23 Notes On ‘23
Part of the reason that I’ve not posted this— well six weeks earlier is, because I didn’t know what I wanted my 2023 to look like. How could I write 23 notes for 2023 without having even the slightest clue what that holds for me? That’s not to say I don’t have a long term plan. I do. But when it comes to my immediate future, I’m struggling.
Generally some semblance of independence sounds nice. A steady income and time spent with my boyfriend living in cool places also sounds ideal. I really feel like I spoiled myself the last 14 months with time spent in Switzerland, San Diego, and Portugal.
So in the spirit of giving myself grace in 2023, here are 21** Notes for 2023, instead of the 23 the title suggests. In other words, this is a list of reflections, goals, and general thoughts on the next 365.
I like spending time alone, but not when I’m with other people.
I’ve always been able to find solace in a good book. Right now I’m reading Paramhansa Yogananda’s Autobiography of Yogi. Published in the early 20th century, the book formally introduces yoga to the West and makes Hinduism more digestible to American readers. It’s great and reminds me of themes from an Asian Studies class I took in college.
Some locations on my radar in the near future, if not this year, are Thailand, Brazil, Mexico, and San Diego. I fell in love with SoCal after spending much of 2022 in Pacific Beach.
Downsizing is the new haul.
I’ve gotten more of an education outside of school than I did in one; that’s not to say that college wasn’t life changing for me as well.
It might be time to embrace my inner finance bro.
In the coming months, I want to trust in my actions rather than my thoughts.
Focusing on myself isn’t always selfish.
This year I’d like to stop using plastic in the microwave or just the microwave in general; it’s a bad habit, I know. In a few years, I’m sure I’ll have some cancer we don’t know exists yet.
When expectations go unfulfilled, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I mean this statement is a little ironic given the nature of this list: one that holds myself to a number of expectations through the new year.
The unknown doesn’t need to be an object of anxiety.
Yoga stills the mind. Here’s to improving my practice.
This year, I’d like to plan less and do more. Spontaneity is freedom.
This might be an unpopular opinion, but I like communal living. I hope 2023 finds me spending just as much time in hostels as I did in ’21 and ’22. Who knows, maybe I’ll even have my own someday.
New Years resolutions are dumb. Setting goals isn’t.
Life exists in the moments before you, not in some distant future.
I like the trajectory I set myself on in ’21 and ’22. I just want a greater sense of control this go around. Maybe stability is a better word— not only with myself personally, but financially as well.
Here’s to losing less of my belongings in public spaces this year. I take this time to remember one of my sneakers lost in Heathrow Airport, my AirPod charging case forgotten on a Belgian train ride, every takeout box I’ve ever taken to-go, etc.
Living abroad and in new places in general has brought so much peace to my soul. I want to try my best to reach that same state here too. DC is pretty cool, and there’s a lot to take advantage of in the city.
If there’s one thing I’d like to improve upon going into the new year it’s to do a better job fostering friendships, both near and far. I notice that many adults fail to sustain relationships, especially when life seems to get in the way. Here’s to continuing to cultivate friendships with healthy boundaries.
Leave your hermit attitude in 2022. Upon returning home from Portugal in October, I resigned myself to putting my head down and getting to work at my new job. In doing so, I sacrificed some relationships that I cared deeply about. Life doesn’t need to stop now that I’m home.
2023 looks bright, despite the fact that I’ve just seemingly picked apart and overanalyzed my daily habits and predispositions. I really am proud of all that I’ve accomplished of late— graduating from university at 20, traveling solo for 3 months, working in San Diego for much of 2022, and finding an industry that I can see myself thriving in.
This is less of a list of resolutions than it is a love letter to the coming 365. Hopefully they are just as joyful as my last.
