December 30th. You know what’s coming up if you’ve been around here for a while. I review my year and most importantly, look ahead to the year to come. I find it so important to take into account what I was able to accomplish during the last 12 months. Everyone should really. I liked last year’s format reviewing the 3 categories that basically define my life: Work, Travel and Lifestyle.
Work
I don’t know if the trend will stabilize one day but I’ve had yet again a more successful year than the previous one. Other than taking two weeks off to visit Seattle, Portland and San Diego, I worked pretty much every single day of the year — yes, including weekends. It’s tiring but I don’t feel exhausted which is a good sign.
I got to work on some really cool projects this year while collaborating with 3 big clients (yup, I took an additional one finally). Here are two that were super fun coding or design-wise:
Lindt The Season – Holiday website for Lindt Chocolate!
Occupation Double – I coded the quiz area which was fun, plus I really love bad reality shows <3
Work Plans for 2018?
In 2018, I plan to go with the flow. I’m happy with my office in Montreal at WeWork and have all the tools I need to get work done on the road. I will continue working with my 3 main clients and I also have a fun UX project about to begin in January with a new client. If it goes well, I might start doing more of that too.
Travel
January/February Tulum April Toronto May/June Morocco & Vermont July Vancouver August Seattle, Portland, San Diego, Newport Beach & New York December Denver
I really enjoyed living on the West coast during the summer and it felt good to visit a bunch of cities during my 2-weeks off. It’s hard to pick a favourite destination but Denver was really healing for me and I know I need to go back.
[youtube=://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMPoLMDuDW8&w=854&h=480]
Travel Plans for 2018
I’m leaving on January 31st for a minimum of 5 weeks in China, Indonesia, Vietnam and hopefully Thailand too and will be meeting up with Hacker Paradise. I’m also heading to France & Morocco between May & June for a wedding and some personal business. I’ll try to take it slow for the rest of the year since I’ll be moving into my new place and would love to save as much money as I can.
I’m not going to lie, since my parents moved back to Montreal, it’s been a struggle for me to leave as often as I do. I feel super bad about it and even had a tiny fight that might have been created by me projecting my feelings. It was very helpful though and in the end, I am the traveller that I am because my parents taught me how to be one in the first place.
Lifestyle
Healthwise, it’s been one busy year. I got a pair of prescription glasses (which I forgot to bring to the office just now), plenty of work at the dentist and a hearing test that lead me to the hospital for a radiography that I’m waiting to hear back about. It might lead to a surgery which truly does not worry me.
I also did at least 8 sessions with an amazing osteopath I found back in April. He’s been fixing things like the way I’ve walked my whole life. It’s my mission to see him 2-3 times every quarter.
Training wise, I changed my approach to working out by going less often but working harder. I spent the past 9 months working on my core mostly and there is a lot to do. I’m hoping that I will find a Crossfit gym in Indonesia and/or Vietnam as it would be really fun to get weightlifting back in my workouts.
Finally, nutrition wise, I made a big breakthrough. I kept on doing Intermittent Fasting on a 16/8 window for most of the year but got really sick in November and most of December which forced me to eat on a 20/4 window instead. Without trying to eat less but eating once instead of twice, I realized that I might be insulin resistant because my body fat started melting like it never did before. My appetite came back in the last two weeks but I still try to eat on a 20/4 window at least 3-4 days a week. Let’s see what happens in 2018!
Lifestyle Plans for 2018
Other than nutrition & fitness, one big lifestyle improvement I really wish to work on in 2018 is my driving. It’s also why I hope to travel a little less and use that budget on renting cars to get out of the city and see lakes on the regular. Driving is the main thing that disappointed me this year so it’s time to turn this failure into a success story.
There’s one last thing I could talk about and it’s my love life. 2017 was rough. It was painful, demoralizing and life-changing. I really believed I had met my person but what I learned is that you can’t force things, especially after trying 3 times in a row and getting deeply hurt every single time.
I have to see the positive even in bad things. What a heartbreak can bring you is getting to know yourself after you feel like you’ve lost most of who you were. I definitely got back to my independent self but remain open to new things, whatever they are, because I know it can be really fucking amazing sometimes.
One thing I can tell you is that dating apps are still the worst. I really had lost faith in meeting interesting and beautiful, inside& out, people up until yesterday.
In 2018, I just want to keep it light, fun and not feel or give any pressure. I’m over planning things and I just want to live day to day and make it count.
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I wish you all a great and beautiful new year. May you get through what life throws back at you and come out proud and happy.
Sofia xoxo.
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