My site traffic reports showed that people from over 20 countries read my blog (a pretty big deal for me since it has been inactive for over 16 months), so wherever you're reading this from, thanks for being here and a Happy New Year to you and yours!
I kickstarted Meet Mikaela back in 2021 with the aim of channeling all my love of words to one space, then life got insanely hectic and I didn't post a single article last year - not that that's unsurprising, given my history of notoriously starting and quickly killing many blogs. That being said, throughout last year I was reminded of why I created this space in the first place and decided that it's time to breathe life back into it. Above all, what truly inspired me to recommence doing what I love is how 2022 turned out for me.
2022 was a reminder to live in the moment and bask in all the things that brought me joy. Last year saw a whirlwind of events for me; I quit a job, moved to another country for 6 months, closed the distance in my LDR and got married, got a new job, then moved back to Malaysia and got married again (to the same guy 😂). Being able to experience all these wins, though, also meant learning to come out of my shell and going through the 'uncomfortable' stuff. For a girl who is pretty sheltered and is sociable only when she feels like it, leaving the comfort of my home and all that I was familiar with to to begin a new life was no easy feat. Then I returned home, and much to my own surprise, I struggled with getting used to life here - all because I had to undergo these rapid changes in a matter of months.
I felt like I was just floating in the middle of nowhere on some days, but what kept me grounded was finding joy in the little but meaningful things - a hot, perfect cup of coffee made by my husband, the sound of the KTM announcements on the way home from work which remind me of my uni days with my sister, and the refreshing scent of a new reed diffuser. And now that I look back, I'm glad I got to live the life I did last year because I gained so much more than I thought I would. To list a few, my culinary skilled expanded beyond making Maggi, I was welcomed into a wonderful home and made meaningful connections, I got better at speaking my mother tongue, and I have become so much more independent and outspoken - now that I had a chance to really 'adult', and that too out of my own country.
2022 was also the year of growing emotionally and mentally for me - with lots of learning and unlearning involved. I had many chances last year to reflect on and identify behaviours that I wanted to shed, and those that I wanted to carry with me to the new year. The process of outgrowing the 2021 Mikaela wasn't easy, but that's what has made me ready to take on this year. 2022 was nothing like what I imagined it to be, yet it was easily one of the best years of my life. I've learned that the good part is here and now - there's no need to wait for it. May 2023 be the year of celebrating all wins - even those that may not seem that extraordinary to you.
Ending this post with a quick recap of my 2022:
Miks.
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