Hello all! Happy Christmas week! I hope you had a wonderful day with loved ones and lasting memories.
It’s the end of the 2023, this year flew by. I feel like just yesterday I was setting goals and resolutions for the next 12 months and here we are almost 365 days later with most of them accomplished.
Going into 2023, I anticipated it to be a year of change and new beginnings and while there was change and I tried new hobbies and went to different places, this year was filled with lots of routine and structure which I love and crave.
Over the past twelve months, I have kept in touch with friends from out of town and made it a point to touch base with them either in-person or via facetime. I traveled a lot this year by taking day trips or longer vacations with my family. I continued to grow in my profession by working on different long-form projects and challenging myself each day. The biggest things that stand out to me from this past year would be my newfound love of trying different hobbies.
Let’s take it back to January for a recap of this year before we get into my favorites of 2023:
The year began with lots of cozy days indoors and lots of cooking, I tried lots of new recipes this year from soups, to pizzas, and baked goods.
Even though it was cold outside, I bunded up and took winter walks to some of my favorite spots, as much as I love the hygge vibes of being inside, there’s nothing quite like getting fresh air and exercise.
February brought a day trip to Cleveland for a day at the Art Museum and dinner and a show.
The second month of the year brought Valentine’s Day and the first of many uses of my Kitchen Aid.
March was a continuation of testing out new recipes and getting outdoors more as the temperatures began to rise.
Spring finally made an appearance in April with Easter, family time and the start of sunshine.
April also brought the start of my running journey.
May took me to Canada and my first visit to Niagara on the Lake, Ontario for a work trip.
Picnic season was back in May and I celebrated my 25th birthday.
I tried to spend as much time outside in the summer. This summer I began to grow my first garden which saw success for its first season. I also began running consistently in preparation for my first 5K.
June was a month of travel with day trips to Columbus and NYC for a day, which you can read about here.
I also got a chance to visit family in New Jersey which was well overdue.
July began with the Fourth of July included lots of running, checking on my garden, walks, and reading poolside.
August began fast and furious with my first 5K, then it was off to a day trip to Toronto.
My family and I got away for a few days to San Diego which was great to have quality time together and go to new places.
Summer wrapped up with bonfires, ice cream and more success of my garden.
The fall was a time of savoring the outdoors as much as I could and seeing the seasons change.
As it got colder and I stayed indoors more, that meant more time in the kitchen by trying new recipes for baked goods and dinners.
November and December brought me my first Turkey Trot followed by Thanksgiving and getting into the Christmas spirit and celebrating all month long.
This past year brought lots of favorites too.
Here’s some of my all-time favorite things from 2023:
Favorite Book: Spare-I know it was a controversial book, but I found it fascinating to read all about Prince Harry and his life from his perspective. I also have been a fan of the Royal family for years, so his autobiography was very eye-opening. Plus the timing between the death of the Queen in 2022, Charles’ Coronation in May and final season of the Crown makes his story even more prevalent.
Favorite T.V. Show– The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel ended this year, I really loved following this show from the beginning and thought the ending was so fitting and fulfilling. A close runner-up would be Ted Lasso, another favorite from this year
Favorite Movie– Barbie– This should be no surprise but I really enjoyed the Barbie movie this year. Although, I’m not a Barbie super fan, I thought it was very well done and had a great message.
Favorite Fashion Item– Tennis dress from Amazon– I wore this so many times this summer. It was so easy to throw on during a hot day or after work. It was fashionable and affordable and I loved the color, perfect for summer!
Favorite New Podcast– The Lazy Genius– I was introduced to this podcast and find it so helpful when it comes to life hacks and ways to streamline things in your life. Although, my all-time favorite podcast is the Simplified podcast.
Favorite App- Substack– I love using substack to keep up with some of my favorite authors and writers like Emily Ley from Simplified and Elizabeth Holmes for all things Royals.
Favorite New Hobby– My favorite new hobby from this year has been running. I never thought I would be a runner and love it as much as I do, but here we are. You can read about my running journey here.
I am also proud of my consistency with growing my first garden this year.
Favorite Trip- Doing New York City in a day was exhausting but so worth it and I made so many memories with my family when we went to San Diego.
This year was so full with new adventures, building relationships, growing in my profession, spending time with loved ones and trying new hobbies. The best way I can describe this year is by feeling fulfilled.
Here’s a look at the resolutions I set out to accomplish this year. My top goals were to Eat healthier and run a 5K (which I accomplished big time), I wanted to take advantage of local spots and park (which I did a great job especially in the spring and summertime), Plan to do more things on days off (I accomplished this by doing day trips and making the most of my vacation days), and lastly, I wanted to continue to grow more in my profession (I achieved this goal by tackling different work projects and tasks).
I’m proud of myself of how I have grown and evolved this past year and I’m excited to see where 2024 takes me.
Cheers to closing the chapter of 2023 and starting fresh for 2024.
