2022 in Review

It’s hard to really know where to start when it comes to reviewing an entire year, and 2022 has sure being a series of rollercoasters, as is typical in life. However, this year has just been so different, and, in many ways, I could have only dreamed of, just 12 months ago.

Now, I understand, for a large majority of people, 2022 is a year they’d rather forget. Let’s not forget, there’s a “proxy” war going on, which the UK should honestly stay out of, there’s the cost of dumb lockdowns which has resulted in insane levels of inflation, and, finally, no one wants to work anymore thanks to no longer having furlough, resulting in the remaining ones who do work, discover a hint of pressure, crying like babies and going on strike, ruining things further. So, yes, 2022 hasn’t been exactly great. 

However, for me, it’s been one of the best years of my entire life. Mad, isn’t it.

Life progression

From moving up in work, to no complaints elsewhere, it’s fair to say, as far as my life exclusively, I’d of had no complaints about 2022, but, also, nothing to really shout about. The year was destined to be, yet another, one of those, well that happened, type of years.

I was, and remain, a little disappointed that I appear to have lost that initial connection with a collection of my friends over the years. There was a brief level of a return to the camaraderie, in January, I believe. I was asked by Caddy to go to a pub I’d never gone to before, just outside Cleck. Everyone was there, almost like some complete setlist. At this point, it wasn’t too long since I’d announced I’d broken up with my last relationship (few months had past at this point), and, it’s fair to say the reaction to that was hilariously positive. I remember at one point being told, essentially “good riddance” haha. So, if you ever wanted some justification of a decision, none came better than that. I was hopeful that, that being made clear, would have led to a return to things. Though, it didn’t really. I do blame her for my loss of connection with a lot of my friends, but, I’m hopeful things will change, at some point. Maybe 2023, eh?

What changed it all, forever

Another thing I’d announced, by the time I saw my friends in January, was that I had met someone new. At this point, things were a bit allover place, but, things were beginning to truly grow into the incredible way they’d end up at the end of the year. What confirmed things, other than a bit of home truths, was, of course, meeting each other in the Philippines. 

It sounds cheesy, maybe a bit over-dramatic, but I would certainly attribute Hannah herself as being the biggest single thing in my life, she has literally changed everything in my life, forever, and, I couldn’t be more happy and grateful.

I’m not going to over everything, all over again, especially as the biggest complaints of my blogs is, they’re getting a bit … long, so, I’ll keep everything as brief as possible. 

If you do what the longer view of everything that happened in 2022 involving Hannah, you can check everything out in the blogs individually below;

• January blog – Describing the beginning of a new era (hinting, but not confirming Hannah)
• March blog – Covering going to the Philippines and meeting Hannah
• October blog – Covering the second trip to the Philippines in May – June, very close to what became the follow up
• December blog – Covers Hannah’s first long visit to the UK

Hannah, the future

When you start any relationship, you never truly believe that you’ve found “the one” straight away, you’d be completely mad to. However, when you do find them, it’s instantly noticeable. Everything just feels different, everything just makes sense; you’re suddenly willing to, and, do, things you’d never ever normally do. 

If I said to anyone pre-2022, that I was going to travel on a plane, on my own, over 8,000 miles, to a tropical island, meet the woman of my dreams, we’d both love each other, destined for a lifeline future … I’d probably have been given an instant admission to a mental institute, so, it’s a good thing I kept it to myself, right? 😅

It didn’t matter if it was, a chat, a video call, to being with her, doing the most boring of things, to sharing the biggest, and, the most prominent memories we can look back on; every moment shared with Hannah, just further confirmed that I love her, I need her, and, she is the future. 

She is why 2022 was the best year of my life, she is why I now have a goal in life to work on, and, dedicate everything to, because she is who I intend to spend the rest of my life with. It’s an ambitious goal to make work, but, I’ll never ever give up, and, most importantly, she’s as committed as me, and, as long as that remains, that’s all that matters!

2023 – What’s the plan

I don’t ever do New Years’s resolutions, stopped New Year’s resolutions over a decade ago, what’s the point. But, that certainly doesn’t stop you setting the bar, to the greater atmosphere, then, doing everything you can to get there. If there’s one thing 2022 has proven to me, it’s that no matter what the goal, no matter how ambitious it may seem, you can do it, if you truly put everything into it.

Without saying too much, as most are secrets at this point, I will say that I, intend, 2023 being the year me and Hannah make some of the biggest steps in our life. Steps towards the very future we both dream to come true. That probably puts a lot of things in your head, wondering what, and, all I will say, not even knowing what you’re thinking, is, yes, even that! 

To summarise

2022 will go down as the year I met Hannah, the year I moved on from a long dwindling past, and, the year that started the spark that would flame the most important aspects of the future I intend on achieving going forward. 

All that’s left to say now, is, let’s go. When I speak again in a future blog, I hope to be sharing even more of this growth in our lives, I can’t wait. As long as I have Hannah, nothing else matters, when I’m with her I’m not scared anymore, I no longer care what anyone else thinks, so, here’s to doing the everything we could ever want to or dream, together.