 2022 went down…
My 2022 Year in Review
WHAT DID YOU DO IN 2022 THAT YOU’D NEVER DONE BEFORE?
I visited some new places and I attended my first-ever Traverse event abroad. Well, my first ever Traverse event altogether! Although I’ve travelled solo before, I found it really exciting and rewarding to go abroad for a travel conference and invest that time and motivation back into my blog. I also performed in a fully-fledged Burlesque show! I mean technically I did a small one a few years ago but this was a proper all-out one for charity on stage and everything. I’m so proud of myself.
Actually, come to think of it, that was in November of 2021, I have no idea why I thought it was 2022! I didn’t mention it in my previous yearly round-up though so I’m still gonna mention it…
DID YOU KEEP YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS, AND WILL YOU MAKE MORE FOR NEXT YEAR?
Absolutely not! I mean I tried to be better at looking after my mind overall and started meditating more – as well as taking a yoga class, so that was good. Looking at last year’s quiz, I set some resolutions that I managed to meet – I did learn more about Pinterest and developed my SEO skills, as well as posted on Instagram more regularly.
DID ANYONE CLOSE TO YOU GIVE BIRTH?
My brother’s girlfriend did, making me an aunt again to a beautiful baby boy!
DID ANYONE CLOSE TO YOU DIE?
No.
WHAT PLACES DID YOU VISIT?
More than I planned, actually. I headed to Brno in the Czech Republic for Traverse (and still have a LOT of content to share from it, I’m so behind, oops!), and stopped over in Vienna on my way over. My boyfriend and I also finally visited Gdansk (it was amazing!), and went to Dublin for his birthday. We also spent some more time exploring the UK with trips to Cheddar Gorge and The Cotswolds.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE IN 2023 THAT YOU LACKED IN 2022?
Money, please. More clients for my freelance business and more time with family and friends.
WHAT DATES FROM 2022 WILL REMAIN ETCHED IN YOUR MEMORY, AND WHY?
My boyfriend planning an epic throwback date for Valentine’s Day, where we hid alcoholic drinks in normal bottles of drink and went to a vintage arcade! All the fun things I did for my birthday. Seeing Derren Brown live and Back To The Future The Musical earlier in the year. I also saw Dita Von Teese live too! Seeing my Dad remarry (and doing a terrible reading, haha!).
Visiting the National Leprechaun Museum in Dublin, because I’d read about it in an old job years and years ago and couldn’t wait to go on adventures that took me to quirky museums like that around the world. Sipping cocktails at Brno Castle whilst watching the sunset. Meeting my nephew for the first time. Seeing Bowling For Soup again with my sister – just like we used to all the time when I was a teenager – and My Chemical Romance for the first time. Walking through Cheddar Gorge. Watching Kings of Leon in a VIP box at Wembley with my sister. There are so many great memories!
WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT THIS YEAR?
I think, definitely taking the plunge and travelling to Brno for the Traverse conference. Considering I’ve been blogging for over 10 years now (but only made the move towards travel content in recent years), I have no idea why I didn’t go sooner. I’ve made some great friends through it, have found so much content and inspiration for my blog and even got some great opportunities out of it.
I’ve never even considered the idea of blogging full time but I definitely walked away from that trip considering it – if even for the reason that I simply don’t have enough time to blog and go on all my planned trips now, haha!
WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST FAILURE?
I don’t have any, really. I wish I’d had more time to focus on my blog and freelancing in recent months, but I’m hoping I can juggle my time better in 2023.
DID YOU SUFFER ILLNESS OR INJURY?
Hahaha, last year I wrote that (in 2023) I had yet to catch Covid. In 2022 I caught it twice! The second time was not as bad though luckily.
WHAT WAS THE BEST THING YOU BOUGHT?
Plane tickets and my ticket to Traverse.
WHO’S BEHAVIOUR MERITED CELEBRATION?
Mmm, I don’t know, really! My brother and his girlfriend definitely made a great kid haha. I’m going to say myself: I’m very proud of the chances I took on myself this year and for putting myself out there.
WHO’S BEHAVIOUR MADE YOU APPALLED AND DEPRESSED?
No one.
WHERE DID MOST OF YOUR MONEY GO?
I’m not sure – most places I travelled to were pretty budget-friendly. My boyfriend and I moved in together again though, so maybe the rent for our cottage haha.
WHAT DID YOU GET REALLY EXCITED ABOUT?
My blog and travel. 2022 has given me so much inspiration (in fact, it’s overwhelming!) and I can’t wait to get stuck in.
WHAT SONG WILL ALWAYS REMIND YOU OF 2021?
Anything from the new Machine Gun Kelly album. I LOVE him.
COMPARED TO THIS TIME LAST YEAR, ARE YOU:
a) happier or sadder? Happier.
b) thinner or fatter? The same.
c) richer or poorer? The same.
WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU’D DONE MORE OF?
I wish I’d saved more money and I wish I’d taken more time for myself (I have more than 2021 though, so I’m getting there). I did take myself out on more day dates this year though and have tried to find the time to enjoy my own company more. Living alone definitely helped with that. Oh, I wish I’d read more too.
WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU’D DONE LESS OF?
Worrying.
HOW DID YOU SPEND CHRISTMAS?
My boyfriend worked but I spent it with my Dad. My boyfriend and I had a lovely (albeit) busy run up to Christmas though by celebrating my birthday – we did ice skating at Warwick Castle, visited Waddesdon Manor and headed into London for the day to see Derren Brown. It was really fun.
DID YOU FALL IN LOVE IN 2022?
No, unless you count back in love with my blog haha.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE TV PROGRAM?
I haven’t watched much this year to be honest! I feel like I spent more time listening to podcasts. My favourites were/are: And That’s Why We Drink, My Favourite Murder, Two Girls, One Ghost and My Dad Wrote A Porno.
DO YOU HATE ANYONE NOW THAT YOU DIDN’T HATE AT THIS TIME LAST YEAR?
Not really.
WHAT WAS THE BEST BOOK YOU READ?
I really loved Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton. Though I normally prefer fiction, a friend recommended this to me and I loved it. I related to it so much.
WHAT MUSIC DID YOU GET EXCITED ABOUT?
Machine Gun Kelly.
WHAT DID YOU WANT AND GET?
Perfume, travel bits, new pyjamas. I did well this Christmas!
WHAT DID YOU WANT AND NOT GET?
Nothing!
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE FILM OF THE YEAR?
Hmm. I didn’t see many new movies but I actually really liked The Lost City. I thought it was just such a fun film which was an easy watch, and a bit different from your typical rom-com. Violent Night was good too. Oh, and Thor: Love and Thunder was hilarious.
WHAT DID YOU DO ON YOUR BIRTHDAY, AND HOW OLD WERE YOU?
I turned 33 and mentioned above all the fun things I did for my birthday. On the actual day, I went to my Dad’s house and had – you guessed it – a curry. It’s tradition.
WHAT ONE THING WOULD HAVE MADE YOUR YEAR MORE SATISFYING?
A better grip on my finances I think. My freelancing is going really well at the moment, but it’s time to start taking it a bit more seriously and saving what I earn or investing it back into the business. At current, I use it to get by in addition to my actual job salary.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONAL FASHION CONCEPT IN 2022?
What fashion? Haha.
WHAT KEPT YOU SANE?
My boyfriend and family, plus my DS and cross stitching.
WHICH CELEBRITY/PUBLIC FIGURE DID YOU FANCY THE MOST?
Andrew Garfield and Machine Gun Kelly. Oh, and Megan Fox.
WHAT POLITICAL ISSUE STIRRED YOU THE MOST?
I’ve paid no attention to politics this year, thank god.
WHO DID YOU MISS?
My mum and my friends – especially my best friend Amy.
WHO WAS THE BEST NEW PERSON YOU MET?
I met loads of lovely people at Traverse, some of which I’ll be seeing again soon!
TELL US A VALUABLE LIFE LESSON YOU LEARNED IN 2022?
Believe and invest in yourself. A small chance (like a trip to a travel conference) can go a long way.
QUOTE A SONG LYRIC THAT SUMS UP YOUR YEAR?
Not a bloody clue.
MY 2022 MOOD TRACKER
It looks like I only had one really, really bad day in 2022 which is good!
My New Year’s Resolutions for 2023
- Invest in myself more
- Launch my new niche site
- Continue to look after my mind and body more
- Spend more time with family and friends
- Travel more
- Have better finances
So when I sat down to write this post, I hadn’t really had the time to reflect on 2022 and honestly felt so rushed coming into the new year and seeing everyone’s achievements on Instagram that I was under the impression that 2022 was a pretty average and not great year.
But sitting down and filling in these questions – and going through my photos – made me feel otherwise. From moving into a sweet little cottage with my boyfriend to all the wonderful trips I took, it’s actually been a pretty great bloody year.
I hope 2023 is too.
If you’re interested to see how my year compares to last years, you can read 2021’s year in review here.
How are you feeling about 2023? Was 2022 a good year for you? Let me know!
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