2022 Intentions – What Happened?

In January 2022, I wrote and published on my blog for accountability six resolutions or as I like to call them, intentions. I figured I’d make them easier than the year before and feel good about it when I smashed them, but I also felt like I didn’t challenge myself enough. I knew by July when I couldn’t remember all six, that I wasn’t that committed, so here are my unsurprising (to me) results. 

#1 Break up with my iPhone, but still be friends. 

Didn’t happen. 

We got back together almost immediately. I was more glued to my device this year than ever before. Wanting to keep up with what was going on in the world left me frustrated and furious much of the time, but I also needed those texts, pics and hilarious GIFs from friends and family to lighten my mood and keep me sane and connected. So, no, this one was a spectacular failure. 

#2  Plan new experiences. 

Happened! 

To me, experiences usually involve travel. Living in Spain has made European travel more affordable and much easier. This year we visited three other countries and explored the Andalusian region of Spain and Gibraltar, a British Territory. We took a long-anticipated trip to Denmark. We crisscrossed the country seeing Billund – the birthplace of LEGO, Aarhus – a beautiful college town, and world capital and bike centric Copenhagen (SO many bikes!) and spent an entire day in Elsinore at Kronborg Castle considered to be Shakespeare’s inspiration for Hamlet. A last-minute trip to Portugal in August to escape the unrelenting Spanish heat provided a chilly Atlantic Ocean adventure that had us body boarding in choppy water around a cove to a 50-million-year old cave that will forever be one of my favorite experiences! We ended the year in England visiting London along with a zillion other people, and then bussed to Bournemouth, a seaside town with a charming Christmas market and then took a train to Bovington to inspect the world’s largest collection of military tanks. Will definitely keep adding new adventures but with some well-earned experience of how to cut costs. (Feeling a blog post forming.)

#3 Read two books a month by reading one chapter a day. 

Didn’t happen. 

I only finished 14 books coming up embarrassingly short of my goal of 24. In my defense, Caste by Isabel Wilkerson and The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas aren’t the kind of books one breezes through. I kept to my 2021 intention of just reading one book at a time which may also have slowed me down. I read seven memoirs, two of them travel-related found at ReRead, a used bookstore nearby. I do my best to shop local bookstores and, fortunately they are abundant in Valencia and most have a section, albeit small, of English-language books. I was especially happy when Book Lovers Valencia opened last spring. A WHOLE bookstore dedicated to English-language books – HEAVEN! I am also a huge fan of public libraries and am now a card-carrying member of Valencia’s biblioteca. The closest branch just two blocks away is gorgeous and has shelves and shelves of books written in English. This is good and bad because it makes it too easy to fall back into my bad habit of borrowing books and not finishing them. 

#4 Learn the names and locations of all 195 countries – one continent at a time.

Mostly happened. 

I’m at about 85% accuracy after practicing consistently on Seterra. It wasn’t as hard to learn as I expected, and I hoped my improved grasp of geography would boost my knowledge for Jeopardy – my favorite TV show of all time! It has, but it’s more important than that. It goes back to what my favorite high school teacher said to the class, probably in response to “Is this going to be on the test?” He asked us, “Don’t you want to know something just to know it?”  Yes, yes I do. 

It also meant a deeper understanding and connection when I met people this year from Hungary, Cameroon, Malawi and Ukraine.

#5 Practice conversing in Spanish everyday.

Happened! 

I almost didn’t have a choice. When I leave home, I’m going to need to speak at least a little Spanish after getting to know more neighbors, the friendly mechanics working in a repair shop on my block and the caring pharmacists at my local farmacia, with whom I’m on a first-name basis now. At a minimum, I need to be able to wish them a good day Buenos días and ask casually how things are going Que tal? As time goes by they expect me to add a little bit more. The Spanish language is beautiful, and I understand a good bit more than I did a year ago, but for the love of all that is holy, I wish they would sloooowwww down. Spaniards speak incredibly fast! I’m lucky, though, because they are willing to take the time to chat with me and patiently encourage me to speak Spanish, and that’s just the nicest thing.

#6 Close computer tabs I’m not using. 

Happened!

At this very moment, I have three tabs open, two of which relate to my blog which I’m writing this for and one with the New York Times Spelling Bee, which John and I work on during breaks here and there until we reach Queen Bee status. Closing tabs has been an easy intention to remember and to implement. It probably did help me to be more focused so I’ll keep doing this one. 

To recap my recap, I’d say I accomplished four of my six intentions or 66%. Bleh, that doesn’t sound so good. I got 90% in 2021. I’m not too upset though; it’s been a year full of growth, new friends, new books and new experiences. I’m getting close to finalizing my 2023 Intentions and I’m excited about them. I’ll post them soon!

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Have you Read My Book? If you enjoy my blog, maybe you’d like to read my memoir about the two years I lived in Rome. Times New Roman: How We Quit Our Jobs, Gave Away Our Stuff & Moved to Italy is available from libraries and bookstores everywhere. Just ask for it if you don’t see it on the shelf. 

Thanks so much for stopping by!