2022 Highs/Lows

[dove]

As the year quickly closes, what’s your high/low of the year?

I had a pretty uneventful year, as in no real peak high/low. Lots of smaller ebbs/flows.

High: Moving closer to family and selling our home at full asking price in 12 hours
Low: buying in that same market 😖 at the peak of crazy.

Not that I have buyers/movers regret, I am having a hard time adjusting here. I had built community and had just finished remodeling my home when we moved. Now I am back in a fixer upper, feel lonely, being closer to family = more family obligations which is stressful for me. The past 8+ years we were out of state and could easily pass on events/get togethers. 

ETA - thought of another high. Took an amazing trip to the Cayman Islands. I am in the best shape of my life, biking up to 50 miles and consistently doing Pilates training. I have abs! For the first time in 40+ years I can see the outline of my abs

[wanderingback]

High- having an easy pregnancy, uncomplicated unmedicated vaginal delivery and healthy daughter

Low- ongoing construction project at our row house with a horrible contractor that is costing us 50k+ and it seems like it’s never going to end, already 3 months over schedule, not sure what we’re going to do….

Thankfully that’s the only low and am grateful for the overall health and well-being of myself and my family and friends

[konapoppy]

Highs
- Disneyland a few times - the girls are at a perfect age
- Hawaii
- My husband getting a CPAP
- Kids starting elementary school and getting into aftercare
- Great year at work and a promotion

Lows
- My sister exploding at me and being incredibly hurtful
- Thanksgiving and Christmas plans being ruined by a combination of illness, my parents’ international travel, and my sister
- Husband health diagnoses
- Just endless illnesses this fall

[abs]

2022 was a pretty shit year. I’m so looking forward to a fresh start in 2023.

Highs: Crossed an item off my bucket list and got to see Alaska. It was beautiful and we all had a great time. Feels like my marriage is stronger than the last couple of years. DD is thriving in middle school.

Lows: So many health issues. Trying to manage my RA in a way where I can do things I love without causing a flare. Had a stress fracture in my foot at the end of the year that sucked. Aging parents issues. Money is tighter than ever.

[Patsy Baloney]

Highs - betting on myself and getting a new job. At the time, it was a 49-ish% increase in pay. After 10 months, I’ve now doubled my take-home pay. The environment is a little toxic, and I don’t love what I do (I never will) but I’m really proud of my contributions to our family $$$. It has allowed us to take some nice trips, do some fun things, and I haven’t sacrificed my availability to them.

Both my H and my daughter have struggled with mental health this year and I’m so proud and happy for them that they’re both working hard and are finishing the year feeling and living so much better and healthier.

My son started preschool and has managed to hide the absolute goblin he is and not get kicked out.

Low - so much illness this year. Thankfully, nothing rest, relaxation, antibiotics and antivirals couldn’t handle, but I’m hoping for a healthier 2023.

[skidunks]

Highs: DS1 starting high school
-my parents retirement
-finally getting my weight down after a few years of consistent gain
-a wonderful trip to Hawaii
-really good time with my family for the holidays

Lows: a lot of health issues for me, DH and the boys, nothing major but it affected a lot of things we had planned
-I over extended myself this fall, making myself sick, taking on things to make life “easier” for others but to the detriment of my own mental health
-it was a hard year for DH with work. He worked harder and made less so that sucked.
-we decided to move DS1 to a different orthodontist after 2.5 years of treatment, so the drama that followed that switch has been crappy

[lilypad1126]

Highs: work is going well, I got a good raise and a decent bonus. I’ve made some really good friends and am feeling settled after moving summer of 2021. I trained for and ran a marathon. I took some steps to get a health issue under control.

Lows: my H has had a tough year with back issues which has really thrown a wrench in some plans. Not to mention, he was in near constant pain for most of 2022. My health issue was an annoying thing to deal with most days. I got Covid in November which laid me up for a couple weeks.

I’m hoping for a smooth transition into 2023. While 2022 wasn’t terrible here, I hope for a better 2023!

[quesyrah]

Highs- took the kids to Disney World for the first time and it was everything I hoped it would be and more. DH got a new position at work that has significantly improved his happiness and work/life balance. The 45% pay increase wasn’t to shabby either! He has also received a bonus and 3 raises since then which brings the pay increase to around 75%.


Lows: Both of my parents dying 3 months apart (not Covid related).

[sequins]

It was an insane year and hoping for a quieter but still successful year for 2023.

Highs -
passed my clinical licensing exams. The exams shaved 5 years of my life for sure.
passed my qualifying exam and advanced to candidacy for the PhD
was invited to give a talk at a very prestigious conference
submitted my first NIH grant proposal
went to Hawaii for the first time
went to my first concert
went to 2 national parks
best year of marriage so far
went on hormonal birth control and lived for 6 whole months without battling with my period/pms/migraines/back pain etc. it was glorious

Lows
My brother broke up with his fiance. Not sad about it, she was toxic but sad for my brother who gave it his all.
Had pretty high anxiety almost all year. Not surprising, if you see the list above but still, it sucked
Aging parents and living in different countries continue to be hard as heck

[thebreakfastclub]

Highs:
Negotiated myself $25K raise on top of a $10K adjustment in Fall 2021
Went for a director promotion in a book of business that I didn't want, but wanted to do well in the interviews. That's exactly what happened, as I came a strong second and got to show what I can do without having to take the sucky open job.
Continued progress on my strength training journey.
My son did well in school and has lots of friends.
Enjoyed our summer vacation and various low key activities.
Zero sick days in my household.

I really didn't have any lows, it was pretty low key.

I'm excited to kick of 2023 with a trip overseas in 2 weeks to visit some family.

[isabel]

Highs:
-We bought property in a local ski town and are looking forward to building on it in 2024.
-DH started individual therapy and we started couples therapy. I am feeling much more optimistic about our relationship than I have for the last couple of years.
-DS2 started kindergarten! No more daycare.
-Financially we’re doing really well and that’s very freeing.

Lows:
-DH’s grandpa died in November.
-The first half of the year was really hard in terms of our relationship and I honestly felt like we were close to divorce.

[flygirl]

Highs-went to Europe for 2 weeks and had a wonderful time
-got Covid and thought it was allergies so not severe
 
Definitely a lot of lows in 2022 (I’ll just list the big one)
-my aunt, who was like a mother passed away shortly after a cancer diagnosis
-her niece and nephews (actually one in particular) are greedy jerks

[NewOrleans]

Just here in to congratulate everyone on their highs! May these highs make the lows more gentle. ☺️💫

[fernweh]

Highs:
H started a new job which had a trickle down effect and created so many highs-
1. He is much happier at work so doesn’t bring home the negative energy which has translated to me being much happier/my anxiety being lower around H which of course has had many positive effects on our marriage.
2. He had to do a sleep study since he drives for work now, which lead to him being diagnosed with sleep apnea and getting in CPAP has helped his health in a lot of ways
3. Because I was having many similar health struggles that he was having he suggested I have a sleep study done which lead to me getting diagnosed with sleep apnea as well. My CPAP was delivered today so hopefully it helps me as much as it has helped him

I started a new internal job in January which has come with more money and better work/life balance

Lows:
My new job isn’t want I was expecting and while it is overall better it is not what I was expecting and I have been disengaged

We finally were able to take a trip that was canceled in 2020. It was intentional and the company we booked it through was not based on US. They wouldn’t give us a refund only a credit. When we rebooked I feel like they took advantage of us because ‘ prices increased’ so we had to pay an additional 50% of the original cost but since we had thousands tied up we weren’t going to walk away and they knew it. The trip overall was fun but underwhelming and I don’t think they did a good job planning the logistics

My unexplained health issues noted above- which i hopefully have an explanation for now and an extremely unhelpful doctor (guess I will be looking for a new one in 2023)

[Patsy Baloney]

Here to celebrate the CPAP machines of 2022 🥳🥳🥳

If you’re the wearer, enjoy your snooze. If you’re the bed sharer, enjoy no longer needing to smother your spouse. Life changers!

[wanderlustmom]

Thinking of everyone and hope 2023 is a good year for all of us!

Highs
My teen and I both started taking Lexapro within the same month and it’s been a tremendous help for both of our anxiety. The best thing is he is okay.
I worked out every day this last year and I got better in tennis and yoga.
None of the four of us got sick this past year not even a cold and no sports injuries.
I found a good medicine for my blood pressure.
We took good vacations including Panama.
My husband is about to retire and he’s excited.
I had a strong year in my private practice.
I feel good socially and I’ve been reading a lot.

Lows
I’m still doing a lot of grieving for my mom.
My clothes are tight and I haven’t been eating healthy enough.
Our son’s anxiety is much better but he’s still not putting himself out there enough socially.

[HRH Queen Dick I, Orphan]

Low - Found out Santa isn't real.

[Jalapeñomel]

Well this week has been full of shit so far between the power outage, broken fridge, food poisoning, and now a $2100 electric bill. What else ya got 2022??

[heygrey]

I haven't had any high highs or low lows this year, and I'm pretty thankful for that. We're ending the year employed, in good health, and happy relationships.

We were able to travel as a family again this year for the first time since 2019 and that was lovely. Just driving trips, but so nice to get out and explore new places.

The lows were more in my extended family - both of my grandparents passed 8 weeks apart, a couple scary diagnoses, and then my uncle's emergency surgery early this morning. This is the first year that I've really wished we lived closer so I could share the load with my family and be there to support them in person more often.

[rosiebear]

Highs, in no particular order:
Trip to Ireland with my H
Tried standup and actually booked a couple of spots
Son graduated college and found a good job
Marriage still strong and wonderful
Daughter exploring the world on her own and maintaining mental health while meeting big challenges

Lows:
Sister’s struggles with alcoholism
Planned construction on home delayed to spring
Daughter gives Dad daily calls & multiple messages; ignores me 80% of the time (I am trying to come to terms with this and cheer on their close relationship, but goddamn it is painful most of the time)
Dogs getting older

[TR]

Highs: Got the new position I wanted at work and have been getting good feedback about my work.

Making new friends. We started doing monthly dinners with a group of 3 other couples and it’s been so nice having more local friends.

Lows: Finding out both H and I have been walking on eggshells around each other and neither knew the other was. We’re on a waitlist for counseling which I’m hoping will be a 2023 high.

Not traveling as much as I’d like/we used to due to H’s financial anxiety around starting his own company and doing that full time.

[abs]

Dec 27, 2022 12:23:14 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

Well this week has been full of shit so far between the power outage, broken fridge, food poisoning, and now a $2100 electric bill. What else ya got 2022??

Holy shit. I’m very sorry.

[ssmjlm]

Highs:
Trip to Universal, it was the best vacation we've probably ever had
My kid coming into herself, she just keeps getting better
My parents health - while my dad is having some stuff that they are watching, they don't have any mobility issues, aren't on any blood pressure or cholesterol meds. My dad does 2 mile walks daily.

Lows:
DH and I butted heads a lot - we're almost too alike and it leads to communication breakdowns
Work is hard for both of us and we're both working to make a change, but being picky about where to go next

[Scout'sHonor]

Highs:
Trips to both Disneyland & Disney World and WV to see my brother
Kiddo is getting so smart, it's amazing to watch her grow
I found a new hobby group that has been great to get me out of the house by myself
H found a new job towards the end of the year that significantly decreased the household stress

Lows:
H's mental health struggle bc of his previous job
My work performance was awful bc of all the personal stress at home
My mom seem content to wither away and not to do anything to help herself

[macmars45]

Highs:

-DS got to finally receive OT (after waiting for more than a year)

-I had a great time subbing this past fall

-H got a significant raise and has been getting better at leaving work unfinished

-I started lexapro which has been life changing for me

-DS has been getting better at advocating for his own needs at school & at home

Lows:

-lots of sickness for DS

-doozy of a cold for the entire family this month; it knocked us all done

-DS has been struggling to learn to read

-H and I still have 0 friends in this city

-we hosted a party in July for friends from the Seattle area to come see u/our houses (2.5 hours away from current city) and very few came

-we got a cat after 1y2m of being pet free and found our DS is now allergic so we had to re-home her (he wasn't allergic for the first 5 years of his life)

-DS is allergic to lots of things outside so will need to take allergy meds for 9 months of the year now

-my dad had a big health scare which included heart surgery over the summer

[newnamesameperson]

Highs:
Our vacations were so special
H promotions and their positive financial impact
My friendships

Lows:
H and I not being on the same page and him placating me
Anxiety, but I think I have it under control

I’m thankful for so much and yet so desperate for positive changes…mainly all relating to DH.

[gretchenindisguise]

Dec 27, 2022 12:23:14 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

Well this week has been full of shit so far between the power outage, broken fridge, food poisoning, and now a $2100 electric bill. What else ya got 2022??

Holy cow. How?!

[glitzy07]

Highs:
- A few changes in our financial situation have really helped me feel more stable/comfortable this year, including a new job for me and no longer using before/after care for the kids this year.
- Finding new ways to bond with my boys over our shared interests, specifically hockey. We've been able to take the boys to a few NHL games this year and got to see immense joy on my 9yo's face when his favorite player threw him a signed puck at one of the games.
- H and I took our first trip alone together in a while and we explored a new city and got to see one of my favorite bands come back together for a reunion concert in October.

Lows:
- My dad passed away unexpectedly around Halloween
- My anxiety has definitely ramped up since my dad passed, but has existed all along. Working through solutions for that in 2023.

[jinkies]

Highs:
I had a great work trip where I got to meet people for the first time after working together for 3 years

My son is finally starting to have good friendships, and seems to just be coming into his own in general



Lows:
My relationship with my parents is not good

My relationship with my tween daughter (hoping she comes back to me someday, but I'm honestly not sure if we'll ever be close which makes me sad)

We are very close to needing to re-home our cat which is devastating to me but she's not leaving us much choice

[gretchenindisguise]

High
- L's anxiety and adhd finally seem well managed.
- Our careers seem to be doing ok
- We ended the year in a really good place in our marriage, which is nice
- We did trips to Alaska and NYC that were spectacular

Low
- Generalized worry about A's eyes
- FIL dying and not having a will - we are spending our bonuses on cleaning up the mess