2022: A Year in Review

A dog!

My family started the year with our first-ever dog. His name is Nike. He is a miniature pinscher. He has introduced us to a new kind of relationship. He has amazed us. He has made us happy. He has made us scratch our heads.

I always love how happy he looks when any of us comes home. I can just forget about everything else when I spend time with him.

A job change

I changed my job in the second quarter of 2022. Yes, I’m still a software engineer. And yes, I’m still in the finance industry. It was no easy task making that decision: I had colleagues I loved and it was my first job.

The new workplace is international. People come from a variety of countries around the world. That meant I would have to use English daily and had to understand and adapt to this multicultural environment.

Seven months in and now I’m feeling more at home. I know the work. I have accomplished things. I get along well with my new colleagues.

Some days the work is exciting. Some days it’s just not. But that’s how it is.

A pause

Social media can give you fatigue and make you compare yourself with others. It can also be time-wasting. Since I started my new job I stopped scrolling through social media. This gave me time to do something else like studying, exercising and spending time on things that matter more.

I did post once in a while, and just that, no scrolling through the feeds. I still checked friends’ Instagram Stories sometimes to show that I didn’t just disappear into the woods.

A new experience

I went to southern Thailand for the first time since 2015: specifically Surat Thani, Phang-Nga, Krabi and Trang. I had a good time there driving up the hills, walking along the trails, kayaking, spending time with friends.

In December I traveled to Taiwan. It’s my first international trip since COVID struck. This was my first time in Taiwan and I was already in love with the country. People were very nice and I could finally test my Chinese skill in real life 😂. I definitely will go back!

This year was the year I tried a lot of foods, both new nationalities and new dishes. I tried different kinds of matcha and ramen. I tried Spanish foods and loved paella.

I also cooked a lot this year because I mainly worked from home and I wanted to avoid food delivery cost. This taught me how different ways of heating can affect the textures of food.

What I have learnt/improved

  • English communication
  • Working with Ruby
  • Shopping less
  • Personal finance planning
  • Investment

What I could be better at

  • Problem investigation
  • Concentration during meetings

Final notes

It can be frustrating, exhausting and you can find yourself discouraged comparing your life and your goals with those of others. Know your goals, be clear on what they are and focus on what leads to them. A goal can be as simple as to be happy. Because why make life hard?

Another year has passed. You are getting a year older, hence a year less time. Spend time doing what you love—with whom you care. Again, life doesn’t have to be hard. Be straightforward and true to your heart. Make things simple!

This is your life and you have one chance to use it. Make it yours.

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