I still can’t believe it’s already 2022. 2021 was another rough year. Japan was under a state of emergency for a very long time, and I don’t remember much from earlier in the year. But life was still going on, and some significant events happened that impacted my life. So here is the note for myself to remember what 2021 was like.
- Becoming an apartment owner: Since the pandemic, I started to think about my future savings. I don’t want to depend on pensions in Japan, and the pandemic pushed me to take action. So, I bought an apartment room in Tokyo for real estate investment purposes. It’s not like other investments I have done because it’s a lot of money. Marking the decision to do this felt adulting.
- Getting divorced: Getting married didn’t make me feel like an adult, but getting divorced sure did! We separated in 2020, and it took us some time to turn in the paperwork. We ended the relationship on good terms, and we are still good friends. One of the hardest things about this experience was not the act of getting divorced itself but telling people about it. Even though I’m OK with the situation, getting divorced is considered a negative thing, and people just jump to their own conclusions and say, “OMG ARE YOU OK? DO YOU NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT?!” I just want to laugh at this reaction by now. I’m doing good, friends! Please don’t assume the worst, and you can say, “Congratulations” instead. The first time someone said that to me, I was surprised, but it was the best reaction I got. It really made me feel good about the decision. We are both in better places, and it’s a positive thing.
- Broadway musicals: If you know me well, you know I love musicals, and it was a big musical year for me. People spent their time differently during the pandemic, and for me, I spent my time watching and listening to more musicals. I even went to New York for the reopening in September! My life basically peaked when I saw Lin-Manuel Miranda and casts of Hamilton and Lion King performing “New York New York.” With “Tick Tick… Boom!” and so many musicals adapted to movies, musicals seemed like it was more vital than ever. They brought me so much joy in 2021. (In case you were wondering, I saw “Hamilton,” “American Utopia,” and “Hadestown,” and they were all breathtaking!) Some shows are closing again, but I hope they will be back all healthy and live.
- Journaling & 750 words: My journaling habit comes and goes, and I wanted to make sure it actually sticks in 2021. I started journaling again in April, and I have been doing so every night before bed! I like having a little reflecting time at night and just letting out my feelings and thoughts of the day. I also started to write on 750words.com in December. I love the website, and I’m excited to wake up to write. I write about the shows I watched, random stories, how I felt about the book I read or just my feelings. Since my friend told me about it, I’ve been writing every morning. I hope I can keep up with these morning and night rituals in 2022.
- Leaving my dream job: I left my dream job at BuzzFeed in December. I can talk forever about how grateful I am to work for the company that gave me so many opportunities and to be able to work with tremendously talented people. The last 5.5 years have been the best years of my life (for now!) The experience was so much more than I dreamed. It was like a movie. I always had someone to lean on for any projects I was working on. Everyone worked hard with respect; they were really good at finding people’s quality. They made me so special. I learned so much from my bosses, colleagues, and the content we created. This job taught me a lot, and I will cherish my time with them forever.
2021 finally started to bring hope to the pandemic. Of course, we don’t know how long it will take to actually go back to “normal,” whatever that means. It will be a challenging year for me but I’m very excited about new beginnings. I hope the world will be a better place in 2022!
