2022: A Year of Renewal

Twenty-two things (instead of just Five), in no particular order.

If 2021 was a year for self-discovery, 2022 was meant to be my year of rest and relaxation.

Or so I thought.

Instead, it’s been one of balance, which isn’t quite the same thing (at least not how I imagined it) but perhaps even better. Last year was a complete upheaval, one that forced the reevaluation of my relationship with my career. This year, I’ve found a rhythm in work that has been rejuvenating, not draining—something I thought impossible after a decade of prioritizing (a slippery) upward climb over emotional sanity. Out of chaos comes a metaphorical and literal renewed sense of self.

I’m grateful for that and so much more: 2022 has been so good to me.

.   .   .

1. I believe in signs so much that I can’t help but find symbolism in everything around me. (Have I secretly been an optimist all this time? A closet romantic even?) A monarch always seemed to appear in the wake of transitions or at the precipice of some significant decision; I kept track each time.

2. The week between Christmas and New Year’s Day is one of my favorites. The collective optimism! All the intention! The overwhelming positivity, however manufactured (as naysayers want to believe), is both palpable and contagious.

3. …which means it’s new planner season. Vision boarding, for those on TikTok or closer to Nirvana, or journalling for the rest of us more bulletpoint-inclined. I’m of the latter camp: Leuchtturm1917 notebooks (A5, hardcover, dotted) continue to be my medium of choice.

4. Although this was far from a year of rest and relaxation, 2022 was one of embracing comfort. I’ve retired heels in favor of sneakers—ones with platforms, of course. (You can’t expect a decade’s worth of vertical commitment to disappear overnight.) On daily rotation are the adidas Forum Bold and Stan Smith Bonegas, but if I’m feeling particularly cool, the original Converse Run Star Hike (made with JW Anderson; you can still find some on eBay and Grailed). I’ve even fallen into the gorpcore trap despite having never embarked on a trail in my life. (My saving grace is my Californian residence: I’m hiking adjacent by driver’s license!) Nike x Jacquemus Air Humara LXs give the look of someone more athletically built but aesthetically inclined; plus, these work well with a slouchy trouser.

5. Indulgence, too, seems to be on theme. A year of hard work can only be offset by a healthy dose of hedonism (per capitalism). One acquisition I’m particularly excited by but haven’t yet had the chance to wear is this KNWLS jacket. I don’t do impulse buys often, if ever at all—but the moment I saw this I didn’t even think twice about the splurge. My God is it good.

6. Speaking of clothes: you can tell when a designer not only adores but also understands women. Two that always (and consistently) make me feel good are Jacqumeus and The Line by K, no matter how my body fluctuates.

7. Soft Services Theraplush is a hand cream worth the waiting list. If you write all day and spend half of it staring at the keyboard—and the back of your hands, inevitably—this is the only deskside product you need.

8. I’m at an age where I can no longer take my body’s inner workings for granted. Probiotic yogurt, specifically from The Coconut Cult, is worth every pretty (probiotic-packed) penny. The limited-edition flavors are just delightful, but the original ones are still my favorite: creamy yet effervescent, fresh yet filling. It’s food magic.

9. Patti Smith’s Substack is one of the best things to exist on the Internet; her little video messages are a joy and delight.

10. Another internet indulgence: @marthastewart48. She’s an icon, a legend, a national treasure.

11. The airport is the best place to read. The second best place—well, time too, really—is on the plane during the final call for boarding, then once the plane begins its ascent. Something about the soothing vibrations that drown out everything except the words on the pages in your lap (coupled with the change in cabin pressure) makes for an ideal reading environment.

12. Two of my favorite books this year include Either/Or by Elif Batuman and I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki.

13. This Christmas, my brother surprised me with a vintage Polaroid OneStep SX-70, one of the most thoughtful presents I’ve yet received. I don’t know how he knew I was toying around with the idea of playing with film (something I never said out loud)—maybe it was the new Patti Smith book lying around?—but there it was, the tiniest of thoughts manifested.

14. Walking will change your life.

15. So will a simple moisturizing routine focused on restoring (and protecting) your skin’s outermost barrier.

16. It’s been a year of growth in more ways than one. All my life, my nails have been soft, thin, and would stubbornly break or peel once they reached a millimeter past my fingertip—but now? They’ve completely transformed with this simple recipe for nail growth: Londontown Nail Hardener & Base Coat, Cheerio (followed by a glitter) or Pearl lakur, and Glosslab Base & Top Coat.

17. I’ve had to remind myself numerous times that your aesthetic is what you like—and what you like is allowed to be surprising. Putting all of that into a box to commodify yourself (or even just make yourself appear more digestible) is dulling. Restrictive. We’re human, not a brand.

18. Now that “coquette” is part of colloquial vernacular: should I have kept my original blog? (It was A Bit Coquettish, for those who might stumble on this accidentally.) Was I over a decade ahead of the microtrend? Readers, leave your thoughts below.

19. Gratitude is freeing. 

20. Sleep is healing.

21. …as is doing nothing at all. Be bored without guilt. Embrace solitude with open arms.

22. 2022 is tangerine. Bright, golden, sunny, saturated.

.   .   .

xx