2022 Review: Puerto Vallarta, Ice Skating, & Conquering Stress

I wrote my 2021 post so late last year that it hardly feels like it’s time to write my 2022 recap, but here we are! When I think about the past year, there are a few major events that come to mind. If I had to summarize 2022, it was the year that my husband Tym and I:

  • Adopted a second kitty (I mentioned this in my 2021 post, and I’m happy to share the news that our older kitty has finally adapted to the change!)
  • Traveled to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
  • Sold our first home
Enjoying a few drinks at Senor Frogs in Puerto Vallarta
Enjoying a few drinks at Senor Frogs in Puerto Vallarta

Vacation Fun Times & Overcoming Stress

I’ve worked for over a decade in the tech industry and in that time, my longest vacation had been 11 or 12 days. I took a full two weeks off over the summer to travel to Mexico and also visit my family, which meant that I had 16 restful days of time away from my job. I highly recommend doing this, as it really helped me to remember what my main priorities are in life; ever since that vacation, I have been much less stressed and have focused more on my well-being. I finally made the realization that while work is almost always busy, that doesn’t need to mean that work has to be stressful.

Being employed at a larger company has helped me disconnect more from my work as well, as I also came to realize that I’m only a single person at a company of thousands of employees: working an extra hour or two (or five) every week doesn’t really make that much of a difference overall, and only leads to burnout and less productivity over time.

In addition to traveling to Mexico for the first time, my husband and I also made a few trips back to the east coast to visit family and I went on my annual-ish trip to Colorado. This was my 4th or 5th visit to Colorado (I’ve lost track!), and I had a great time in Steamboat Springs with my best friend. (Unfortunately, I also caught COVID on this trip but recovered quickly.)

My 2022 Goals

I achieved most of the goals that I set out to accomplish in 2022. Where I failed: I did not log 500 miles of running and 500 miles of biking. I was close to my running goal, but I ended the year a little short on distance after battling two rounds of sickness in November and December.

By far my biggest personal fitness achievements were completing my second Tiger Claw and starting ice skating lessons. Along with the NHL expansion to Seattle, we now have a gorgeous, new 3-rink iceplex for the community to enjoy. I’ve taken two 8-week learn-to-skate courses and am looking forward to continuing my ice skating journey in 2023; I just recently started my third 8-week course and have attended several open skate sessions. I enjoy trying new things, and I might just be becoming a little bit obsessed!

I also read 12 books in 2022. While this may not seem like a lot to some folks, I’ve been averaging 8-10 books per year for several years, and I’m thrilled to be setting aside more time for reading both fiction and nonfiction. I attribute quitting Twitter as a key to hitting this goal, as I’ve found myself gravitating towards books rather than my phone for the past two months in particular.

Looking Ahead

I’m setting my running and biking goals a little lower this year so that I have more time to focus on ice skating. I also have a few professional and personal goals as well. My main goals for the year:

  • Obtaining the Salesforce JavaScript Developer I certification; I have several Salesforce certifications but not yet this one!
  • Running 365 miles, biking 365 miles, logging over 60 hours of boxing and other HIIT workouts, and logging over 30 hours of ice skating
  • Serving my 2nd year as the volunteer coordinator for the Run and Walk with Pride
  • Completing a major house renovation — this includes a new primary bedroom and bathroom and a possible new office/den area
  • And last, but not least, more kayaking! My husband bought me a portable/foldable kayak for my birthday, and I’m excited for the weather to warm up so that I can take it out on the water.

2023 is shaping up to be another great year! I look forward to reviewing this post in a year’s time and seeing the adventures that life throws my way this year.

— Robert

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