100 Things that Made My Year in 2022

I love all the end of year lists – from NPR’s Books We Love list to the top 100 songs of the year to the best podcasts of the year – they give me plenty of new places to go when I’m ready to take my brain out to play.

Inspired by these yearly lists, I started a new tradition a couple years back. Now, I keep track of all the things that put a smile on my face or bring a joyful tear to my eye throughout the year. 

I call it my list of yearly delights and I aim to get to 100 items. Every year I wonder if I’ll get to 100 and every year I get there with ease. If you think about it, 100 is less than two things per week. If I’m not delighted by something in my world at least two times per week, then I better make room for some soul searching. So for me, this is also a good metric for measuring my level of happiness.

Here’s my list for 2022:

  1. This orangutan, named Rambo driving a golf cart around. 
  2. This profile of Betty White (RIP).
  3. John Oliver’s review of Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code.
  4. The Invisible House in Joshua Tree, CA.
  5. Watching my developmental editing client Katrijn Van Oudheusden launch her first book, Selfless Leadership
  6. Reading by the fire, while listening to the ice fall and watching it collect into beautiful patterns on the windows one weekend in January.
  7. Wordle.
  8. Hanging out with my sister, Laura, and baby nephew, Odin, for a week in Connecticut. I have a whole new appreciation for parenting while trying to work from home.
  9. Watching Odin learn how to put his fist in his mouth over the course of a week.
  10. Baby smiles.
  11. I didn’t get to watch Amy Schneider’s final regular season “Jeopardy!” match live. But she had an amazing run and with her 40-game streak, reigns as the second-most winningest player. Can’t wait to see her in the Tournament of Champions.
  12. Watching the Cincinnati Bengals stage a huge comeback to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime and make it to the SuperBowl for the first time since 1989. I’m a sucker for a Cinderella story.
  13. James Hill’s version of “Billie Jean” played on a ukulele.
  14. The Super Bowl halftime show with Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar.
  15. Roses and some fancy chocolate cake from my love on Valentine’s Day.
  16. Seeing Hasan Minaj at DPAC on February 17th.
  17. First trip to Costa Rica in two years for a fabulous yoga retreat – pure paradise!
  18. Casa Nautika.
  19. Watching the sunset and stargazing in Costa Rica.
  20. Landing bakasana B for the first time.
  21. Listing all the reasons I love myself.
  22. Learning how to trust myself on a deeper level.
  23. Seeing a sloth for the first time in nature.
  24. Waking up before my alarm clock with the sun, signaling longer days.
  25. My team winning virtual trivia for Sarah Hart’s birthday.
  26. My husband making me a cheese grill (I call it grilled cheese) after a long day.
  27. Coffee chat with a prospect from Trinidad who has an amazing energy and zest for life.
  28. Lunch with my business bestie, Christina. Drinking chocolate at Cocoa Cinnamon.
  29. Film: St. Vincent with Bill Murray and Melissa McCarthy.
  30. Watching the UNC vs. Duke NCAA Final Four game. UNC prevailed that night but came up short against Kansas in the final game.
  31. Robbie’s 2nd birthday party on Easter. Spending the afternoon playing with kids and watching them run around fills my energy cup.
  32. Amanda Stern’s journaling group in April. Journaling is magical and journaling with a group heightens the magic. Signed up for May too!
  33. Going home to Michigan for a weekend in April for Joel and Tess’s wedding shower. It was fun to see the family and hangout with Odin who took his very first flight.
  34. The gorgeous Spring weather.
  35. Eating pancakes on Sundays with my love.
  36. Hummingbird came to visit me (and my petunias) on the deck.
  37. Working on the back deck on a quiet Sunday morning. So peaceful.
  38. Binge listening to the Dead Eyes podcast where comedian Connor Ratliff sets out to understand why Tom Hanks fired him from a small role in the 2001 HBO mini-series, Band of Brothers.
  39. This crow sledding down a roof on some kind of lid or something.
  40. The deep connections I’ve made with a group of virtual strangers after journaling together for only 8 days. Social journaling has changed my perspective in subtle, but profound ways I can’t even describe.
  41. Reconnecting with the small group of yogis for an integration session after the Costa Rica retreat. It’s cool to hear how we’ve each grown.
  42. Seeing Hamilton at DPAC. It was as amazing as everyone said it was.
  43. Reading A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Murder in Ancient Rome.
  44. Watching Anna and Kevin get married surrounded by family and friends in Boone and getting to catch up with friends I haven’t seen in too long.
  45. Exploring Boone with my love. Blowing Rock and Elk Knob State Park were a couple of the highlights.
  46. Deep tissue massage with Diana Whitley – a birthday gift from Lyndsay.
  47. The Smartless podcast.
  48. Paddleboarding on Jordan Lake on summer Saturdays.
  49. Lyndsay’s birthday party with the Goodloves, good cake, and lots of great company.
  50. Fireworks at Southern Village for the 4th and a great escape route, so we didn’t have to wait in a line of cars for hours after.
  51. WeCrashed.
  52. Joel and Tess getting married in Michigan July 23rd. Food trucks, donuts instead of cake (unless you count the “wedding cake” joints), great DJ, and a DeLorean rental. What more could you ask for?
  53. Fun hanging out with Laura, Ryan, and Odin the weekend of the wedding.
  54. Peter Bence, who holds the Guiness World Record for “fastest piano player,” playing Earth, Wind, and Fire’s “September.”
  55. Hector and the Search for Happiness.
  56. So many hummingbirds coming around in July and August. I don’t recall seeing them around Chapel Hill before this year.
  57. The barred owls hooting during the cooler late summer nights.
  58. Cooler late summer nights.
  59. This blog post that fell into my eyeballs at just the right moment.
  60. Workshop and brunch with the yogis.
  61. Crisp fall weather hitting just as expected.
  62. All my different co-working groups (WTT, Tiffani, Ravit, Jen).
  63. This New Yorker article about the Choose Your Own Adventure children’s book series.
  64. Power outage following Hurricane Ian. I enjoyed finishing one book and starting two others. Sometimes it’s nice to be forced to unplug.
  65. Getting my forearm balance (kind of, not really reliably, but I have gotten and up and managed to hold it for 5 breaths).
  66. Chatting over a warm beverage with long-time, high-minded friends.
  67. The renewed energy that comes with fall weather.
  68. Joining The Upside.
  69. New nephew, Oliver Isaac, born on October 13, 2022 (which also happens to be my husband’s birthday). Oliver is my 4th nephew after Liam, Henry, and Odin.
  70. Riding the Virginia Creeper Trail.
  71. Renting and driving a Tesla Model 3 for our anniversary trip to Boone, NC.
  72. Marzipan. Who knew it was actually delicious?
  73. Getting interviewed for a Vox article about LinkedInfluencers.
  74. Beautiful and unseasonably warm weather in October and November. I took some lovely walks.
  75. The Orange County Open Studio art tour in November with Antonia and Cornelia.
  76. Friendsgiving at Lyndsay’s house.
  77. A quiet, relaxing Thanksgiving at home with my love.
  78. This podcast episode of Mike Birbiglia’s Working It Out with Wendy MacNaughton.
  79. Learning about Girls Garage and donating to them on Giving Tuesday.
  80. Getting reacquainted with Everywhere by Fleetwood Mac thanks to some car commercial.
  81. VIP Day with Podge Thomas (Small Business Co-Pilot) and Isabelle Monnin.
  82. A busy December.
  83. Making some new cookie recipes for the holidays (Cranberry Christmas Cookies and Gazelle Horns).
  84. Reflecting back on 2022 and making plans for 2023 with Heidi Guisto.
  85. Watching the World Cup Final between Argentina and France. Argentina won! I’m happy for Lionel Messi. It was the only soccer match I watched all year and one of the best ever (or so I’m told). 
  86. I know I’m late to the party here, but “Better Call Saul” is really good TV (or as we used to say in the 90’s, must see TV).
  87. Being able to give Christmas bonuses to the fabulous writers on my team.
  88. Long solo road trip to Michigan for the holidays. I left on Christmas, so skipped the traffic, the bomb cyclone, and the temptation to binge on fast food (since nothing was open).
  89. Flock of birds overhead.
  90. Seeing the siblings and the nephews. This family just keeps getting bigger and bigger.
  91. Laughing together and watching Mr. Magoo (our annual tradition).
  92. Playing Legos with Henry. 
  93. Tobogganing at Echo Valley – first time since I was a kid. So fun and exhilarating. We even took Odin (just over 1 year old) on the tubing hill.
  94. Chilling at the hotel pool with Laura, Odin, and Ryan.
  95. Anna’s House lemon crepes. Yum!
  96. Lady in the parking lot at Meijer’s, “I love your shoes! OMG!”
  97. Finishing the last 2 books of 2022 – The Art of Gathering and The New Jim Crow.
  98. A lovely week of down time.
  99. Driving home from Michigan in one shot – 13 hours or so. Glad to be out of the car.
  100. Closing out the year with my love! Here’s to hitting restart and doing it all over again.

It’s always fun to look back over my list and remember all of the experiences I’ve had. Who knows? Maybe you were delighted by some of the same things on my list.

I’m not always a fan of navel-gazing exercises, but this one brings a lot of goodness into my life. If you don’t have a similar practice, I highly recommend that you find one that works for you this year. 

Let’s make 2023 a great year!

Photo credit: bigy00