A Contemplative End of Year Reflection For 2022

2022 has felt like a giant puzzle; not just of a thousand pieces, but a few million.

2022 has been a year filled with self reflections and realizations. In fact, I think it has been the most transformative year in my 22 years of life. This year was all about trying to figure out what I want in life and exploring who I want to be in life.

I walked into 2022 having no clue of what to expect. But as we approach the end of 2022, I feel like I am entering the next year with much more clarity and purpose than I did at the beginning of the year.

That’s progress, right?

Today’s blog post will be a little different. Not only will I be taking you through all the amazing places I’ve visited throughout the year of 2022, but also a journey of finding inner peace.

Come along and reflect with me as we look back on the year. 💛

January.

January of 2022 for me was both a beginning and an end. A beginning to a brand new year, and an end to one of the most the most physically and mentally exhausting semesters of my life. From standing 10+ hours a day in the gross anatomy lab to burying myself in Netter’s and Gray’s Anatomy (the book, NOT the series.) until the security guard literally tries to kick me out of the library. I should have been relieved… but somehow I was reluctant to say goodbye.

I had just spent an entire semester of my life with somebody’s best friend. Somebody’s husband. Somebody’s father. The knowledge I gained was so much more than just gross anatomy, but the beauty of life at every stage. It was truly a humbling experience. Thank you to all the Silent Teachers who selflessly donate their bodies for the purpose of education. This semester has left me with such a deep appreciation for life in all shapes and forms.

💭 : what are some things you appreciate about life?

February.

February was an eventful month, as I’m sure is the case with most Asian households as Lunar New Years start to approach. Lunar New Years is every Asian kids favorite holiday (and I say that with confidence). Nothing beats getting free money from your parents.

After just ending such an excruciating semester, I finally had the time to sit down and think about what I really wanted out of this year. I created a vision board and I swear by them. Looking back on my vision board, all the images I put on there came to life one way or another. Some within a few days of creating the board! Plus, they’re so much fun to make.

💭 : what are your thoughts on vision boards? Have you ever made one before?

March.

March was a very exciting month for me because many of my friends have birthdays in March. That means lots and LOTS of food for me. *evil laughter*

The beginning of semester is always a lot of fun, as you have a lot of free time and academic pressure is not at its highest yet. But do you ever let yourself go a little too much and then end up having to cram everything within two weeks before your exams? Yup, that’s me. Let me know if you’re the same. I’m in my fourth year now and I’m STILL learning how to not procrastinate. How does one actually beat procrastination? I guess only God can answer that.

💭 : what are your best time management tips? spill the tea!

April.

April was an adventurous month. We went on our first (and unfortunately, only) camping trip of the year and the weather decided to turn crazy cold on us. In April. Which is very funny considering I’m in a country that is hot all year round. My teacher back in high school joked that Taiwan has only 2 seasons- presummer and summer x3, and he’s not wrong.

Camping is perhaps one of my favorite family activities. You get a chance to really disconnect from social media (you don’t even have to turn your phone off, there’s no connection in the mountains) and completely immerse yourself in nature.

~Become one with mother Earth~ (as some like to say?)

It’s a really beautiful time to just sit alone (with the dogs, of course) and to just reflect on your life. When life gets hectic, I often have to remind myself what’s actually important. The exams? no. The grades? no. (Well, maybe) The dogs? definitely.

💭 : What are some of your favorite outdoor activities, and why?

May~ June.

May and June are put together because we were under lockdown again (yay!), and it sucked. I had to spend most of my time at home and the only good thing that came out of this was that exams were online. Come to think of it, I think half of my university life was spent in lockdown (maybe that’s how I passed all my exams??) Definitely grateful that life is going back to normal. Hope such a disaster never happens again.

June was also when I got peptic ulcers from being too stressed and my odd eating habits. Ouch, it hurt. Make sure to eat on time and don’t be a picky eater like me, kids!

💭 : how has your life been affected by COVID for the past 2 years?

July~August. (summer)

Summer of 2022 was when I officially decided to start a blog and take it seriously. I’ve always had a passion for writing and storytelling, and I’ve wanted to start a blog for the longest time. However, it’s always just been a dream that seemed out of reach. This summer was different. This Summer was the Summer that I decided that I would just go for it, I bought a domain, chose a host, and set up my website- and now I’m a blogger. It was literally that easy.

I guess it was turning twenty two and feeling like I don’t have much time left (I have serious age anxiety), or maybe it’s the fact that it was my last summer break as a student before I start working as a clerk in the hospital. It was just the desire to try something new and not waste yet another summer.

Something I look forward to every Summer is celebrating my two dumb dogs’ birthdays. Happy 11th and 10th birthdays to them!

💭 : what have you always wanted to do? what’s holding you back?

September.

September is the month I officially launched my blog and actually uploaded my first post. The process took forever, much longer than I had expected. The first one is always the hardest! I’m happy to say that now it comes a lot more naturally, although I still have so much to learn. My writing has definitely regressed since my high school days, but I’m slowly getting the feel of it- slowly but surely!

This new school year, I also have a new found love for studying and working at pretty cafes. Makes the work you’re doing feel much fancier than it actually is.

Here are some of my favorite cafes to work at.

💭 : do you like to work at cafes or do you prefer libraries? tell me why!

October~November.

Again, October and November are put together because as we get deeper into the new school year, academic pressure has been increasingly heavy for me. These two months have been great, nonetheless. I’m currently reading The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, I’ve been reading it on and off since the 8th grade but never got around to finishing it. It’s quite a hard book to read, but there’s so much truth in this book that I think it should be on everyone’s reading list. Practicing being mindful and staying in the present moment has genuinely helped me so much with anxiety.

💭 : What are some of your favorite self help books? Drop some recommendations below!

December.

December is the month of Christmas and one of my favoooorite months of the year.

Getting ready for our white robe ceremony in March… Behind all the smiles and laughter comes with an unbearable amount of stress. This year is the first time I seriously questioned my career choice. Am I even passionate about what I’m studying? Is this really what I want to do for the rest of my life? To be honest, I don’t have the answers at all.

💭 : have you ever questioned your career choice? or realized that you weren’t passionate about your job? if so, how did you deal with the situation?

As we’re getting closer to 2023, this will also mean that I’ll have to spend the majority of my time preparing for my national medical examination next July. I’m curious- are any of you interested in seeing academia/ medical- related content from me? Or do you prefer pure travel content 🙂 Please let me know!

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Until next time,