Happy new year!

Boy am I glad that this year is over! It was overall alright, but, for some reason, I feel like 2020 was easier, which doesn't really make sense.

I've been lucky to have a job, a house, a roof over my head. My friends and family have been safe and I was extremely lucky to have been able to see my parents again after 22 months apart!

I'm typing this on the last day of a year that flew by and was also terribly long, looking back on my goals for 2021 and feeling quite accomplished if I do say so myself.

I did not cross everything off my list but still feel like I got a lot done and set the foundations to go in the right direction.

Now is the time to write a new list, with one more item for one more year. I've been brainstorming while spending many hours on snowy Oregon roads over the past few weeks and came up with the following.

1. Read 22 books

I'm not sure I reached my 21 books goal last year (do home decor and coffee table books count?) but I'm so excited to inaugurate my 2022 reading list.

2. Learn new skills (virtually)

I've been waiting to be able to take classes in person again, like ceramics, but until the pandemic is over and/or I get a car, I'm gonna sign up for Skillshare and learn from home. I'm excited to browse the catalog but am also eager to learn how to properly edit my pics.

3. Go backcountry skiing

I may or may not be hinting at a hut-to-hut backcountry ski trip to a couple of friends. This will hopefully happen early in the new year!

4. Go rafting

I used to go rafting in the Alps when I was a kid and really want to do it again. A couple of our friends here are whitewater rafting guides, I need to sign up for a trip!

5. Update my resume / Reflect on my career

I haven't done this in a loooong time and want to gather and update the data I have on hand, reflect on my achievements and work on potential interview questions. Maybe there's a course about that on Skillshare (see goal number 2)?

6. Travel to a new city in the US

It's been ages since I last explored a new city. Our travels usually consist of road trips to remote places, but Austin, Nashville, and New Orleans are on my bucket list. Let's see how safe 2022 will be to travel...

7. Book a massage

I got a gift certificate at a spa for my volunteer contribution on the committee of my farmers' market and need to book an appointment this year. Should I do it in January to get a fresh start to the new year?

8. Buy a car

I sold my car at the beginning of 2019 when our visa ended and didn't get around to buying another one when we came back to the US. I didn't know how long I would stay, then the pandemic happened, and we moved to a small town. Now I feel the itch to go places and a smaller car would make sense for non-overlanding activities (we have Octave's truck for those).

9. Donate blood (repeat from 2021)

I am not eligible to donate blood in the US so I want to make sure I do this if I ever get to go back to France this year.

10. Knit a sweater (continuation from 2021)

I switched my goal from "knit a sweater" to "knit a beanie" in 2021 so I now feel comfortable enough to complete a more challenging pattern this year. I've already got the supplies, let's do this!

11. Write a song

I've always been fascinated with lyrics. When I was a teen, my dad forbade me from making up words when we listened to American songs on the radio and bought me this French magazine that featured top 20 songs lyrics so I would learn them (this might have led me to become a translator). Anyhow, I really want to spend some time playing with words this year. So here goes nothing.

12. Become a Master Gardener

I've already signed up and been accepted into the program, so this should work. I'm looking forward to volunteering more in and sharing what I learn with my community this year!

13. Tweak my diet

Back in 2019, I set a couple of goals relating to ditching certain categories of food, mainly for sustainability purposes. This year I want to do this again to see how particular ingredients affect my migraines and hormonal imbalances. I might need to read In the Flo again.

14. Make my own Bitchin' Sauce

I'm addicted and found an easy recipe (and this one too). Less plastic, more fun!

15. Celebrate our 10th anniversary

No pressure. Just putting this here so I don't forget. Shall we go back to the Montreux Jazz Festival? Or attend a Sébastien Tellier concert? So. Many. Options.

16. Schedule my workdays

New year, new me. I want to be happier, healthier, and more productive and a proper routine should help. Regular meal, wake up and bedtimes (I need my 8 hours of sleep), and time set aside for workouts, walks, yoga, reading, and writing.

17. Create a proper workout area

This will be quite a bit of work as it will require rearranging our garage, which is regularly overtaken by shipments of products from Octave's outdoor brand Tillak. I love organizing, so this should be fun!

18. Bake croissants

We're lucky to have really tasty French pastries in our little town but, as my parents reminded me last week when they visited, they are ridiculously expensive. We have a Sunday tradition in our household to get croissants on Sundays, so I'm gonna try to bake my own. I tried once last year, it was a lot of work and the result wasn't so good (not enough salt, not enough puff) but I'm determined to try again.

19. Write a list of seasonal activities

I love crafting, cooking and creating but sometimes find myself realizing that certain activities require some form of planning (I have missed nettle foraging season 2 years in a row!). So, at the beginning of this year, I want to fill my planner with lots of fun seasonal activities such as wreath, candle, and soapmaking, mushrooms and plants foraging, natural dyeing, and so much more!

20. Keep my budget and finances in check

I don't have major money goals this year, except for not waiting for the last minute to file my taxes (I'm a big procrastinator) and keeping my records updated. Oh hold on, I already forgot about goal number 8!

21. Keep my health in check

My last doctor appointment dates back to before the pandemic... I've been keeping a health journal for a couple years now and have questions to ask and investigating to do. Goal number 13 should help as well.

22. Sew another quilt jacket

I already have 2 thrifted quilts ready to be upcycled. Now I just need to find the perfect pattern, because I'm not self-drafting one again!

I'm gonna let this list simmer a little and put it to paper in my new year planner.

As always, I'm keeping previous years list handy, like my 19 for 2019 list) as I feel like the work is never done and I want to continue to build on the foundations I've laid in the past.

I wish you all a happy new year and hope to hear about your hopes, dreams and 22 for 2022 list in the comments below!

What's on your list for 2022?

This post is not sponsored, but it does contain affiliate links, meaning if you make a purchase via one of my links, I may make a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!