Happy New Year 2023
Hi friends, Happy New Year to you!
I’m excited to be back on the blog after a 6-month hiatus. Blogging motivation was low, so I took some time away to enjoy other passions. Though I missed this little corner of the Internet, I’ve learned it’s always good to take a step back when your heart’s not fully into it. Before we jump into a new year of blogging, I thought I’d share a few thoughts and reflections from the past year. 2022 was a ride — but aren’t they all?
No doubt 2022 was filled with an abundance of happy moments. We played in the (very rare) North Carolina snow, took many, many trips to the beach, traveled to and explored lots of new places, hung out with friends and family near and far, and celebrated a few fun milestones (11 years together, the announcement that my sister and her husband are expecting (yay!!), and finally setting our own wedding date). Looking back at all of 2022’s adventures — and there were many — we had so much fun. I’m truly grateful to get to experience so many moments of happiness within everyday life and it’s something I’d never take for granted.
As I’ve grown older, I’ve learned it’s really the little things in life that mean the most. Of course, no one ever said “it’s the big things in life”, but sometimes we get so caught up in the mundane rhythm of life that we forget to appreciate all the little things happening around us. I’ve always done my best to prioritize the little things that spark joy; throughout 2022, I spent so much time enjoying things like going on spontaneous adventures, reading good books, drinking beer and sharing laughs with friends, listening to music, goofing around, and making dinner with Alex, taking pictures on my camera, spending quality time with loved ones, and being outside.
Of course, as fulfilling as 2022 was, it was also a year that brought great pain for my family. In October, we lost our beloved Grandpa John (“Bub” as we always called him). My sisters and I spent a lot of time with our grandparents growing up, so many of my childhood memories are intertwined with nights and weekends spent in their company. It’s been so hard to watch Dementia slowly take away the best parts of him, but with his passing came a finality to such a wonderful chapter. Though he lived a life well into his 80s, there’s never a good time to say goodbye. I’m fortunate to have gotten to see my grandpa in the nursing home when I visited Wisconsin in August. Bub, thank you for leaving me with one last laugh and a classic Grandpa John kiss on the cheek. I’ll always remember your last words to me — “Love you Jenny”. You never let anyone out the door without letting your love be known. So thank you for that.
One lyric that resonated with me in 2022 was a Taylor Swift lyric from New Years’ Day — “Hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you.” Believe me — I’m holding onto the memories from 2022 and never letting them go. As for 2023, there’s so much to look forward to in this new year — a few trips in the next couple months (Wisconsin, Chicago, California), my new niece set to make her arrival in March (maybe even sooner?), and lots of wedding planning leading up to our big day coming August 5th.
Cheers to a new year and cheers to peace, love, and happiness. Let’s make 2023 the best one yet.
Enjoy!
JB