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I’ve been in reflection a lot lately because another year is coming to an end. Is it just me or did 2021 go by super quickly? I still can’t believe I’ve moved back to Hong Kong for a full year already.
As much as I am excited for the upcoming year, a lot has happened this year. I wanted to write a reflection post to properly close the chapter.
2021 Reflection List
1) Long Distance Changes How Often You’ll Chat with Your Friends
I’ve moved around enough times to know how strong a long-distance friendship is often dependent on two things. The first is the time difference and the second is how much effort both of you are willing to put into it.
Let’s use me and my best friend as an example. She spends most of her time in London and the time difference between the two cities sucks. Hong Kong is 7 hours ahead. When I finish work, she wakes up. When I’m about to go to bed, that’s when she’s free for a chat. I’m pretty tired by then but I still make an effort. I do want to chat, even if it’s only for a brief time. As you can imagine, it’s hard to talk on the phone a lot with that time difference.
It’s not too bad though because she did come to Hong Kong for a couple of weeks in September. We had fun going to Tai O Fishing Village, eating at Yat Tung Heen and doing a couple of other things.
My other best friend, Michelle lives in Toronto. The time difference between Hong Kong and Toronto is 12 – 13 hours (13 hours if there are daylight savings over there). The time difference works out much better because I usually talk to her during my commute to work while she’s eating dinner or on her way home.
2) You’ll Miss Your Friends From Home
I appreciate Hong Kong for many reasons especially shopping for clothes and eating at restaurants. I spent most of my time in the past year with my family. Although I love my family greatly, I miss hanging out with my friends back in Toronto.
I have made an effort to meet some nice people but when most of your circle consists of people you’ve known for more than a decade, trying to make new friends can be awkward.
You’re not sure what to talk about and there have been moments where they ask me uncomfortable questions. You don’t have that sense of familiarity and all those memories that tie you guys together. It truly does make you appreciate the friendships you do have.
3) Your Circle Becomes Smaller
They said that as you get older, your circle of people gets smaller. Everyone is busy with their own lives and you’ll realize that you don’t have as much time as you used to.
There’s certainly a lot of reflection when it comes to friendships this year but I find that I no longer talk to some of my close friends as often as I used to. It could be the time difference, us growing apart, or we’re just busy with our own lives.
I would get frustrated because some of my friends took too long to respond. Some forgot to respond at all. It depends on the day but lately, I’m not as bothered anymore. I think I have accepted the fact that people do grow apart. Your circle does become smaller sometimes even when it’s not your choice.
4) Loving Pre-Loved Designer Goods
2021 was the year I got obsessed with pre-loved brand name things. Learning about Vestiaire Collective was hands down one of the best things that happened to me. I bought quite a few things from there and I love them!
It’s a great platform for those who want to find a good deal. I found my Gucci Soho Disco Bag for more than 50% off. It was in such good condition that I couldn’t even tell that it wasn’t new.
I take care of my designer bags well because I want to use them for a long time. There’s always the option of selling on Vestiaire Collective when I find that a designer item no longer suits me.
I even sold my first item on Vestiaire recently. It was an exciting moment because I listed several items but it took months before I made my first sale.
They have a Hong Kong office so the delivery process was very smooth. I thought I would have to pay for the local shipping fee but I didn’t have to pay a single cent. That was nice.
I have quite a few readers from the U.S. and Canada. If you’re into stores under the company TJX (Winners, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, TK Maxx) because of the scavenger hunting process, you’re going to love Vestiaire. The website adds hundreds (if not, thousands) of items every day. You won’t know what you’ll find.
5) Getting LASIK Surgery
I got LASIK surgery in November 2021. But it still happened this year so I’m going to include this in my annual reflection post.
I’m surprised that the LASIK process did not hurt. Your eyes will get irritated though but it makes sense because you’re getting lasers shot into your eyes. The dryness and halo effects afterwards are not fun but it’s bearable.
For many years, I was too scared to get LASIK but I can gladly share I have zero regrets about my decision. I can see now and it’s way more convenient without glasses. No more fogged-up glasses (anyone who wears glasses will know what I mean).
I’m still not entirely used to being glasses-free because I wore them for more than half my life.
I still catch myself trying to push up my glasses sometimes just to find that there’s nothing there. People are like ‘why are you pushing your skin up your face?’
6) Working on SEO
I’ve been putting off working on SEO because I thought it was one of the toughest things about being a blogger. It’s not. It is harder in the sense because there are a lot of factors to consider but it’s doable.
I wish I told my younger self that there’s nothing to be afraid of and to face the situation head-on.
Maybe my blog could have gotten more views if I started writing SEO-friendly articles when I first started my blog. I try not to go down that route because I can’t turn back time. There is nothing I can do about it now.
I did work on my blog quite a bit this year. My goal for 2021 was to consistently publish a post every week and I can proudly say I have accomplished this. I don’t want to be too hard on myself for not doing more on my blog because I could have had blogger burnout.
I did a lot this year and that’s what I should focus on for this reflection post.
7) People Close to You Can Push Your Buttons
I’ve talked about living with my parents a lot this year because that’s a huge change from how my living situation was for years. There’s a lot of reflection on my part.
When you’re living with someone, you see them a lot. You’re bound to get annoyed with each other. This happens with friends or family. You know how to push each other’s buttons because you know each other too well.
If anything, it shows me just how important personal space is. I’m someone that needs a lot of alone time to recharge. When that doesn’t happen, I can get really moody.
When I start to get triggered by little things, there’s an alarm bell in the back of my head that it’s too much time with people.
I was in reflection this one time and asked myself why am I being snappy? Whatever it was, I remember it not even being a big deal. After thinking about it carefully, I realized that I needed some alone time.
2021 was when I became really aware of this.
Final Notes on 2021 Reflection
December is one of my favourite months of the year because it’s Christmas! It’s one of the best holidays because of the vibe, the weather, and Christmas presents!
But it also means that January is coming soon which means another year, another chapter.
I’m looking forward to 2022. I can’t put my finger on it but for some reason, I think that next year will be a special year. I’ll be writing another New Year’s resolution post soon. Stay tuned!
Now to You – 2021 Reflection
Do you like to sit down at the end of the year for some reflection? What’s the most memorable thing that happened to you this year?
Xoxo,
Nicole