Last year was a whirlwind but in the best way. I felt like this was the first year where everything was truly getting back to normal post-COVID and it was great. So without further ado, I am going to share all the things I’ve done in 2022! Beware the post is going to be very long so buckle in and grab a snack lol.

The year started out with me celebrating with friends. We all gathered at Megan’s house and just chilled out. I remember we were playing an escape room board game thing and we hadn’t finished it by midnight so we had a little break for the countdown before getting back into it. I also remember not sleeping that well that night and then watching a lot of Gilmore Girls. So overall a good start to the year lol.

January was also exciting house-wise, as my boyfriend and I were looking at new kitchens because B&Q were having a sale. We had had our eye on this one kitchen in B&Q since we bought our house and knew we wanted to redo the kitchen so we were looking at getting that. We had a few appointments at B&Q to map everything out, and I mocked it up in the Sims to help visualise too because that’s how professionals do it lol. But yeah we got everything sorted and ordered by the end of the month. This made me feel good about the direction of our house because I know we hadn’t made any progress in a while but this was a big step.

Also in January, my boyfriend and I had a wedding to go to. I remember being nervous about this one because I didn’t know any of the people there, and neither did my boyfriend really lol. His work colleague was getting married and we were invited but that was the only person he knew. Thankfully,. the groom’s friends were really nice so we got chatting with them otherwise it would’ve been way worse. But it was a nice wedding and an excuse to dress up.

As always with February, there is not much to report. It’s a short month, things don’t really happen. I think this was around the time I was really into Pokemon Arceus, I remember my friends Jasmine and Nathan getting it and me feeling left out so I decided to buy it. I don’t have any regrets about buying it because I did really enjoy it. I don’t remember exactly when I stopped playing though I know I didn’t complete it. Though realistically I don’t remember the last time I got to the end of a Pokemon game lol I think I need to stop buying them until I complete them but it was still fun to play.

I also had three drag shows in February, which is the most shows I’ve had in a long time. From what I remember they were all really good, it was Rose, Gottmik and Ella V’aday. I think I was just glad they all went ahead and weren’t rescheduled again because everything kept getting rescheduled over COVID.

At the beginning of March my boyfriend and I attended another wedding, this time it was one of his friends getting married so at least we knew people at the wedding and they were our age haha. It is kind of weird to attend a wedding when it’s people your own age getting married, I suppose because I still don’t feel like we are at an age when people get married but I guess we are lol. It was a good wedding though, and the venue was very pretty.

The week after that, I had plans to go see Everybody’s Talking About Jamie with my friends because the Grand Opera House was doing a deal of two-for-one theatre tickets. Unfortunately, one of my friends got COVID and wasn’t able to make it and so one of the tickets went to waste. But Jasmine and I still went to the show and I enjoyed it a lot. I wasn’t sold on the musical when I first heard it and watched the movie but seeing the actual stage show really sold it for me. I now listen to the title song all the time and it’s great.

Also in March, I had a cute date day with my boyfriend, those are always nice days to have. We went axe throwing haha which was actually kind of difficult. I mean you’d think you can just throw it and hope for the best but there was actually a technique to it. It was a lot of fun though and definitely something we will do again in the future.

Then, at the end of the month, I went to a wedding fair with my friends. My friend Jasmine is getting married this year and she wanted to get ideas for vendors etc. It was the first time I had ever been to something like that before because when would you ever go to a wedding fair unless you’re getting married? But it was a fun day, it just made me excited for Jasmine’s wedding and I can’t wait to see how the actual day turns out.

This brings us to April when I finally thought I had found a driving instructor. I had one lesson with them and they just explained how they worked and everything and it sounded great. But then a week later they messaged to say that for personal reasons they couldn’t take me on anymore. Naturally, this was disappointing but it’s the kind of thing you can’t predict or expect. So I had to go on the hunt for another driving instructor, and everyone still had waiting lists so it was going to be another few months before I made any progress on the driving front.

I also think April might have been the first month where I was going back to the office on a regular basis? It could have been March I’m not entirely sure but I started going back to the office this year. It was kind of weird going back since when I was in the office pre-pandemic I was on a different team in a different department lol. But I settled in quite well with the new team in person and everything so that was nice. It makes coming into the office less depressing when you are in with other people and can have a good time with them.

April was also the first time I ever went to the gym and the last month I was there I think lol. My boyfriend and I had talked about starting the gym for ages and then we finally did in April and went a handful of times. It was fine, I didn’t have anything against it, I was just mainly concerned I’d have no idea what I was doing and people would judge me. But actually going there and working out was fine. The reason we stopped going to the gym is that my boyfriend wanted to focus on the house and I got busy with doing other things. I mean I know I could have kept going to the gym by myself, but because I can’t drive it was going to be more awkward to do it because I would need a lift there and back etc. So we decided to put the gym membership on hold. Will we ever get back? I guess we’ll see what 2023 has in store for us.

Lastly, in April, I went to the All-Ireland Pole Championships with Jasmine. It was a fun night to get glam and see some cool pole dancers. Though honestly, not sure if it is because of how pole trends were this year but I felt like all the performances lacked something for me. Maybe it was because I couldn’t see all the floor work or something but I feel like the first time I went to the competition I was blown away by everyone, whereas this year everyone was still good but it was just okay? I don’t know, I guess it’s all down to everyone’s pole-style preference, but it was still a good night.

In May, I went on a spa weekend away with my mum. It was a Christmas present from me and my brother but he didn’t want to go with us. It was the first time I was ever going to a spa and it was wonderful. Honestly, when I saw everyone going on a spa weekend over COVID I thought it was overhyped, and I can see it being that way if you went a lot but I had a really good time. It was very chill and relaxed, which is exactly what you want for a spa weekend, we had a private hot tub, massages, drinks and dinner. It was great and definitely something I would do again.

Also in May, I went to Lisbon with the girls which was super fun. Though I feel like I have posted about that quite a lot on my blog already, so if you want to know more about my Lisbon adventures I can link you to a few places haha. It was the first proper holiday me and the girls went on as a group and it was wonderful. Plus it was a last-minute plan and we love when those come together.

In June I went to see Lawrence and Bimini, it was a drag show that had been rescheduled a few times and it was good to see them. It was a fun show and it was going to be my last drag show for a while. I hadn’t planned on it to be but other plans got in the way and so did COVID so I ended up missing quite a few of my scheduled shows this year. Still, glad I was able to enjoy this one as it was a good time.

A few days after Bimini and Lawrence, I went to see Kevin Hart in Belfast with my boyfriend. I was so happy to have gotten tickets to the show since Kevin Hart had been doing a bunch of shows in Belfast in preparation for his upcoming tour. This show though was part of the official tour and in a bigger venue so I managed to snag tickets. It was really good, I wasn’t sure what I was expecting from it but I enjoyed it.

Sadly after that June took a turn as I tested positive for COVID on my birthday. Nothing says mid-20s like getting ill on your birthday lol. I can’t say if I got it from my drag show or Kevin Hart but those were the last two big events I had before I got sick. So the second half of June was spent chilling out, watching a lot of Glee and playing Sims 3. Living my best life.

Thankfully, my illness wasn’t too bad and I was testing negative again after a week and a bit. I was raging I had gotten COVID though because I had avoided it for so long but these things happen. I’m just glad there haven’t been any long-term affects.

Another reason I am glad I recovered from COVID when I did is because I had tickets for me and my boyfriend to go to Cirque du Soleil in July. We were meant to go a couple years ago but it was another thing that got rescheduled because of COVID. It was a stressful day that day because we were going to Dublin but the traffic was bad because there were like 5 things on in Dublin that day and everyone was travelling down. Also, the tram wasn’t running to where we needed to go so we had to walk and I was worried we weren’t gonna make it on time. Thankfully though we made it to the show and it was super fun, I had never been to a Cirque du Soleil show before and it was really enjoyable so I would highly recommend.

At the end of July, I also started my proper driving lessons with my current instructor. Naturally, I was nervous about it considering my track record for driving instructors was not good. Thankfully, my instructor is really nice and we get along and the lessons are going well. I don’t really know what I would have done if I had to get another instructor lol probably given up hope of driving. It’s definitely not been all smooth sailing on the driving front but I’m closer to passing my test than I was this time last year so that’s a good sign.

In August, my pole teacher opened his own pole studio which was super exciting! I have been taking pole classes with the same teacher for five years, and when he announced he was opening his own studio of course I had to jump from the old studio to join him on his new journey. The new studio is super nice with high ceilings which means high poles, and more work to climb but it just means getting stronger as I reach the top!

I’ve actually been making really good pole progress over the last year and it’s crazy because the last couple of years I feel like progress wasn’t really happening due to inconsistent classes due to the pandemic. But now I’m back in a routine and can definitely see an improvement.

Along with moving pole studios, I also attended a couple of workshops that my hoop studio was doing. Including one that was three hours long lol. I mean when I first decided to do it I thought it was going to be a challenge and I was correct. I headed to the studio straight after work and then proceeded to do one hour of pole, one hour of chair work and then also a bit of a twerk workshop thrown in at the end lol. It was so much work but a lot of fun, not as hard as I thought it was going to be since I made it to the end but it was wild. Would do it again but probably not for a long time.

Another workshop that we did was silks with hoop and I was obsessed with it if only because the moves we were doing were super pretty, there’s something about wrapping yourself in nice fabric that makes things look nicer than usual lol.

In August, my boyfriend and I also went for a weekend away with all his friends to Enniskillen. It was a great weekend to get away because we were in the midst of a heatwave so there was lots of time spent outside sunbathing and chilling out. We held a game night which involved quiz questions and party games and went go-karting. There was a lot of chaos involved but that’s what happens when a group of 20 adults go on holiday lol. Still, it was nice to get away, even if it wasn’t a holiday abroad.

At the end of the month, my boyfriend and I went to go see Six in the Grand Opera House. I went last year with my niece but when I found out they were coming back I decided to get tickets for me and my boyfriend. He had never been to see anything in the Grand Opera House before and I just wanted to see Six again so off we went. Naturally, I enjoyed the show and it was a cute date night for us.

In September, I had my first-ever pole photoshoot. I saw it advertised online and thought it would be something fun to do. I also really wanted some nice pole photos because the only photos I have are years’ worth of video screenshots that I was lucky enough to get at a good angle lol. So now I have some pretty photos I can show people that don’t have anyone in the background or bad lighting. I learnt that day that pole photoshoots are a lot of work in terms of having the strength to hold a move long enough for photos as well as finding poses that will photograph well. Still, I am obsessed with the photos I was able to get and am looking forward to getting more in the future when I am stronger and can do cooler things.

September was also when I went to Comic Con Northern Ireland. It was my first ever Comic Con experience and it was a good time. I did make a separate blog post about that so won’t say much but I am looking forward to seeing what guests are announced for 2023! I haven’t decided for sure if I will go or not but if they get the right guests I’m sure I could be persuaded.

I think September was also when my Disney Dreamlight Valley obsession began, it was a game I decided to try out on a whim and once I started I couldn’t put it down. It even spawned the longest and most consistent Let’s Play I have ever had on my YouTube channel. That being said, there are two final episodes I filmed but have yet to edit and post but I am hoping to do it soon because I would like to get it wrapped up. I hate leaving things unfinished so even if the videos don’t come out months from now, just know I did film an ending and it’s coming lol.

In October, my boyfriend started work on our new kitchen which is exciting. It’s nice to have some house progress going, even if it’s been slow going a little progress is better than none. It was very noisy for a long time with all the construction going on but we now have a new functional kitchen! It’s not complete by any means, but we have a counter and cupboards and a functioning fridge, oven and stove so we can cook in it but not much else lol. There’s still a lot of work to go, but at least we got the main things going for now. We did go through about 2 weeks of takeaway and while that sounds great in theory, it was not good for my skin or my stomach in the long run.

Also in October, I hurt my ankle lol. Which is a random thing to note but it was the first big injury I have had in a while. I had gone over my ankle as I was coming down the stairs after pole class because I’m super clumsy. It was also embarrassing because I was walking out with people but at least they were able to help me back up and get me to the bus stop lol. It was sore for about two weeks afterwards which made activities such as pole and driving lessons difficult. Moreso pole than the driving lessons but it was fine. Not great but we dealt with it.

In November, I feel like I was busy a lot just in general because I had lots of dentist and doctor appointments. Nothing super exciting about that but I guess it’s just life. I was having a lot of dentist appointments because I am planning to get Invisalign so I’ve been to the doctor more in the last 3 months than I have in the last 3 years lol. Hopefully, it all pays off in the end and I come out with straight teeth. I haven’t even got the retainers yet but have just been doing prep work so hopefully, that’ll kick off soon.

Aside from that the only other big event in November was Liverpool Comic Con. It is where all my fangirl dreams come true because I got to meet the Cullens, the Salvatore brothers and Chad Michael Murray. I have to say though I was not as excited as I thought I would have been? I guess my main fangirl days are behind me which is sad but I’m still glad I went because I know it meant a lot to my younger self. Plus you know when would I ever get the opportunity to see all these people in one place again. If you want to know more about my Comic Con Liverpool journey then check out this blog post.

December is supposed to be a month for winding down and relaxing and while that may be the case for some, it was not for me lol. I feel like I was always doing things leading up to Christmas, meeting friends or hanging out with work ones etc. There was always something.

At the start of December, I had a flying pole workshop, which is something I always wanted to try and thought it looked cool. Basically for flying pole, the pole is only attached to the ceiling and the bottom is free so you’re just swinging around on a very mobile pole. It was a fun workshop and everything was going really well until I fell lol. I mean most things go well until you fall.

The fall was quite a bad one considering I was injured for a while after that. Nothing super crazy like I didn’t have to go to the hospital or anything but it was a painful fall. And it’s probably my first big pole injury since starting pole fitness classes a few years ago so I mean I pride myself in being able to say I’ve gone this long without seriously injuring myself lol. But yeah, I basically landed on my ass and the impact was harsh so I was sore for a while. Didn’t affect day-to-day life too much but I definitely had to take it easy at aerial classes for the rest of December.

Also in December, I did get sick which is not surprising considering I was doing a lot of socialising. And I feel like since COVID everyone has started to get sick again like even with the cold, it’s very easy to pick things up. I suppose it was bound to happen when all the mask-wearing and things stopped. But still, not great. I had a cold for like two weeks and it was not my fave. Though it does fall in line with the pattern of me getting sick once a year, I guess technically this year I was sick twice but that’s better than being sick 24/7. Though ideally, we would avoid being sick altogether.

But yeah, Christmas was pretty quiet this year, I feel like as everyone gets older there’s less chaos going on with presents and toys etc. But it was good to spend a few days with family since I hadn’t seen them in a while. In all my efforts to try and see people more this year I feel like I still didn’t see family as much as I would have liked, so still something to work on in the new year.

And finally, the last big event I had of the year was a drag queen show between Christmas and New Year’s. It was my first show since Bimini and Lawrence back in June so it was good to get out to a show again. Though they haven’t really been announcing drag shows recently which is weird since for the last few years I feel like they were going non-stop. Even with a pandemic, they were still doing their best to bring the best of the best to Belfast.

Still, can’t complain I guess it gives me the opportunity to do other things and also saves some money in my bank account. I do enjoy a good drag show but I also feel like since I’ve been to so many now that I don’t need to go to every single one. So we’ll see what directions the shows take next year and if I’ll be going to them or not.

The show I went to in December was Danny Beard and Cheddar Gorgeous and they were both fabulous performers. I knew I was going to get a good show from them after Drag Race UK and they did not disappoint. And I think it was a fun way to wrap up 2022.

And that brings us to the end of another wild ride of a year! And I guess into the first month of 2023. I had planned to write this blog post sooner but time just got away from me. Maybe for 2023, I will write month by month so it’s a lot easier to compile in the end lol. But still, thanks for sticking with me this long if you did.

January is over and I gotta say I have done very little. Which is fine, I mean I needed some chill time after last year being so busy. That’s not to say this year won’t be equally as busy once we get things going but it would be nice to take more time to rest in between activities. If there’s anything I got of 2022 it was that sometimes it’s okay to say no to things and take a break. But at the same time, I liked being busy so we need to find a balance lol.

Aside from that, I am sending good vibes into the new year as always. Hoping everyone has a good one this year because I feel everyone deserves a good year after the last few pandemic-ridden ones. Not sure exactly what the next year holds for me but I know there are exciting things coming up so we’ll see where it takes us. And I look forward to recounting all the tales and adventures right back here in 2024! See you then!