Holy Jeebus, 2021 was an adventure.
I tried so many new things and I felt so ridiculously happy doing it. Being grateful widened my horizons and I learnt how to be more selfish with my time, be it just to be alone or hang out with my best furpal Jessie. I put together a reel of my highlights on Instagram and I must say I had so much fun doing it because all of these moments were so incredibly memorable.
I’m sitting in my old room in Vancouver, typing away in isolation because I caught the Omicron variant and tested positive on New Years Day! I know how unlucky, but it is what it is and “this is the variant you want to get” because of the number of antibodies i’ll have in my system. Updating my site with a few things here and there reminded of all the good things that has happened to me this year. I’ll make a short list:
Above + Below
Snowboarding, snowshoeing, kayaking, hiking, chasing waterfalls, running outdoors, diving. You name it, I tried it! I took time to immerse myself in Mother Nature and surround myself with the energetic life force. From 30C to -20C, you could say that extreme heights and extreme weather was the name of the game. The best part was that I didn’t always do them alone, not only was I able to connect with nature, I was able to connect with new and old friends who were just chasing the same highs as I was!
Campaigns
I was involved with some pretty awesome campaigns right up to when I was leaving heading back to Canada. Fugeelah – always love supporting Debs, InnaiRed and their styling is always on point, plus one that not many people would think of, Diabetes Awareness with Nestle Health Science. Not to mention the awesome trip with Sabah Tourism to promote Sandakan, Sabah! I was able to just be me in every way, finding so much joy in the work that I do with people that are just as inspiring!
New Territory
This is the juicy bit! I decided to try my hand at online dating, with a little push from friends, I said, stop complaining and just see what’s out there. I realised I’ve never been in this space especially being recognisable. Usually once you’re spotted with a guy people already automatically assume its in the works… well in Canada not so much! This is completely new for me and I love that the guys I’m meeting so far are so sweet and respectful. I’ve heard horror stories and I’m testing my personal growth through these interactions and learning so much. I’ve been fostering unconventional relationships and yet find myself so at peace with the way things have turned out. Yay for me! Plus Hot Male Mondays in real life is way better! #iykyk
Coming Home
My awaited return to Vancity was 2.5 years in counting. Everytime I had visited the city I had only left a few days to really spend time with my family and friends but this time, I allocated a couple of months. Simply because the pandemic allowed all of us to work from home and not have to be in any specific place! Lucky me! Plus this time, coming home, it hit different. I wanted to spend more quality time with my family, I had one of the best countdowns with my brother and sister-in-law with old friends belting out songs on YouTube. I helped my mom declutter her elusive pantry and was able to get rid of so much stuff. I did a trip with my friends I’ve known for more than 20 years creating fake powerpoint sessions about each other. It was so wholesome I tear just thinking about how connected I feel with each and everyone of them. Its so incredible how after all these years, these friends still make me feel like I’m home.
Being back in Canada has sort of been a bit of a reset for me. Last year was definitely all about having a survival mindset and finishing off the year strong with my company was simply thriving. Everyone was doing more of what they wanted to do and making more money doing it! If that’s not a win, I don’t know what is. This new year is about shifting perspectives and expanding- create opportunities, manifest the greatest life ever, celebrate wins for everyone and most of all love yourself so hard that every painful lesson can be a source of joy.
Not every moment had to be beautiful but being in a better place makes all the difference in the world.
Here’s to 2022!
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