[MEME] 2023 IN REVIEW
Birthday tradition now. Huzzah.
1. What did you do in 2023 that you'd never done before?
Go to New Zealand and Portugal (Porto); play/join a DnD group; start/manage a short term rental business; eat at 3-star Michelin restaurants; adopt a pet cat; get Covid :(
2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Recap:
- Work out/be more active consistently
I actually did do this during the latter half of the year. Before the holidays, I was consistently going to the gym/working out at least 3 times a week. Then I got sick on Dec 24th (basically got gifted Murphy's Law for Christmas) and lost all my gains :(((
- Draw a single piece of fanart
I'd forgotten about this one, but I did end up keeping it! I'd been doing a best-of fic reread that first started with QZGS/HanYe around October-November, which then switched to MDZS, and then hilariously?? I found myself REALLY appreciating Jiang Cheng during this revisit period. So yeah, ended up doodling (in one sitting!) an angry purple tsundere right before year's end.
- Submit a stationary design to Zazzle for shits and giggles
I'd completely forgotten about this one to be honest. Nope, definitely didn't keep this resolution.
For this year:
- Not get 3-months behind on my daily journaling practice
- Learn to use Blendr and sculpt a 3D mini for DnD purposes
- Use the airbrush set I'd gotten myself in 2022
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes! nittle_grasper had her first kid. Congrats again!
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.
5. What countries did you visit?
New Zealand and Portugal.
6. What would you like to have in 2024 that you lacked in 2023?
More inspiration for some of my existing hobbies, and the drive to do more with the new ones I've picked up since then.
7. What date from 2023 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
December 24, 2023. Got Covid for the bloody first time. I'd somehow managed to not get it/not test positive during the pandemic, only to get it during the holidays. I was so pissed OTL
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Get promoted at my new job after being there for just slightly over 1 year. And despite all that, still managing a much better work-life balance.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Does getting sick for the first time in years count? LOL
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Yes. It sucked and I'm still slowly recovring from an annoying as hell dry cough in the aftermath.
11. What were the best things you bought?
I uh... may have gone a little insane with using TEMU to purchase shit mid-year. Bought soooo many graphic tees, storage essentials, earrings, and craft supplies. But I suppose the best thing I got myself was a Hexcal Studio--my desk space has never looked cleaner.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
My sibling for really stepping up as godparent/go-to catsitter for our new cat, and for really doing their best in staying afloat and adulting.
13. Whose behaviour appalled you?
Sales people in exec positions.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Funding our new company and business.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Going and eating in Porto. That was such a wonderful experience of just hanging out with friends and eating good, cheap but quality seafood and wines.
16. What song will always remind you of 2023?
The entire EPIC album to be honest. Highly recommended musical concept album.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? About the same. I've done and experienced a lot of new things, and I remain not burned out which is an all around win.
ii. thinner or fatter? About the same, I think, but possibly heavier? One could only hope that it's an increase in muscle.
iii. richer or poorer? Poorer? I honestly haven't sat down and done an audit on the effect of owning a business on our non liquid assets.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
DnD! Our group only meets once a month at most--so Baldur's Gate 3 was a godsend that scratched that TTRPG itch in the downtime.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Cleaning airbnbs.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
Sick with Covid. However we did have an obscene amount of presents with which we opened and enjoyed with ZE GERMANS. We were all sick, but we exchanged a fuck ton of gifts and had a grand old time. Zoomed my sibling for their part of the gift exchange. I personally received a lot of DnD/GM related paraphernalia. It was all over pretty cool. The kitty also nibbled on too much spider plant and did a multi-stage puke.
21. Where did you ring in 2023? How will you ring in 2024?
2023: We were in plane over the Pacific on New Years Eve NZ time and my husband woke me up from a fitful doze for some champagne.... but technically at no point during our flight were we ever in a time zone that was 11:59pm January 31, 2022. so we never truly rang it in. TIME IS SOCIAL CONSTRUCT.
2024: We tested negative for Covid that morning! We all did various errands throughout the day. Since our original plans for a major NYE bash got killed due to illness, we spent the evening pretty chill. Had homemade lasagna from our neighbor for dinner, ube cocktails, and then just before midnight, went downstairs to the Navy Pier bridges with champagne flutes and rang in the new year there. When we came back upstairs, we did bootlegged version of karaoke and partook in edibles.
22. Did you fall in love in 2023?
Still happily married LOL
23. How many one-night stands?
None.
24. What was your favorite TV program?
We binged History channel's Alone. Season 3 was arguably my favourite.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No.
26. What was the best book you read?
Again, didn't read any actual books in 2023. Did read an absurd amount of danmei fics near the end of the year though.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
EPIC the musical. It is SO GOOD and well thought out.
28. What did you want and get?
DnD experiences.
29. What did you want and not get?
A Rennaissance Fair experience.
30. What was your favourite film of this year?
DnD:HAT
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Still mid-30s. We were in the midst of our NZ adventure. Bought a bunch of Eugy 3D puzzles and stopped in Greymouth where nothing really happened. Visited a Kiwi conservatory in Hokitika. We spent the rest of the day in a cottage airbnb along the west coast of NZ. Absolutely beautiful find. In the afternoon, while we had dinner, I played a Weka call and had the locals answer LOL. We then had wine on a secluded black sand beach and watched the sunset. I got thoroughly drunk that evening.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Not getting Covid for Christmas.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2023?
TEMU graphic tees and dresses.
34. What kept you sane?
A pretty consistent re-dive into old fandoms. DnD as a new hobby. Baldur's Gate 3.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
None.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Gaza conflict.
37. Who did you miss?
Bestie who's now truly set roots (new home!) in Kiwiland.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
Certain new coworkers, I guess?
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2023
Shit happens with airbnbs--don't get too attached.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
Ruthlessness if mercy upon ourselves
Bonus. What was your favorite moment of the year?
Random moment: When husband and his best friend started a deep and abiding bromance with the bartender in a speakeasy in Porto (shout out to Curioso)
1. What did you do in 2023 that you'd never done before?
Go to New Zealand and Portugal (Porto); play/join a DnD group; start/manage a short term rental business; eat at 3-star Michelin restaurants; adopt a pet cat; get Covid :(
2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Recap:
- Work out/be more active consistently
I actually did do this during the latter half of the year. Before the holidays, I was consistently going to the gym/working out at least 3 times a week. Then I got sick on Dec 24th (basically got gifted Murphy's Law for Christmas) and lost all my gains :(((
- Draw a single piece of fanart
I'd forgotten about this one, but I did end up keeping it! I'd been doing a best-of fic reread that first started with QZGS/HanYe around October-November, which then switched to MDZS, and then hilariously?? I found myself REALLY appreciating Jiang Cheng during this revisit period. So yeah, ended up doodling (in one sitting!) an angry purple tsundere right before year's end.
- Submit a stationary design to Zazzle for shits and giggles
I'd completely forgotten about this one to be honest. Nope, definitely didn't keep this resolution.
For this year:
- Not get 3-months behind on my daily journaling practice
- Learn to use Blendr and sculpt a 3D mini for DnD purposes
- Use the airbrush set I'd gotten myself in 2022
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes! nittle_grasper had her first kid. Congrats again!
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.
5. What countries did you visit?
New Zealand and Portugal.
6. What would you like to have in 2024 that you lacked in 2023?
More inspiration for some of my existing hobbies, and the drive to do more with the new ones I've picked up since then.
7. What date from 2023 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
December 24, 2023. Got Covid for the bloody first time. I'd somehow managed to not get it/not test positive during the pandemic, only to get it during the holidays. I was so pissed OTL
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Get promoted at my new job after being there for just slightly over 1 year. And despite all that, still managing a much better work-life balance.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Does getting sick for the first time in years count? LOL
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Yes. It sucked and I'm still slowly recovring from an annoying as hell dry cough in the aftermath.
11. What were the best things you bought?
I uh... may have gone a little insane with using TEMU to purchase shit mid-year. Bought soooo many graphic tees, storage essentials, earrings, and craft supplies. But I suppose the best thing I got myself was a Hexcal Studio--my desk space has never looked cleaner.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
My sibling for really stepping up as godparent/go-to catsitter for our new cat, and for really doing their best in staying afloat and adulting.
13. Whose behaviour appalled you?
Sales people in exec positions.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Funding our new company and business.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Going and eating in Porto. That was such a wonderful experience of just hanging out with friends and eating good, cheap but quality seafood and wines.
16. What song will always remind you of 2023?
The entire EPIC album to be honest. Highly recommended musical concept album.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? About the same. I've done and experienced a lot of new things, and I remain not burned out which is an all around win.
ii. thinner or fatter? About the same, I think, but possibly heavier? One could only hope that it's an increase in muscle.
iii. richer or poorer? Poorer? I honestly haven't sat down and done an audit on the effect of owning a business on our non liquid assets.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
DnD! Our group only meets once a month at most--so Baldur's Gate 3 was a godsend that scratched that TTRPG itch in the downtime.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Cleaning airbnbs.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
Sick with Covid. However we did have an obscene amount of presents with which we opened and enjoyed with ZE GERMANS. We were all sick, but we exchanged a fuck ton of gifts and had a grand old time. Zoomed my sibling for their part of the gift exchange. I personally received a lot of DnD/GM related paraphernalia. It was all over pretty cool. The kitty also nibbled on too much spider plant and did a multi-stage puke.
21. Where did you ring in 2023? How will you ring in 2024?
2023: We were in plane over the Pacific on New Years Eve NZ time and my husband woke me up from a fitful doze for some champagne.... but technically at no point during our flight were we ever in a time zone that was 11:59pm January 31, 2022. so we never truly rang it in. TIME IS SOCIAL CONSTRUCT.
2024: We tested negative for Covid that morning! We all did various errands throughout the day. Since our original plans for a major NYE bash got killed due to illness, we spent the evening pretty chill. Had homemade lasagna from our neighbor for dinner, ube cocktails, and then just before midnight, went downstairs to the Navy Pier bridges with champagne flutes and rang in the new year there. When we came back upstairs, we did bootlegged version of karaoke and partook in edibles.
22. Did you fall in love in 2023?
Still happily married LOL
23. How many one-night stands?
None.
24. What was your favorite TV program?
We binged History channel's Alone. Season 3 was arguably my favourite.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No.
26. What was the best book you read?
Again, didn't read any actual books in 2023. Did read an absurd amount of danmei fics near the end of the year though.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
EPIC the musical. It is SO GOOD and well thought out.
28. What did you want and get?
DnD experiences.
29. What did you want and not get?
A Rennaissance Fair experience.
30. What was your favourite film of this year?
DnD:HAT
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Still mid-30s. We were in the midst of our NZ adventure. Bought a bunch of Eugy 3D puzzles and stopped in Greymouth where nothing really happened. Visited a Kiwi conservatory in Hokitika. We spent the rest of the day in a cottage airbnb along the west coast of NZ. Absolutely beautiful find. In the afternoon, while we had dinner, I played a Weka call and had the locals answer LOL. We then had wine on a secluded black sand beach and watched the sunset. I got thoroughly drunk that evening.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Not getting Covid for Christmas.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2023?
TEMU graphic tees and dresses.
34. What kept you sane?
A pretty consistent re-dive into old fandoms. DnD as a new hobby. Baldur's Gate 3.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
None.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Gaza conflict.
37. Who did you miss?
Bestie who's now truly set roots (new home!) in Kiwiland.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
Certain new coworkers, I guess?
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2023
Shit happens with airbnbs--don't get too attached.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
Ruthlessness if mercy upon ourselves
Bonus. What was your favorite moment of the year?
Random moment: When husband and his best friend started a deep and abiding bromance with the bartender in a speakeasy in Porto (shout out to Curioso)