I still can’t believe 2023 is over. The year went by so fast and I think it was a big testament to all the amazing things that happened.
This time last year, I was in Paris planning to ring in the new year in front of the Eiffel Tower. It was not a great experience and I would not recommend it. This time around, I’m staying put in my city, Amsterdam, to watch the fireworks with friends.
Now let’s talk about 2023, it felt like four years in one. It feels like I lived many lives in this year.
Key Highlights
Becoming an aunty for the first time: There’s something so different about seeing your younger sister become a mum. I was privileged to be there at the birth of my niece, and also care for her as a newborn. It’s been such a pleasure watching her grow and I’m very obsessed with her.
Travel: I’m so happy I got to experience different cultures this year. This was my first full year living in the Netherlands and what an experience it has been. I explored over 10 cities in Europe. I went to Asia for the first time for a wedding in India. I also went back to Nigeria for a short visit to see all my loved ones, which was so good for my soul. I was able to find some solution for my airsickness which made travel so much easier.
Career Growth: At the beginning of this year, I wasn’t up to par in terms of what I needed to technically succeed in my role. I’m so proud of my growth since then. I’ve worked on impactful projects, solved complex problems, and held multiple presentations. I’m more confident and happy in the work that I’m doing. My community also grew so much this year, I’ll talk about that in another post.
Relationships: I made so amazing new friends this year and what a difference it made, especially being in a new country. I laughed so hard and received so much love and joy. My friends found love, got married, had babies, made giant career leaps and so much more. No one I loved was lost and for that, I’m forever thankful to God.
Experiences: I did so many new things this year - riding a bicycle, doing reformer pilates, boxing, bachata, taking long walks alone, putting furniture together, finding a new apartment, etc. I even started writing again and I read so over 30 books.
Studies: I got a post-graduate degree in Data Science and Business Analytics. It was very hard but I’m so proud of myself for seeing it through.
Lowlights
Health issues: Within my family and also amongst other loved ones, we got some devasting diagnoses. It wasn’t the easiest time but we got through it. Also on a personal note, I had the worst breakdown due to stress that took me a while to recover from. This led to prioritizing rest even more because I was honestly doing too much.
Relationships: I had to reevaluate the people I wanted to keep in my life and also let go of. It was a tough decision but needed. I realized that too many people had access to me and not all of these people genuinely cared about me. I had to sit down and be very honest with myself. This made me leave room for more amazing people to come in. Also romantically, I didn’t have the best time dating so I just gave up on it altogether. Being in a new country made it even harder, settling in and adjusting didn’t leave me much room to dedicate extra energy to all these games people wanted to play. Anyways, we move again next year.
Looking Forward
I’m going into 2024 very excited! I feel like 2023 was all about me settling down and finding myself. I haven’t fully heard from God what he has for me in 2024 but I strongly feel that it’s going to be amazing.
Personally, here’s what I want for myself:
Joy, happiness, and contentment
Good health for me and my loved ones
Travel more
Set up my apartment and make it a cozy home.
Spend more time with my loved ones
Rediscover my religion and have a better relationship with God
Do excellent and impactful work in the workplace and on personal projects.
Prioritize my health and well-being (Both physical and mental)
Find romantic love
Get into strategic investing and make passive income
And so much more!
Thank you 2023, you were so good to me! I dreamed bigger, laughed louder, and found so much inner peace.
See you all in 2024!
Thanks for sharing your 2023 highlights. Really inspiring. Wish you an awesome 2024.