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Reflecting on the past year, I kicked off 2023 with a big list of New Year’s resolutions. Yep, it might sound a bit silly to some, but let’s keep it real—I needed that list to keep me on track and, most importantly, to keep myself motivated to pursue what I’ve always wanted to do. Not gonna lie, I didn’t check off everything, but I’m happy to say that I nailed ticking off some from that list. Those are:

[√] Try kayaking.

I tried kayaking for the first time in my life, and it was an absolute blast!

[√] Give golf a shot.

I went to the driving range, and to my surprise, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Who knows? Maybe I’ll invest in my own golf club someday!

[√] Start pushing myself to run from 5km to 10km.

I started going for runs during the pandemic, typically covering between 3km to 5km. Somehow, in 2023, I found myself becoming more physically fit and managed to push myself to run until I reached 10km. 

[√] Zipline/Flying Fox at Skytrex Adventure.

It’s been a long-time dream of mine to go to this place, and finally, I did!

[√] Start creating poetry.

I’ve always loved writing, and poetry is one of my interests. I’ve been dabbling in verse writing since 2019, but it wasn’t until 2023 that I started taking it more seriously—inspired by someone I had a huge crush on. 

[√] Go vegan for a week as an experience.

I’ve always been curious about being vegan. It was interesting to see how it felt, and I gained a lot of knowledge about what I consume for my body.

[√] Have a quiet birthday retreat.

I have never been someone who liked being around people on my birthday. In 2023, I decided to splurge some money on a relaxing retreat at a beachfront villa in Thailand.

[√] Fall in love again.

Who would have thought? But I’m still getting used to being in a relationship after being single for so long.

[√] Make new friends.

I managed to make friends, mostly in the army and special forces. It’s funny how I ended up being the one to reach out to them on social media!

[√] Shed some weight, hitting the target of 58kg.

After two months of dieting without eating rice starting in September—no rice, no coffee, no sugary drinks or foods, and limiting myself to one meal a day without dinner—my weight slowly decreased. By the end of December, I had reached my target weight of 58kg, down from 66kg.

I might not have ticked off all of my goals in 2023, but the journey to make those goals come true was filled with cool experiences and some personal growth. Now, I’m super pumped to tackle even more goals in 2024!

Gosh, I can’t believe it’s already 2024. Time flies, doesn’t it? It feels like we were just celebrating 2023 yesterday, and bam! Here we are, another year older. Life’s a funny thing. Two years down the pandemic lane, and we’ve all kind of lost a bit of time, haven’t we? Despite that, I believe we’ve all grown in our own ways.

I…sometimes feel like I’m falling behind, especially when I scroll through Instagram and see people getting married, buying houses, starting families, travelling, and seemingly living their best lives. It all looks picture-perfect, and then there’s me—living the super-plain life, just trying to get by. Ugh, why am I even complaining?

But hey! I want to say that I’m very grateful. I cherish what I’ve got. If this is the life God’s handing me, then I’m going to make it as enjoyable as possible, especially now that I’ve met this awesome guy I never thought I’d meet. Falling in love again? Crazy, right? But he’s a gem—a guy who cares to look out for me and gives me the love I’ve always wanted. Now, the in-love me is already imagining a private and quiet life with him—living in a farmhouse on our land, far away from all the city chaos. We’d go for a walk every morning, talking about how far we’ve come, and then in the evening, cosy up with a mug of hot chocolate on our porch, gazing at the sunset, wrapped up in each other’s arms. Just him and me, growing our plants and taking care of our horses, goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits, and yeah, maybe a few scary-looking dogs to guard our land. What a wonderful life!

Great start to the year, though!

Another piece of good news is that I will be starting a new job at the end of February. This means a fresh start—a new office, new colleagues, and a new environment—all of which I desperately need. I’m hopeful that this change will help me achieve a better work-life balance, especially after the hectic year I had in 2023. My eye bags have worsened, my sleep pattern is disrupted, and I’ve been falling sick more often. So, I’m really looking forward to having a healthier lifestyle in 2024. ❤

Until then…