I was thinking about 2022 and allowing myself the indulgence of reminiscing on the year today. I saw other people all week posting their year-end compilations—all the articles they got published this year, their massive and tangible accomplishments and life milestones—and briefly, I fell into my worst tendency, comparing myself to other people, and suddenly felt as though I had nothing to show for myself over the past year. Was 2022 a year that I let wash over me? I worried. Not really, it turns out.
Freelancing, or not doing it
I will acknowledge that I hardly freelanced this year—I think I had one journalism piece published all year, but I also really didn’t try to freelance in 2022, preferring instead to sink myself into the hard boundaries of a 9-to-5 day job, instead of letting myself work anywhere from 1 to 5 extra hours a night on top of that. Until recently I had a contract with Medium, and I’ve maintained this newsletter, so I have outlets in which to write whenever I’ve wanted to. When I initially first started working full-time again in April 2020 I didn’t scale back any of my freelance work. I reasoned that it’s not like there was anything else to do, anywhere to go or anyone to see back then, and I was spending all my time at home anyway. So all my free time became devoted to my freelance work that year, and I burned out quickly. I scaled back a bit in 2021, and then this year, as the world more or less fully reopened and returned to some sort of state of pre-pandemic normalcy, I decided I wanted to be part of it, and so I threw myself into my friendships and my relationship and everything good about life I had been holding back on instead of freelancing too much or working too hard on writing projects. I don’t think I’ll ever regret it. The thing about freelancing that is true for me and probably for a lot of other people is that I can always come back to it. My writing is no less valuable if I take a year or two off and then start talking to editors again.
Finding a home
Somehow in spite of the fact that I barely wrote anything this year, one blog I did write was about my apartment search. I then went on NPR Marketplace this year to talk about the hell that was finding an apartment to rent in New York City. I did find an apartment, though, and it’s rent-stabilized and has two bedrooms and a standalone kitchen—all my requirements met, somehow, in the neighborhood I wanted to be in. DID finding this apartment give me a mental breakdown? Yes, but I hardly see how that’s relevant. When I think back to being 16 and wanting to be a famous writer living in New York City one day, I don’t think I ever saw it materializing because I couldn’t imagine the unfathomable cost of actually eking out a life here. I did do it this year, though (citation still needed for the “famous writer” portion of that life goal), which both feels like the most banal thing ever and also a cool, huge personal achievement.
Pivots
This year I once again pivoted careers—from startups to VC, the other side of the funding equation. I also spoke to, by my own count, 39 people who wanted to leave journalism in pursuit of other careers in other industries. I wrote about this a few weeks ago, but I’ve had this little pro bono passion project since 2020, helping people navigate their options and explore new career trajectories, and selfishly, these conversations always leave me feeling invigorated and energized, and I hope at a minimum the people I speak with leave feeling the same. I have a full roster for January and February next year—I’m excited to meet with more folks and help them reach their career goals.
Some other things I did this year, in no particular order:
Fought my apartment mice (and won) (this was mentally taxing, don’t recommend)
Took an old landlord to court (and won) (this was mentally taxing, do recommend)
Got my ears pierced lmao
Strengthened my relationship, celebrated two years with Chase
Had a shrimp cocktail ice luge at my 30th birthday party (incredible plus-up, and a lot of logistics work I don’t wish to repeat in subsequent birthday years, particularly in muggy August heat)
Started taking SSRIs and seeing a psych specializing in anxiety
Went to Denmark twice for work
Got laid off lol. I never talked about this when it happened but when I got laid off my manager started the conversation by saying “Hey Maya, this really sucks for me but—” and then continuing to break the news to me that I was laid off. I am sorry it sucked for him. It also sucked for me, the person being laid off. I strongly recommend not having a layoff conversation this way
Got a new job a few weeks later
Superlatives
Best concert: mewithoutYou farewell show, Kevin Devine opener, Philadelphia, August, 19, 2022. 2009 me who listened to a lot of weird Christian alternative music was very into this. Also it was in Philly and I had the best time going with Julian, who let me drag her around Fishtown for breakfast.
Best restaurant meal: Tanoreen in Bay Ridge. I dream of the baked kafta tahini, hummus and fetti every single day. I could drink their tahini sauce.
Best dish I made at home: Crab rangoon-stuffed squash blossoms. Why did I do this on the hottest weekend of June? I don’t know, but I’m glad I did.
Best trip I took: We went to St. Petersburg and Tampa Florida for Jack and Kara’s wedding. Not a place I would ordinarily find myself otherwise, but I had an incredible time kayaking and seeing dolphins in the keys and going to a Tampa Bay Rowdies game, watching Tampa Bay’s minor league soccer team kick ass.
Best wedding performance: Stiff competition, but it was definitely watching Gabe sing “Smooth” by Carlos Santana featuring Rob Thomas to Jazmine at his own wedding with a full band while all our friends danced.
Best birthday party: Mine, sorry. Did I mention Julian and I had a shrimp cocktail ice luge there?
That’s all I’ve got for this year. See you guys in 2023!
Happy New Year to you and yours (including felines) Maya!... now I'm off to find some prawns, as we call shrimp down here in oz!
Tony B