Personal & Bookish Reflections on 2022!
Hello, 2023! Goodbye, 2022! As the new year begins, I thought I’d take some time to reflect on 2022 on a personal level, share some highlights, and discuss my bookish habits of last year.
2022 was a challenging year full of ups and downs. More places started to open back up (while many went out of business), I think it has been a continual adjustment during the age of Covid (even though some people think it’s over). While there is some relief with the vaccine, there is still a lot of hesitancy and uncertainty lurking in the air with each new variant. I’ve come to accept this in a way (as I feel most of us have) and I’m working hard on taking each day one at a time as I head into 2023.
I was stressed, sad, and anxious, and kept trying to adjust to our world the best way that I could. But on the positive side, I cherish the little moments in life. I think in this day and age we all get swept up in social media/what everyone else is doing instead of focusing on ourselves. I’m trying to cut back on doom scrolling and am trying to focus on a life that’s away from being on the screens. I feel like since 2020 (and I know I’m not alone in this) I feel my attention has been all over the place, making it hard to read at times. I try not to be too hard on myself and give myself grace for reading slumps.
I’m doing my best and have continually focused on myself in 2022 to not only elevate myself but also focus more on self-care. I’ve gone back to doing more of the things that gave me comfort and making more of an effort to have a healthy work-life balance so I won’t fall into burnout. I also have been working to grow my Etsy shop and I’ve learned so much from being a new small business owner. I’ve continued to pursue some writing projects and got the chance to do some fun write-ups for various websites such as Fandom Spotlite and am navigating the path of an author as well.
I don’t set New Year’s resolutions anymore, but rather personal goals that I’d like to achieve throughout the year. This year I just plan to work on a better work-life balance.
2022 Reading Challenge
What about my 2023 bookish goals? I‘m continuing to purge a lot of books from my collection and tried to tackle some of the books that have been sitting on my bookshelves for the longest. I purchased about 65 books in 2022 and I want to read that amount from my own shelves and/or unhaul them. I want to read more audiobooks and finally share a bookshelf tour on the blog which I still didn’t do in 2022! I plan on adding more new content this year.
This year I’ll be trying to read 150 books again! I completed this goal last year. I also won’t be doing any kind of reading challenges this year at all just as in 2022. I just want to focus on my backlist TBR and anticipated reads.
2022 Highlights
Huckleberry Railroad & Crossroads Village – I haven’t visited this park in forever, so visiting during the Halloween season was a whole new experience for me. It’s a historical village park similar to Greenfield Village in Dearborn with a train, vintage amusement rides, and many historical building replicas.
Blake’s Cider Mill – A kind of a Michigander tradition of sorts. I got to go on a workplace outing which included a tour of the hard cider brewery, lunch, and apple picking! Going to cider mills is my number one favorite Autumn activity.
Halloween Garage Sale – The room was filmed to the brim with Halloween decor, vintage pieces, apparel, and all things spooky at this garage sale. It was great to support some small local businesses and pick up seasonal decor at a great price!
Haunted Tavern Cocktail Pop-Up Experience – This was a cool pop-up event I got to cover for Fandom Spotlite. It was an exciting event with an intimate setting that featured four delicious and spooky-themed cocktails and scary stories.
Youmacon – I got to attend Youmacon 2022 and It was my 8th time attending the convention as a whole. This was my third year cosplaying and on Saturday, I dressed up as one of my favorite Disney princesses Tiana (from Princess and the Frog). I got to nerd out for the whole weekend, attend fun anime panels, and play video games.
Candlelight Concert –Fever is a company known for putting together one-of-a-kind events for its audiences around the globe. Their Candlelight Concert series creates a unique ambiance for listeners through the hundreds of candles that will illuminate the venue. I got to attend a few of these concerts for Fandom Spotlite and each performance was a magical experience.
Book Beat Annual Celebration – I love visiting Book Beat (a local indie) and they were having an anniversary celebration for the store. I got to meet one of my favorite Romance authors, Beverly Jenkins, and take a picture with her. She is so friendly and fun to talk to.
Heroes & Villains: The Art of the Disney Costume – Presented by the Walt Disney Archives the exhibit explores about six decades of films produced by The Walt Disney Studios, Walt Disney Television, and Disney Theatrical Group. As a big Disney fan, this exhibit was incredible! Seeing these outfits up close was so amazing! My favorite piece in this entire exhibit was the gowns from Cinderella (1997 film version). (pictured above)
Hello Kitty Cafe Pop-Up – This is the second time I’ve been to the pop-up and I had to wait in line for two hours! But because I was there so early I got to snag some gifts for me and my friends before they sold out! I just wished the truck would carry as many baked goods as it does merchandise.
Selfridge Air Show – I had never been to one of these shows before and I’m so glad I went. I went with my family and seeing the planes fly in the air and get to walk/sit inside the aircraft was a cool experience. Though this Summer was so hot, the weather was perfect on this day!
BTS 9th Anniversary Event – I’m a huge K-Pop and BTS fan so I love to go to cup sleeve and other music-themed events around the area. As a giant BTS fan, I was very excited to go to an event celebrating the group’s 9th anniversary. I hope I get the chance to see them live again one day!
Frankenmuth – I traveled to Frankenmuth, in the Spring. It was a much-needed trip where I got some peace of mind. Frankenmuth is a city in Michigan, known for its Bavarian-style architecture and culture. It’s a small tourist spot but it has a small-town charm to it.
Detroit Historical Museum – I love this museum and how it showcases the rich history and culture of Detroit. So many new exhibits since the last time I visited, but the Streets of Detroit exhibit will always be my favorite. It’s so interesting to see how the city has evolved through the ages! This picture is a lego replica of one of the buildings in Downtown Detroit.
Home Alone in Concert – I went to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra to see Home Alone in Concert during the holidays. It was such an incredible experience being able to watch my favorite Christmas movie while listening to the score being played by the orchestra. It was so magical!
Book Club – For my local book club, our book for March was Death By Dumpling by Vivien Chen! So we decided to make pork and veggie dumplings. It was so much fun and definitely a learning experience.
What are your reflections on 2022? Have you set any goals for 2023? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below!
Despite the year’s ups and downs, you did a lot of wonderful, really cool things. I hope this is a better year for you.
Last year was very slumpy for me too, so I’m trying to take it much more easy this year.
Thanks Zezee! I think I just need to work on balance stuff and trying not to overwork so much this year. I want to try to take it easy too! Happy New Year!
Wow, you only acquired 60-odd books in the year? I admire that!! I love your pictures of your trips out, what a lot of different things you did, which I also admire as I’ve found it hard to get out and about. Thank goodness for our new indie bookshop where I went to a few author events in the autumn. Hope you have a good 2023!
Surprisingly yes. Working so hard on trying to curb spending habits and rely more on the local libraries. A new indie bookshop is always good news.