Good morning and happy New Year’s Eve!!!!!
I cannot believe that today is the LAST day of 2022. This year passed by so fast.
For me, 2022 was a year of some really unforgettable moments and also some really challenging moments.
If I can take anything from this year as my ultimate favorite moment or the most important goal I achieved. I would have to say I’m so proud of myself for learning to drive the freeway. I did it alone and was super nervous, but I blasted Taylor Swift and just merged. I still need to learn to navigate the highway, but I’m proud I did it.
Usually, I would have an entire post about the goals I completed through the years and the ones I didn’t. I decided against it. This year I didn’t meet many of the goals I made for myself. And that’s okay because we take things one day at a time, and as long as we grow, we don’t need to check off every box.
But somewhere along the way, I stopped doing the things I was already doing. I stopped journaling, practicing mindfulness, and doing something nice for myself every day. These are things that, even when I’m down, I need to do. I cannot improve if I stop doing things that improve me.
But when you are down, you don’t want to do anything, and I had many of those moments. I had a lot of moments this year that made me feel like no matter what I did, it wasn’t enough. I know that’s a lie, and I have too many people to prove I am enough. So I’m trying not to let the year’s lowest points affect the year.
We had a lot of good this year. I reconnected with family on my dad’s side, my sister had a baby, I went to Disneyland, and I went to the very first LA Harbor Hop, which is now going to be a new tradition for me. I read so many books. I saw Elton John preform live! I’m so grateful for all of that.
I had a lot of favorites this year. How many people had a favorite fictional boyband? Maybe a lot. I just googled, and there are tons of fictional boy bands. But how many of them compare to 4*TOWN? None of them.
Tell me a boyband with a bigger bop than “Nobody Like U,” I’ll wait. And I’ll continue waiting because you can’t. That song is a masterpiece.
Another masterpiece released this year is the movie, Belle. A musical Beauty and the Beast retelling set in a virtual world. It’s so different from all the other telling of Beauty and the Beast and its different from other anime movies I watched. Its so unique.
I watched it in English and Japanese, and both versions sound great. The voice actresses sound so similar. I was so salty over the fact that the movie was released in 2021 for everyone else, but we (America) didn’t get it to this year. Maybe that’s why it was only my second favorite movie of the year.
Because number one was Marcel the Shell with Shoes On.
As a kid, I watched the youtube videos, so I was over the moon when the movie was announced. There are not enough words to describe this movie’s importance to me. It’s nostalgic and new all at once. I wish more things had the wholesomeness and innocence of Marcel the Shell with Shoes On. To me, it is a perfect movie. Is it a slow movie? Yes, but that’s the point. To take life slow and enjoy the little things. And I cried so hard watching it.
I just really like crying in 2022 because my favorite book was The Song Of Achilles by Madeline Miller. The retelling of the Greek Hero Achilles. The funny thing is you think when you already know the story and how it ends, it won’t affect you, but then it does, and you’re in tears. Especially quotes like “When he died, all things soft and beautiful and bright would be buried with him.”
I plan to reread that one day to see if some parts will affect me as much. I think they will.
But before I can reread anything, I have new books, adventures, plans, and goals to share with you next year. I cannot wait to see what 2023 brings us.
Hoping you enter the new year full of love, happiness, and peace!