It’s the end of the year again, and that always scares me a little.

I’ve always been tied to routine, and anyone who knows me well is well aware that change – even just the thought of it – isn’t something I adore. As a creature of habit, I’ve always found it hard to wrap my mind around new beginnings.

The close of a year always reminds me that life has new things in store for us; I struggle to put it into words – the sort of impending loss that overwhelms me. It’s almost like a premature longing for times that haven’t passed yet. Nostalgia – one word, three syllables, and yet, it fuels so much emotion in me.

We’ll never be here again: this moment, this place.

But then again, we did make it through these past twelve months. A new beginning is fast approaching, for worse… or for better. Whatever happens, we are here right now, and I think it’s up to us to make the most of it. So, it’s time to see the forest for the trees, and appreciate the hurdles and wins life’s thrown at us this year. Change always reminds me of this quote, one of my all-time favourites:

“[He] wondered if normalcy was something, like vision or silence, you didn’t realize was precious until you lost it.”

― Cassandra Clare, City of Fallen Angels.

On that note, I’d like to finally start the wrap-up. I’ve split up the year into four, with some of my favourite snapshots from the months, and a little note on the special moments. 2022 was a beautiful year, honestly. It gave me so much more clarity on what I want to do with my life, career-wise, I learnt to play the guitar, I danced a lot and school went great. Like everything else, it had its ups and downs, but I loved it.

january to march🦋

recap:

• January was our new-year’s weekend getaway, we went boating underneath a waterfall there. I also have an extremely distinct memory of staying up till midnight in a rented bungalow with my sister.
• In early spring, the bougainvillaea in our apartment blossomed, making it look like a pink floral shower. I remember going on so many walks earlier this year.
• In March, we got Lulu home – gosh, she looks so, so tiny here. She’s still small, but she’s grown a lot over the past year. March was also when I got vaccinated, if I remember right, and the very last month of online schooling. Such a relief, I tell you.

book of the month(s): either Angels & Demons by Dan Brown. Possibly the best book I read this year, actually – I admire his mind.

song of the month(s): Slow Burn by Kacey Musgraves; I was in love with country music earlier this year and Kacey Musgraves’ music was the soundtrack to my life then.

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april to june ☀️

recap:

• I turned fourteen in April, it’s surreal that it was nearly a year ago
• We also travelled to Kashmir – the stunning northernmost state of India, and spent about two weeks there; which is where all the gorgeous panoramas are from. I still think it’s one of the most serene places in India and often goes unmentioned, unfortunately.
• I started my freshman year of high school in May which was a huge jump from the eighth grade especially since that whole year had been online – it seems like just yesterday I walked through the doors, all nervous, but no; it was over six months ago.
• June was a month of new beginnings, what with school and everything, but I woke up really early a few mornings a week to study and managed to catch the sunrise. I would do it more often if it wasn’t so hard to get up at 5:45, honestly!

book of the month(s): As Good As Dead, or the whole A Good Girls Guide To Murder series – it was hooking, fun, and also exactly what I needed to get out of my reading slump in early April.

song of the month(s): Little Freak by Harry Styles. Harry’s House was released in May and I had it on repeat for two months, but especially this song. And Matilda, of course.

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july to september 👒

recap:

• No less than ten of my closest family and friends celebrate their birthday in these months so it included a ton of going out and cake-eating, which explains the food pictures.
• Summer saw days and days of clear night skies which explains the moon/sky pictures, haha.
• August was also my biggest dance performance to date; a really, really special night.
• In early August, we went on a day trip to the beach – one of the best days of this whole year. We weren’t even there for the whole day – we took the evening train back home and were in bed by midnight – I still remember my 11:11 wish from that night.
• These were possibly my favourite months of the year – so many wonderful things happened. September saw crackling autumn leaves beneath our feet as we strolled around our block; we celebrated many-a-festival, and we listened, as the world began to quiet down. As the cold began to set it.

book of the month(s): it was my Jenny Han phase, and that’s pretty much all I read then so either one of her series, I suppose.

song of the month(s): It’s hard to choose, but the songs I had on repeat constantly was Rising and You Never Know from the soundtrack of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, season 3.

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october to december❄️

recap:

• October, beautiful as always, saw the return of one of my old friends, and a lot of studying, very Rory Gilmore-esque, of course. We started watching Gilmore Girls about then, too. And, of course, Midnights was released! I also wrote one of my favourite pieces from my book.
• November remained uneventful except for a few competitions in school, and lots of rehearsals, but it did have one of my favourite days in it – the school trip. November also features a grown-up Lulu picture.
• And of course, December. It was cold, obviously, but these past few days have been simply lovely – I’ve had hours and hours to unwind, listen to so much music and take a break from all the year-end exam prep. There were a few parties, we went shopping twice and saw the Christmas lights up in the city, and silently thanked the stars for everything. And that’s a wrap, I suppose; we end 2022 with a trip to a nearby resort, a weekend getaway to say goodbye.

book of the month(s): The Inheritance Games trilogy, possibly because it’s all I found time to read, haha. Shoutout to Gilmore Girls for taking up most of my free time even though it’s a show.

song of the month(s): This honour goes to two ballads: Maroon and The Way You Felt because I’ve been going through a completely unhealthy Alec Benjamin obsession this past week. It is truly very odd.

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Well, whatever these next 365 days bring, we’ll always, always have these beautiful memories; and I cherish memory like nothing else (I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.) This year brought love and joy, hope and despair, but above all, for me at least, it brought a little more light into my life: it helped illuminate the path ahead. It’s shown me who I am, and also who I strive to be… and that means a lot. It’s something to work towards. The post wouldn’t be complete without my most recent playlist so here:

Before we wipe our slates clean and turn over the calendar pages, I’d like to ask two questions for you to think about, discuss, or journal on tonight, or maybe just comment down below:

What did this year teach you?

What do you want to bring into the new year… and what do you want to leave behind?

I hope, with every fibre of my being, that 2023 brings all of us lighter days and a few more things to smile about. Because, after all, the thing I’ve learnt from this year is that the little things matter the most. That it’s the journey – it’s always been the journey and not the destination.

How was your year? I hope you had a good one ♥ What are your goals for the new year, if you have any? Tell me down below! Until next time xx