One of my favourite ways to reflect on the year just gone is to fill in an annual quiz and review my answers from the year before. Here’s a brief look at my 2023 in review.
Hello 2024! I don’t know if it’s just me but I feel like the last few months of 2023 basically went by in a blink of an eye. I felt like as soon as September hit, Christmas was a week later and now here we are in 2024.
Scary stuff.
I’ve barely had time to sum up the year just gone, so this fun exercise (that I do every year) is a way to delve in.
Let’s get into my 2023 year in review…
My 2023 Year in Review Quiz
WHAT DID YOU DO IN 2023 THAT YOU’D NEVER DONE BEFORE?
I went freelance! I quit my job (and it’s a good thing I did, because a week later the company went bust), registered as self-employed and began the scary dive into freelance life. Even though I’ve been freelancing part-time for a long time now, taking the risk to do it full-time with no savings to fall back on was bloody scary. And though it hasn’t always been easy, here I am a year later still 100% happy in my decision and growing more and more each day. I’m so proud of myself. I also went on my first ever press trip!
DID YOU KEEP YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS, AND WILL YOU MAKE MORE FOR NEXT YEAR?
I actually did! My new year’s resolution were to invest in myself more (going freelance), launch my niche site (hello The Morbid Tourist), continue to look after my mind and body more (I’ve maybe achieved half of this – it’s still a work in progress), spend more time with family and friends and travel more. I don’t have better finances (yet) but they’re getting there.
DID ANYONE CLOSE TO YOU GIVE BIRTH?
No.
DID ANYONE CLOSE TO YOU DIE?
No.
WHAT PLACES DID YOU VISIT?
I got a few trips in! I attempted skiing in Switzerland in January (and returned in August), Nottingham, Cheltenham, Dublin (again), York, Colchester, Coggeshall, the Cotswolds (Bath, Lacock), Blackpool, Denbies Wine Estate, Winchester and some other random places. My boyfriend and I are (slowly) attempting to tick off all 50 top spooky locations around the UK for The Morbid Tourist, so that’s taken us to some fun places we wouldn’t normally visit.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE IN 2024 THAT YOU LACKED IN 2023?
More travel opportunities I think.
WHAT DATES FROM 2023 WILL REMAIN ETCHED IN YOUR MEMORY, AND WHY?
Ah, this is my favourite question as I think about how my year has gone! I’ll always remember having my ‘Chalet Girl’ moment as my friends and I partied in a club (in our full winter gear), a rock band performing my favourite song, and stumbling through the streets of the ski resort in the snow afterwards. It was *so* magical. Having a quiet Christmas day, just my boyfriend and I, after Christmas, which was so laid back but so fun. Launching The Morbid Tourist and being able to attend amazing events like Tulleys Shocktober fest, all thanks to my weird little obsession with horror. Watching the video of our burlesque show for charity from January. Going on a ghost hunt with the Most Haunted team. Having the most fun (and spooky) weekend away with my boyfriend in Nottingham. Getting my York ghosts with Sam in York. Spending a lazy day swimming in a stunning lake in the mountains in Switzerland. My ‘work’ Christmas do at Flight Club in London with my favourite clients. Party in the Park with my family. Handing in my notice with the plan to go self-employed. Opening my business card in the post and it suddenly feeling so real. It’s been fun!
And to remind you that not everything is great: I’ll also always remember the absolute shit show that was Slam Dunk 2023. Being informed that everyone was arriving late and missing bands due to the traffic, my boyfriend and I spent around three hours in the hotel getting ready and drinking before finally heading over to where the festival was held. I was so drunk that I forgot to see my favourite band (the one band I’d wanted to see) and walked out of seeing my other favourite band for no reason other than trying to get in line to see another band (who I’d already seen live about 30 times). It was a disaster, hahaha.
I’ll also always remember when we stayed in a haunted hotel in Coggeshall, which is supposedly the most haunted hotel in Essex. I woke up in the middle of the night SCREAMING my head off because I thought a ghost had set on the end of my bed and was pinning my arms down to suffocate me. It turns out my boyfriend had just gotten up to use the loo, knocked the bed which set me off, and then was holding my arms down to get me to shut up. It was hilarious.
WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT THIS YEAR?
Absolutely going self-employed! It’s something I had toyed with for years and had always been too scared, yet now I would never look back.
WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST FAILURE?
I don’t know. I wish maybe I’d been better at setting boundaries (and not accepting every single freelance job so I had no time to myself), but this will come with time.
DID YOU SUFFER ILLNESS OR INJURY?
Apart from getting really sick on holiday, no!
WHAT WAS THE BEST THING YOU BOUGHT?
Hmm. I’m not sure. Maybe Baldur’s Gate 3 or Hogwarts Legacy haha.
WHO’S BEHAVIOUR MERITED CELEBRATION?
Me again! Once again, I’m very proud of the chances I took on myself this year and for putting myself out there. I’ve also had a lot of support from loved ones and friends this year. My boyfriend was so great at supporting me on my freelance journey, even if it meant not having a reliable income to pay my half of the bills! Fellow bloggers Sam and Victoria have also been really supportive this year, inviting me as a plus one for lots of cool trips and local opportunities, which has helped grow my blog too!
WHO’S BEHAVIOUR MADE YOU APPALLED AND DEPRESSED?
No one.
WHERE DID MOST OF YOUR MONEY GO?
I would probably say travel or business-related stuff.
WHAT DID YOU GET REALLY EXCITED ABOUT?
My blog and travel – the same as last year – and my business. Oh, and my niche blog.
WHAT SONG WILL ALWAYS REMIND YOU OF 2023?
I’ve actually been more into podcasts this year! I’ve really enjoyed And That’s Why We Drink, Uncanny and Folklands.
COMPARED TO THIS TIME LAST YEAR, ARE YOU:
a) happier or sadder? Happier. By far.
b) thinner or fatter? The same.
c) richer or poorer? The same.
WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU’D DONE MORE OF?
Like in 2022, I wish I’d taken more time to myself. I really experienced burnout by the time Christmas rolled around. But I know that’s natural when you go freelance, because you just pick up as much work as you can in your first year(s).
WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU’D DONE LESS OF?
Worrying.
HOW DID YOU SPEND CHRISTMAS?
I spent it with my family as my boyfriend was working – but we had our own (very lovely) Christmas day a few days later. The rest of the time I just switched off and relaxed, which was well-needed!
DID YOU FALL IN LOVE IN 2023?
I fell in love with my new niche blog, The Morbid Tourist.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE TV PROGRAM?
Ghosts. I cannot even begin to explain how much I cried when we watched the Christmas special/last-ever episode. I will miss it so much.
DO YOU HATE ANYONE NOW THAT YOU DIDN’T HATE AT THIS TIME LAST YEAR?
Not really.
WHAT WAS THE BEST BOOK YOU READ?
Her Majesty’s Royal Coven was amazing! I’d had my eye on it for a while and finally read it for a book club. It’s definitely up there as one of my favourite books of all time now.
WHAT MUSIC DID YOU GET EXCITED ABOUT?
I didn’t actually listen to much music, nor did I get excited about any! In fact, I can’t even think of any of my favourite artists releasing new music. Oh, except of course, Blink 182! It’s great that they’re back.
WHAT DID YOU WANT AND GET?
I actually asked for really boring adult stuff this Christmas, like an electric toothbrush and a slow cooker. I was pretty pleased with them! My boyfriend also got me an awesome one-player board game called Final Girl, which has been really fun to play.
WHAT DID YOU WANT AND NOT GET?
Nothing!
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE FILM OF THE YEAR?
I have a couple! I absolutely loved Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves as well as Haunted Mansion. They were probably my favourites. I also thought Saltburn and Wonka were pretty good, and the new Indiana Jones. We took my dad to see Indiana Jones at a cool high-end cinema in St Albans and it was a fun experience going to see that.
WHAT DID YOU DO ON YOUR BIRTHDAY, AND HOW OLD WERE YOU?
For my birthday, we had a festive weekend in Winchester and had everyone over for a curry on the evening of my birthday.
WHAT ONE THING WOULD HAVE MADE YOUR YEAR MORE SATISFYING?
I’m not sure really. Every year I wish I’d travelled more but I also really loved all the time I spent at home in our little cottage this year too.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONAL FASHION CONCEPT IN 2023?
I work from home pretty much all the time now, so I rarely ever wear anything apart from jogging bottoms and pyjama tops, haha. But this has actually led to me being a bit more experimental with my style when I do go out! I wore a really bold purple sequin minidress for my Christmas do in London recently and still can’t believe I a) pulled it off and b) had the confidence to! I’m usually all about wearing oversized comfortable clothing that covers my arms or my podgy tummy (lol) so it was nice to have that confidence.
WHAT KEPT YOU SANE?
My boyfriend and family, plus my DS and cross stitching. I have done so much cross-sitch this year as a way to have a break from my phone/laptop/PC and it has really helped. I’m also incredibly lucky to live right by a beautiful woodland area which I’ve loved exploring this year. Working from home, I find it really really hard to find the motivation to leave the house sometimes (especially when my boyfriend is working 12-hour shifts on those days), so I really have to push myself to get out and get some fresh air. Every single time I do and go for a walk up the woods, I feel miles better. Honestly, fresh air is underrated haha. And not wanting to leave the house is definitely not something I thought I’d struggle with, but here we are!
WHICH CELEBRITY/PUBLIC FIGURE DID YOU FANCY THE MOST?
Pedro Pascal. Also, if fictional characters can be included in this, Astarion from Baldur’s Gate 3 totally won me over, despite my best efforts to not get swept up in the obsession…
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?
My blogging friends Sam and Dani! Although I’d spoken to Sam before 2023, we met in person when we both went on the ski trip in January. We’ve since travelled loads together, including another trip to Switzerland where we met Dani!
TELL US A VALUABLE LIFE LESSON YOU LEARNED IN 2023?
Take chances on yourself! Taking the leap can be scary but what’s the worst that can happen?
QUOTE A SONG LYRIC THAT SUMS UP YOUR YEAR?
Not a bloody clue.
My 2023 Mood Tracker
2023 was a pretty good year for my mood tracking! I tried to get out of the habit of using ‘rad/awesome’ days on average days that were just ‘good’, because really the best days should be special occasions. But any day that I don’t have too much stress or can find the time to enjoy little moments is a great day for me! I didn’t actually have a truly awful day last year either, just ‘meh’ (kind of bad but could be worse) days and a few sick days.
My New Year’s Resolutions for 2024
- Be happy
- Be healthy
That’s it!
Overall, 2023 has been a weird one! I’m definitely very proud of myself for making such a huge career change but I do feel that I could enjoy this change a bit better. Because freelancing can be so varied – with work changing on a month-by-month basis – I feel like I’ve worked even longer hours than I did in a full-time job. So in 2024 I’ll be spending more time on cutting down on bringing in new clients and instead finding a great balance between my current ones and actually enjoying the benefits of being self-employed, like setting my own hours, not overworking myself etc.
It’s been a great first year living in our little cottage too and living with my boyfriend again has been lovely. I feel that this year has been all about putting down roots and kind of being a bit more grown-up – finding the right career, settling into our new home etc.
That being said, I do feel like this Christmas was a weird one and that basically the entire year from September onwards disappeared very quickly. I don’t even remember much past mid-September! So in 2024, I think it would be great to try and be more present and finally put all those journaling and manifestation books to good use.
And that’s a wrap on 2023!
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