Before we close off 2021, I wanted to reflect on how my December was ✨ Here’s to my final post of 2021. Phew.
Main Highlights 🚀
Online
- 📝 On the blog, I wrote about how I’ve been taking notes recently and my annual post about the things I learnt from 2021.
- 🎙 Published a new episode with Ahsana and Rituja on building a “personal brand”
- 🎙 Recorded and planned some new episodes for “a podcast by Pawlean”
Career, Learning & Community
- 🔋 Decided to take two weeks off to recharge before the New Year
- 🧡 Career-specific highlights are over on my PolyWork page, but I will highlight…
- 🎙 Launched DevXPod 🎉
- 🎉 Cleared the Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate exam!
Personal
- 💉 Got my booster shot! Thank you, NHS. 🙏🏼
- 🧘🏻♀️ Started to bring back my mindfulness habit, I’ve been meditating for 10 minutes for the past 19 days. 😊 I’m hoping to keep this up!
- 🎄 Celebrated the holiday season at home
- ⛰ Went on plenty of outdoor walks
- 🍿 Watched Spiderman: No Way Home – now my favourite Marvel film of all time!
- 🎶 Had more time to discover and listen to new music during my break
- 🎵 Spotify Wrapped informed me that my favourite artist of 2021 was Nic D which is hardly surprising there.
- 🎮 Reached the Season Cap (Level 100) on Destiny – what can I say? I’ve loved rediscovering the game.
- 📚 Enjoyed reading “People Powered” by Jono Bacon
- 💄 Re-discovered my love for playing with make-up
- ✨ Attempted to start making new (local) friends as an adult
Things that made me happy 🙏🏼
I initially was unsure about taking two weeks off because I wanted to stay on top of everything going on at work AND I get bad FOMO. Hey, at least I’m honest, right? 😂 But now that I’ve returned home, celebrated with family and spent my days more chilled without an agenda, I’m glad that I took this time off to truly recharge before the New Year.
The lack of agendas and expectations feels like it’s given my brain extra space to process everything. As part of that, I’ve given myself the time to play and explore. I’ve discovered new inspiring music, went on fun walks that reminded me how much I love Sheffield and even put on extra-looking make-up as I used to when I was 12. I wanted to capture this moment; literally, just enjoy being a big kid sometimes. 😆
It was difficult to admit that I struggled to adapt to a lot of big changes this year, so having the time to just sit back and take it all in in a safe, comfortable environment has been wonderful.
December In Photos 🖼
Quote of the Month 💬
Judge tenderly, if you must. There is usually a side you have not heard, a story you know nothing about, and a battle waged that you are not having to fight.
Traci Lea LaRussa
Next month, my intentions are to… 🌱
Take it easy. January always comes with high expectations and motivations for change, it’s OK to take my time. 🙏🏼
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