As 2022 draws to a close and we approach a new year, I’ve been reflecting a bit on how my life was impacted throughout the year, and by what or whom. With that in mind, here are five things that worked for me and made my life better during 2022:
-cross-country skiing: Winter, with the accompanying cold and dark, is generally not my friend, least of all when snow and ice abound. However, it’s good for my mental health to get outside. Thanks to a local state park offering ski rentals, I was able to do that in the early months of the year when we actually had snow. It made a huge difference to stay active outdoors, and I’m actually hoping for some level of accumulation in the coming months. More info is available at the county park district’s website.
-kayaking: Similar to snow, I’m also not a huge fan of water, or at least being in the water. Over the summer, I discovered that I do enjoy being on the water – relatively calm water anyway, in a reasonably stable vessel. Of all things, I found a folding kayak that eliminates transportation and storage concerns without breaking the bank. There’s no need for roof racks, long shelves, or ceiling hooks; it fits in the trunk of my car with room to spare, and I can carry it down to shore, set it up, and take it down on my own. If you’re interested in your own, I recommend a refurbished one; they’re cheaper and easier to set up/take down (the folds are already broken in), without sacrificing the warranty. Find them here: https://foldupkayaks.com/.
-bone-conducting headphones: “fun” fact: I don’t actually enjoy running. Something interesting to listen to helps, but the cords get in the way, wireless earbuds have a tendency to fall out mid-run, and over-the-ear headphones block too much ambient noise to be safe. A reasonable solution I’ve found are these bone-conducting headphones that stay put and don’t block environmental noise, without forcing everyone around me to hear my music / podcast / audiobook.
-a visual reading log: I don’t make a secret of the fact that I love a good spreadsheet, and my favorite of all is the one I’ve been using for 5+ years to record every book I’ve read. I haven’t stopped using that one (data analytics are too fun to even contemplate a pause), but in 2022 I added a visual reading log, courtesy of EveryDay Reading. 2022’s version was a well-stocked bookshelf (not well-stocked enough, though; I ran out of books mid-December and had to record the titles on the shelves themselves). 2023’s rendition is a bit different, with a travel adventure theme, but still fun.
-a good YouTube playlist: again, I don’t actually enjoy running, doubly so when it involves staring at a blank wall. The combination of interesting audio and distracting visuals has been immeasurably helpful this year. This particular channel on YouTube features scenic runs throughout the world, although most of the videos I’ve run through (pun intended) have been in Europe. Trail runs have been my favorites, but even the cityscape portions have been as enjoyable as 2-3 miles on a treadmill can be.
I don’t know that all of these things will continue to work for me in 2023 – 60+* weather is not conducive to snowfall and skiing, for one thing – but I appreciate all they added to my life this last year. Let me know if you decide to utilize any of these yourself!