Happy 2023!

I wish you all peace, health, joy and good experiences in the new year!

I decided to write this post in which I look back at 2022 and what I want for 2023. If I learned anything in the last couple of years is that much is not up to us, therefore I will focus mostly on the last year. While doing all this, I insert photos from 2022, ar least one for each month. Like this one!

reading Harry Potter at the beginning of the year

I enjoy a fresh start and the start of a fresh New Years brings me much joy.

What I mostly like about a new year is the yet another opportunity to reflect on the happenings of the one that is about to end and decide on what to do next.

Online teaching in February: hair done, jacket and sweats.

I guess I have two such occasions in a year, my birthday and the new year.

Of course any time could be a good one to reflect and make changes, if change is needed. I myself have taken important life decisions irrespective of the day or the time.

Snow in March and planning to move out

But that’s the thing: new year and my birthday aren’t occasions for making big, life altering decisions. On the contrary: I reflect on my habits and decide which is good, which is bad, which is boring, which is an excuse, and so on and so forth.

Conference in Amsterdam in April

Planning for 2023 wasn’t difficult because what I want in the new year is to continue most things I am already doing. Something I realised I am missing in my life though is more relaxation and fun. While 2023 is not planned to be a year when I focus less on work, I do want to find more fun and relaxing activities beyond the same old, same old ones I rotate.

Learning new skills in May

Looking back, I am amazed of how quickly 2022 went by. I realised that I have no idea how some weeks have gone by and that is all my fault as journaling was not my strength this year. And yet, so many wonderful things happened…I guess it was a year of extremes: much joy and much stress.

Returning in Hildesheim 10 years later and meeting my good friends and making new ones – May
Busy May: workshop in Eforie

Fortunately this wasn’t a year of great sadness of sorrow; far, far from the pain I felt in 2020 with my father passing away and the effects of the pandemic. However, it didn’t bring me as much peace and peace of mind as I would have expected.

Bucharest sunsets in June
Workshop în Timișoara in June
Trip to Brăila in June

I felt more stress than I usually do and maybe a little more anger than normal. I was busier than I wanted and even though I always say I will make sure to have less things on my to dos, I find it surprising that I keep having more and more. It’s not good because the lesson I learn is that I can do more when, in fact, I need to do less.

July at work

I do know I put more stress on myself than other people are actually pressuring me, but I want to do a good job, to respect the deadlines and to make all the things I say I will. The problem with overbooking is that I forget all I did and I know about the reviews I didn’t submit, the article I didn’t write or the report I didn’t send.

August in Brasov
hiking in August

Hopefully, I will do better in the new year. It is far from the “New year, new me!” slogan and closer to the “New year, same me with less stress and more fun”.

Late at evening on my birthday in September
Fun with colleagues in September
September goes well with the seaside

It was surely a good year. Which years aren’t good though? We have the good, the bad, the stress, the fun, the coffee, the books, the nights, the early mornings, the walks, the people…A matter of perspective.

October is when school starts.
Escapade with friends in October
Streets in October look the best
Walk in the botanic garden in October

What I am most grateful for that happened in 2022 is health. It’s so wonderful to be able to do the small things and to enjoy the process.

Waiting for winter since November. It has not yet arrived.

I am also grateful for some friendships which have deepened and for how much kindness so many people have shown me over the last twelve months.

The Christmas tree in Piata Sfatului Brasov at the beginning of December.
Presenting our chapter in a new book at Gaudeamus book fair in Bucharest
Our Christmas tree
It can be done despite being afraid. December 2022.

I hope you enjoyed these pictures made throughout 2022.

Happy New Year, good health and lots of joy to all!

Here’s to that! [she wrote while raising the third cup of coffee of the day]

Make today count!

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