Twenty Twenty Two in Magical Realism

I’d say I’m a day late and a dollar short with this recap but it’s…February already so guess it’s a month late and $30 short?

2022 was the year I hoped to pull myself out of pandemic slump. It didn’t quite happen but I did take some steps towards it. I resigned my insane but lucrative job in February, we moved to Australia in March, found another crazy job a few weeks after, jumped ship to a saner competitor after about a month. Bought an apartment here, bought other stuff and now own more physical possessions than I’ve had in my life. To some extent, started to get settled into a new, calmer life. And of course me being me, I struggled with that. This still doesn’t feel like my real life.

Honestly a lot of the year is a blur, I didn’t do much, just normal stuff that I’ve never really done consistently like grocery shop and take walks and watch shows (now that we have TWO televisions.) Worked, but not too much. Did drink too much wine and ate too much unhealthy food. Didn’t swim. Didn’t work out. Didn’t travel other than the trip here and then one trip back to try and take care of NYC apt stuff which didn’t really happen either. Watched a lot of sunsets and a surprising amount of sunrises. Became a wildlife watcher, trying to entice the sulphur crested cockatiels that visit my balcony. Literally just got called away from my laptop to watch flocks of bats fly past against a brilliant sunset, some crossing less than two meters/six feet from where we stood, eight stories up.

I didn’t set many goals for 2022, other than wanting to get back in shape/get healthier which did NOT happen because it was a vague wish, not an actual goal. My one resolution was to average at least a book a day for the year. I did accomplish my reading goal, probably because it was a SMART - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely goal.

Rang in the new year watching fireworks on the balcony, at 9pm and then at midnight. It seemed a shame to go anywhere out, but we got dressed up to go to the grocery store and sit at home. I wore a black sleeveless shift with maribou trim, bare legs and black legend sandals, the ones that look like orans with a wedge heel and delicate ankle strap. We noshed on a cheese plate until just before midnight, when I seared scallops over mashed potatoes plated with a smear of beetroot puree and we ate them outside just as it turned midnight. We toasted with Veuve while we watched the second fireworks display. I don’t think we stayed up super late after that.

In early January we headed to France for my first ice swimming event in ages. I didn’t end up swimming, but I had to be there for the global board and to present the new hall of fame class with their certificates. I had been dreading it, and the travel was not easy. Australia to Dubai, then Dubai to Geneva, then a shuttle bus with the board members to a ski town in Haute-Savoie. Luckily A was with me which made the travel and constant interacting with people more bearable. It went mostly okay and I had some spots of true fun throughout. The last couple of days there was a beautiful snowfall in this picturesque little town in the midst of these stunning mountains and it really started to feel like real life again.

Then we got COVID sometime on the 33 hour trip home (I suspect it was the Dubai to Melbourne leg but honestly, who can tell) and it was so much worse than the first time I’d had it. It was a struggle to get back into work and I only started feeling better yesterday.

I have some goals for 2023 but will try and write about those in another entry. I believe I am also am free of my NDA as of this morning so should be able to write my Locked Up Abroad: Norway entry a full year and a half later. If I were smart I would have written it privately at the time while it was still fresh in my head.

Oh well…seventeen months later and roughly $500 short I guess.