1/1/24: I never published this post in January of 2023 as intended, but I enjoyed seeing what I had drafted last year as it allowed me to take a moment to reflect. I made only a few minor edits for flow of sentences and am glad to be completing it now even if it is way overdue.
2022 was quite unexpected for me. While I started the year with many specific goals and expectations, I ended up continuing a transformation from within that began in 2021. I discovered more of myself by doing completely surprising things resulting in a journey that felt random, but I now know turned out to be exactly as was meant to be. I forced myself to confront and change my very nature, doing things that were not characteristic and out of my comfort zone.
This is the third time I’m doing a year in review and I love the process of spending dedicated time to compile highlights of the past year to focus on all that I have to be grateful for. Life is short and I am very well aware that there will come a time that I will no longer exist to write another post. I do this because it serves as an exercise for me to ponder my mortality in hopes it will drive me to make the most of every day I have on this planet. I spent a couple days at the end of the year to reflect on and document all my accomplishments of 2022 to have it ready for this post. Normally I like to publish my Year In Review on New Year’s day as a way to kick off the year on my blog, but because I had family in town and plans to celebrate the New Year while also getting some much needed self-care, rest and relaxation, I finished this post later than planned. While I am pushing this out late, I must mention I am doing it without feeling a huge load of anxiety, guilt and self-deprecation. This to me is a testament of how I have changed in the past year, which is probably the biggest thing I can appreciate.
I know the New Year usually has people in a reflective mood, but if you haven’t already done so, I encourage you to take the time to acknowledge all the things the last year brought to you, both the good and the bad. Notice the areas of your life and your own self that can use some improvements to become a better version of yourself and bring you more happiness in 2023. Here are my 2022 highlights:
- 51 days (compared to 59 in 2021) traveling –
- No international travel destinations
- Domestic destinations included: Alaska – the last of the 50 states I needed to visit!; Arizona; Florida; Hawaii – Honolulu; Utah; Seattle, WA; California (San Francisco, Bay Area, LA, San Diego)
- CONCERTS/MUSICALS/SYMPHONY/OPERA/SHOWS: Vonda Shepard; Philharmonic Symphony; Drum Tao; Silk Sonic Residency; Lea Salonga; Katy Perry Residency TWICE!; John Legend Residency; Tosca Opera; Usher Residency Concert; Shania Twain Residency Concert; Mad Apple Cirque du Soleil and Ka Cirque Du Soleil
- EVENTS/PLACES: Ethel M Chocolates Holiday Lights Cactus Garden; Lost Spirits Distillery; CES; Iditarod Race; Emil & Jenn’s Wedding; Las Vegas Renaissance Faire; Lion Habitat Ranch; 5K Terrain Race; Honolulu 10k; Epcot Center
- EPIC EATS: Reindeer in Alaska; High Tea at the Waldorf; Taking an out of town visitor on a single 1 day foodie tour to 7 different places: 1) Brew Tea Bar 2) Gangnam Korean BBQ 3) Co Anh Sandwich and Noodle Kitchen 4) New Asian BBQ 5) Suzuya 6) Tacos El Gordo 7) Legends Oyster Bar
- PUBLICATIONS: Poem in SEAF Anthology
- PERFORMANCES: Erotic Tales on 2/5; SEAF on 4/29; SEAF on 4/30; Erotic Tales on 5/14
- VOLUNTEERING: 2 trips to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah; Homeward Bound Cats and Heaven Can Wait Animal Society in Las Vegas
- Certified as a traditional Feng Shui Consultant
If you want to see my year by month, keep reading:
JANUARY
0 days TRAVELING (3 days staycation at Caesar’s Palace)
1/2: Ethel M Chocolate Holiday Lights Cactus Garden
1/3: Lost Spirits Distillery
1/5 &1/7: Consumer Electronics Show (CES)
1/14: Vonda Shepard Concert
FEBRUARY
0 days TRAVELING (3 days staycation at Planet Hollywood)
2/5: Erotic Tales event reading my own short story live for the very first time!
2/12: Philharmonic Symphony
MARCH
13 days TRAVELING (3/3-9 Alaska; 3/16-21 Kanab, UT)
3/5: Iditarod Race Start
4 days volunteering at Best Friend’s Animal Sanctuary & first time hiking a slot canyon.
3/25: Drum Tao
APRIL
14 days TRAVELING (4/6-9 Phoenix, AZ; 4/9-16 Orlando, FL; 4/29-30 Seattle, WA)
4/16: Epcot Center
4/29: SEAF performance reading a poem I wrote
4/30: SEAF performance reading a short story I wrote
MAY
9 days TRAVELING (5/1-2 Seattle, WA; 5/18-21 SLC/Park City, UT; 5/27-29 Carlsbad, CA)
5/6: Half year bday high tea celebration at the Waldorf
5/7: Silk Sonic Residency concert
5/8: Lea Salonga Concert
5/14: Erotic Tales event reading my own short story live
5/28: Emil & Jenn’s Wedding
5/29: Tootsie Musical
JUNE
0 days TRAVELING
3 nights staycation at Bally’s Casino & Hotel
6/3: Katy Perry Residency Concert
6/12: Tosca Opera
JULY
0 days TRAVELING
7/15: Usher Residency Concert
AUGUST
3 days TRAVELING (8/20-22 Bay Area, CA)
8/13: John Legend Residency Concert
8/27: UNLV vs. Idaho State game at Allegiant Stadium
SEPTEMBER
0 days TRAVELING
2 nights staycation at Waldorf Astoria
9/2: Shania Twain Residency Concert
9/25: Lion Habitat Ranch
OCTOBER
1 days TRAVELING (10/22 Los Angeles)
1 night staycation at Vdara
10/1: 5K Terrain Race
10/8: Renaissance Faire
10/15: Katy Perry Residency Concert
NOVEMBER
5 days TRAVELING (11/14-18 Kanab, UT)
4 nights staycation at Waldorf Astoria and Crockfords
11/3: Resin Pouring Class at Corks N Craft making charcuterie board
11/7: Mad Apple Ciruqe du Soleil at NYNY
11/27: Ka Cirque du Soleil at MGM Grand
DECEMBER
6 days TRAVELING (12/8-12 Honolulu, HI; 12/23 San Ramon, CA rest of trip to LA cancelled due to Elliott Winter Storm)
6 nights staycation at Conrad, Sahara and Flamingo
12/10: Honolulu 10K
GGibberish 