Happy New Year 2023!

Happy New Year / Bonne année / 新年快樂!

Wow, what a year it’s been. I’d expected for 2022 to be similar to 2021, which had been a relatively-sleepy year in terms of work, travel, and personal life. Little did I expect for this past year to turn out the way it did, but I’m happy with how everything came together.

2022 saw a lot of firsts for me: my first time getting COVID, my first time traveling internationally in over three years, and my first serious relationship:

I got COVID for the first time earlier in the year, more specifically on New Year’s Day– what a great way to ring in the new year (*insert sarcasm*)! And I actually got COVID again later, in November following my overseas trip, which wasn’t a great “welcome home” gift, but the symptoms weren’t too terrible. Getting COVID twice in the same year was annoying, but I guess it was inevitable with the world basically assuming everything’s “back to normal.” Still have qualms about it all, but that’s not for this blog…

I also briefly mentioned it in my “Life Update” post in September, but I’m in a relationship! I have a lovely partner who’s incredibly sweet and is someone whom I can laugh and share memories with. We’ll be coming up on one year this spring, and I’m very happy with how everything’s been going so far. ❤

…and yes, travel: I’ve alluded to it in several posts, but I finally got to go out of the country in 2022! In November, I took my first international trip since 2019, and I went to… Argentina! I spent over two weeks visiting the entire country, from the capital of Buenos Aires to the south in Patagonia to up north in Iguazu Falls– and I loved every bit of it. I also managed to tack on brief visits to Brazil and Uruguay, which were incredible, too. This trip had been long overdue, and I couldn’t have asked for a perfect destination than Argentina!

I’ll be publishing my posts about the trip later this year, as I’m currently backlogged with tons of other posts in queue to be published. However, I’ll sprinkle in a few teasers throughout this year, including some photography for my “Postcard” series and hotel reviews (a new mini-series I’m starting for this blog). Expect for them to come out soon!

Despite the good aspects like my relationship and travels, I can’t say that everything was all sunshine and rainbows: sure, there was COVID (twice), but there was also stress about my career. I’ve mentioned it in previous posts, but I’m dissatisfied in my current job– I won’t give too many details about it, but I will say that it has caused me a ton of stress in 2022, to the point that it negatively affected my health, both physically and mentally. I feel stuck, and I’m still trying to find other opportunities and to move on. There are also a few personal issues I’m dealing with, but I hope that by continuing to push forward, I can improve my situation– I hope 2023 will be a promising year, in that regard.

I also feel that this past year has given me a whole new set of challenges to face. I think I’ve gotten too comfortable in the last couple of years, and now this sudden realization is throwing me for a loop. Also, I’ll be turning the big 3-0 this year, which is an exciting milestone, but one to take seriously: I’m not as young anymore, and with that comes more responsibilities that I’d been putting off for far too long. And I’m going to have to face them sooner than later. I’ll talk about this later, as my sort-of “second wave” quarter-life crisis.

I don’t really make resolutions, but I do have some goals for 2023. One of them is to continue fostering my relationship with my partner, and another is finding better career opportunities. And of course, I can’t forget about travel goals– I’m very set on another international trip for 2023, if perhaps two. I just finalized a trip this spring for my birthday, as I want to celebrate my 30th year abroad. And given if I have the time, I hope to go somewhere later in the fall. With the world pretty much reopened (even though COVID still continues to be imminent), I feel more confident traveling again, and I’ll keep you updated about how it goes!

That said, expect to see more travel posts from me this year. I have a few “Destination” posts scheduled for March and June from last year’s trips to Central California and San Diego, respectively– and of course, my big Argentina trip that will come out later this fall. Be prepared, because there will be a lot coming your way!

Thank you so much for your continuous support of Rebecca Goes Rendezvous, and I wish you a wonderful 2023 year ahead. Cheers! 🙂

At the Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina (November 2022)

— Rebecca

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