[2023 Year in Review] I guess we're doing this now?

Okay, just gonna start off by saying that 2023 was a pretty good year for me. I started off with a new job (same as the old job, but with a different team and that made a LOT of difference in my overall job satisfaction & general lowering of stress levels). I also became officially and permanently Work From Home, which was a load off my mind.

Other than the job, my goal was to also get back into reading, to make time for it in my life again (because I really fell off the wagon during Covid). And I did! I started off the year reading some books that really reminded me how much I love reading and can really sink into them when I find the right book.

I finished 35 books this year, which is huge for me (because I am a slow reader who tends to meander through prose). Sure, some of them were graphic novels, short reads, stuff I'd started before January, but still! This was my highest book count in many, many years.

Speaking of books, I made a lot of progress on a fantasy trilogy I'm writing: got through drafts of Books 1 and 2, and even pitched Book 1 to an agent! That was a big step for me, in terms of forcing myself to take risks to get out there.

I've been getting out more, traveling again, having fun at conventions. I still don't see Covid as being 'over' but I feel like I've shifted into a new normal, at least for myself

Just...trying to shape my life into what I'd like it to be

There was some bad stuff too. I lost 3 people this year: two older relatives (one of whom meant a lot to me) and my hometown church choir director. It was strange going to Albany for Christmas and not seeing those three people

the world continues to be on fire, and a lot of my friends lost jobs, dealt with medical emergencies, grieved the loss of loved ones.

It just felt like a consequential year: big shifts in people's lives, for good or ill.

but through it all, I've managed to deepen some connections and I really hope that those connections have been a source of support and comfort. Seriously, if I could wave a wand and fix all my friends' problems, I'd do it in a heartbeat.