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Upon reflection, 2023 was a pretty great year. Yes, there was some incredibly hard moments – we had a miscarriage, Edd started a new job that meant many days of solo parenting for me, I went through some tricky stuff at work and felt very lonely on quite a few days.
But! There was also so so much good. Here is a list of some things that made 2023 year a rather happy one.
I joined a small group.
My parents are part of a church in Basel and early in 2023 they invited me to come along to their small group. Those bi-weekly meetings quickly became some of my favourite evenings on the calendar. I made some great friends and we always shared delicious food and inspiring conversations.
Our balcony.
Ober the last few days I looked through all of my photos from 2023. The majority of them were of my daughter but our balcony and views from it were also featured a lot. I always dreamed of having a balcony, stepping out there first thing for a breath of fresh air or a cup of tea just sounded so dreamy. And it really is! I spent many lunch breaks out there, read and knitted and waved to friends and strangers together with SJ. And admired many sunsets and sunrises!
Gardening.
Honestly, this was a mixed bag in some ways. I am good at projects that require me to work consistently over a fixed period of time. However, a garden ebbs and flows. There are some very heavy-duty seasons and then times with not so much to do. And there are different tasks required at different times. Honestly, without receiving prompts and assistance from my mother to fertilise or cut back some plants the garden would have turned out much worse. So, it was a challenge! But picking and eating our own tomatoes is just so so rewarding.
My 100 Day Project.
I have mentioned this a few times in my posts lately- blogging daily for 100 consecutive days was a big highlight. It made me feel connected to myself and to people. I really didn’t believe that I would stick with it when I started and it was such a confidence boost to have managed it.
Going to playgrounds.
I have quite a few friends who do not necessarily love taking their kids to the playground. However, I absolutely love it. Especially during the warmer months.
Being outside puts both me and SJ in a great mood. Most of the time there are other kids and parents to chat to and play with. And I am constantly amazed about how quickly children learn new skills. Suddenly she can climb up the ladder to the slide all by herself. She digs holes and goes on the big girl swing. It’s so fun and quite exciting.
Sourdough.
I know, I am a bit late to this trend. Like everyone else I also had a sourdough starter on the go during Covid but it got mouldy and that was it. However, this year I tried a number of different sourdough recipes and have become a big fan! Right now, I am making a loaf of sourdough bread almost every week. (In case you are interested, I loosely follow this recipe. I use wholemeal spelt flour and don’t do all of the folds and skip the pre-shape. It still turns out great every time!)
Learning to make the most out of the margins of motherhood.
One thing I miss from before having children is hours of uninterrupted time to myself. I used to love getting up early and spending an hour doing yoga and reading the Bible. Or having a whole weekend of sewing. Or just walking to a coffee shop and then read there for two hours or journal.
Free time is very different now. As long as I am not cooking, washing or cleaning at the same time, I don’t really consider time with my child as work. However, it’s not free time either. I am responsible for her safety, need to make sure she is eating and drinking and help her to use the bathroom. On top of that, I want to engage her in stimulating tasks and provide support when she is navigating emotions. I plan playdates and pack snacks and organise Christmas presents for nursery staff.
It’s kind of full on. But there are pockets of time I can utilise to do things that bring me joy and recharge me. In the mornings, I do my skincare routine while she drinks a bottle of milk. I knit while she makes snails out of play-dough. While I wait for her to fall asleep I read. I write when she naps.
Of course, I often also fill this time with scrolling on my phone or doing chores. But in 2023 I have been very deliberate about doing something fun for myself every day. Even if it is just for five minutes.
My family.
Moving back to my hometown after 10 years in 2021 has been one of the best decisions we ever made. I love seeing my parents, brother, sister in law and my nephews on a weekly basis. SJ adores them all and seeing them love her warms my heart. My parents are so supportive and also some of my best friends. They are wise and smart, creative and really funny.
The local swimming pools.
They probably make my year every year but spending our days at the outdoor pool in the summer is just one of my all-time favourite things. I already loved coming here as a child and now bringing my own daughter is just so special.
It’s a very different vibe but I also love the indoor pool in the winter. I feel so good and cozy having swam some lengths and then being freshly showered and either ready for the day or for bed. Also, after a while you keep meeting the same people and it’s quite a friendly little community. One of the things I enjoy very much about village life.
Travelling.
We did a fair bit of traveling this year. Three visits to the UK, a week in Portugal, a couple of days in Northern Germany seeing some of my relatives and a short solo-trip to Berlin.
To be honest, I find travelling much more exhausting than I used to and after a week away I am so ready to be back in my normal routine and own bed. However, the trips we took this year were all pretty special and I am so glad we could take them.
Pregnancy.
My body doesn’t necessarily like carrying an extra 10 kilograms around but feeling a human being grow inside of me is one of the wildest and most amazing things I have ever experienced.
So yeah! It has been a pretty special year. I can’t wait to see what 2024 will bring!
This post is day 11 of my 12 days of blogmas challenge. You can learn more about it here.
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