Reviewing The Positives Of My 2022

2022 is almost over! A year where our beloved Queen passed away, a lettuce outlived a prime minister's reign and the England women's football team won the Euros. Amongst many other highlights and lowlights. I can safely say from my own perspective it has been a mixed bag. One I am somewhat glad to see the back of, but one where I have learned a lot about myself.

2022 is a year I will and won't forget in a hurry. There have been some good memories made, but some bad moments I want to forget. From a personal point of view, my health has been like riding on a rollercoaster - constant ups, downs and loops in between. My physical health hasn't been too bad this year, CF hasn't challenged me too much physically thankfully. However, my mental health has been a continual issue these last twelve months. I won't go into too much detail on how I have been feeling, as it wouldn't make for pretty reading. The last thing I would want to do is to make this post a trigger for someone. So, rather than focus on that, I want to talk about some of the happiest moments I have experienced this year!

There have been a few happy memories made this year, most of these were experienced in the space of a month or two. Some moments have been where I have learned lessons about myself and others. 

So, what are my positives from the year 2022? Here they are (in no particular order) -

1) One of my closest friends got married - May 12th

Who doesn't love a nice wedding? Especially when it's a friend's wedding! The first time I attended a wedding on my own, and it was such a beautiful day! Going to a wedding as a single guest was very nerve-wracking, but it's a real confidence booster!

2) Ed Sheeran concert - May 26th

I remember booking these tickets back in September 2021 when I had Covid. I was shocked that I even managed to get tickets as they were selling like hotcakes! I took my best friend Tasha with me and we had the most amazing time. Ed was insanely good and sang all his classics and sang all the way through it (probably annoying the other concert-goers around me). 

3) A spontaneous trip to Liverpool - May 29th

When there is a victory parade involving the Liverpool players and Calvin Harris dj'ing on an open-top bus, that is something I couldn't miss. One desperate booking of a Premier Inn hotel at 8:30am on a Sunday morning and me and close friend Saffron headed off to Liverpool to get a front-row seat (or should I say, standing place) in Liverpool City Centre. Nearly four hours later, the open-top bus drove by and we got to see our lads and celebrate their achievements with them from the season. Oh, I do love a spontaneous trip, especially when the city of Liverpool is involved.

4) Appeared on TV again (twice) - March & May

No autographs, please. But seriously, to be asked by BBC Wales News to appear on TV to talk about all things Covid, restrictions etc is massive for me. Funnily enough, when I got asked to be interviewed for BBC Wales in May, it was about all Covid restrictions being lifted in Wales. The day before I got interviewed I had been to see Ed Sheeran with 40-odd thousand people around me. Yep, I didn't seem to be bothered by the restrictions being lifted!

5) My Mam's big birthday - February 14th

My Mam had a big birthday back in February and it was lovely to celebrate with my family. My Mam is my rock and I would be lost without her, she's got me through so much and she is like the constant in my life. It was lovely to make her big birthday a big celebration for her as she deserved it so much!

6) Learning I'm stronger than I thought I was.

I have no exact date for this but I would say it is one of my biggest positives to come out of 2022. As I said before, it's not been my best year. There have been so many lovely positives which I have listed here, but it's not been my favourite year on record. I am hoping for a better 2023. 

I'd love to know how your 2022 has been! What are you hoping for in 2023?