Last January, I wrote about how 2021 had more or less kicked my butt and I was looking to get back to doing some of my pre-pandemic activities in 2022. Overall, I feel like this theme was very successful. I returned to doing many, many of the things I used to do.
Things I resumed in 2022:
– listening to music – we finally started paying for Spotify at the end of 2021 and then purchased a smart speaker this year on Black Friday. It’s such a delight to listen to music as soon as it’s released and without monopolizing my phone. It also enabled us to listen to a lot of Disney music.
– women’s ministry – I’ve been a member of my church’s women’s ministry leadership team for years, but the pandemic put an end to almost all activities. Over the last few months, the team has planned multiple events and it has been so delightful to plan and participate.
– yoga – It’d been over 10 years since I’d practiced yoga regularly, but one of my coworkers got certified this summer and has been running weekly classes at school. It’s been so fun to have a predictable, free (!) opportunity to practice.
– cooking real meals – After barely cooking in 2021, I’m pretty pleased with how much I cooked in 2022. It was the return of meal plans, using our CSA share well and enjoying the ability of both our kids to eat non-pureed foods. Some months were better than others and this house definitely saw its share of chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese, but overall much improved.
– naps – I love a nap. The constant parenting that was needed for our two kids meant I couldn’t find the time in 2021, but this year naps were back in a big way.
– seeing family for the holidays – This holiday season was the first time since the end of 2018 that we were able to see both sides of our families for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It was delightful to be back in the routine.
– travel, generally – We also managed trips to see family in February on the North Shore, July in North Carolina and August in Maine. I spent a week on the North Shore of Boston for professional development. Brian and I had many day dates over the summer while both kids were in daycare. We did some local exploring with our kids. It was great to be out in the world again.
– reading for fun – I’ve been a member of Sharon MacMahon’s book club since late 2021. I love the community, but even more I love the books she chooses and the built in motivation to read. My favorites this year were The Anthropocene Reviewed, Devil in the White City and Just Mercy.
– wearing make up – A wedding in May encouraged me to resume wearing make up, which stopped about 6 years ago. I spent an embarrassing amount of time researching products before making purchases but it’s been fun to try out and I’ve been enjoying using make up as part of my routine.
– clothes shopping – This year I did my final postpartum closet cleanout, got rid of things that are no longer my style, and focused my attention on clothes that I feel really good in. It’s been fun to gradually update my wardrobe with clothes I’m excited to wear.
