goodbye 2023, hello 2024
another year gone. honestly, i'm somewhat glad to see the back of 2023. while the year had a lot of positive milestones, i think in general i just continue to feel better and better as i get further and further from my 20s. i am, unfortunately, a very past-thinking person; too much of my time is wasted dwelling on things that can no longer be changed, and dwelling in a way that doesn't necessarily lead to better outcomes in the future. (something something that's depression, baby.)
but it would be remiss of me to not look back on the parts of the year that were good, even great. the standout event was visiting spain for the first time ever. we took a leisurely almost two-week vacation in southern spain and i found out that i'm not immune to... polymorphus light eruption? nor am i immune to the simple pleasure of lounging on a beach, reading a book while the waves crash on the shore. i get now why adults just sit on a beach for hours. now i'm an adult who will happily sit on a beach for hours. also: the nerja caves rule. definitely check them out if you can.
this year also featured two big milestones: two years since moving to europe and five years with my partner. i'm eternally grateful that i didn't have to wait too long for my permit renewal this time, and i should be eligible for permanent residency next year, which will be a huge relief for me. it's also been very nice to be able to actually celebrate our anniversaries together; it simply wasn't possible when we were long distance, so we take advantage of being together now to make our anniversaries special. quiet, but special. (basically how we handle everything.)
i was also successful in meeting the media goals i set for myself this year: read 12 books, finish 12 games, watch 12 movies. i also played at least one game every day in 2023. i plan to keep the 12/12/12 goal in the new year, but maybe not the "game every day" one as it sometimes felt like an obligation, and that was the opposite of what i wanted from these goals.
outside of that, i really detest resolutions, dislike setting myself up for failure. (why do i assume i will fail? see the parenthetical in the first paragraph. bit self-fulfilling, really.) but a post on tumblr, i think, opened my mind to the possibilites of "fun" resolutions, so i have one: eat at a new restaurant every month. we talk a lot about trying places we see while out and about and i write them down, but this is the year we act on it. plus, tasty food!
outside of that, i'll keep doing the little habits i'm trying to build (journaling regularly, taking care of my teeth, go on walks, look at more birds) and thinking about what i can do to make myself into more of a person i would be glad to know.