My favorite things of 2022
2022 was a strange year; the word “coronavirus” was an afterthought, Russia invaded Ukraine, inflation hit an all-time high, and one of the most beloved household names, Will Smith, slapped a comedian on live TV. With many negative headlines, I thought I would share some highlights.
Here are just a few:
TV Show📺
Last summer we saw the end of an era: almost 15 years of the Breaking Bad universe. A crazy run as both of these shows are brilliant, and this last season was no different.
The best thing I can say about this season is that it raised the stakes significantly compared to the last five. You finally see the clear progression between Saul and Kim’s arch of playful deceiving people, gradually evolving into something much more dangerous; introducing some of those Breaking Bad life-or-death stressful situations. This all culminates in some of the tensest moments I’ve seen on TV. Specifically, that mid-season finale. It might have been the peak of the whole show.
Excellent conclusion to a fantastic series.
Thing I learned🍎
Happiness U curve for Life.
One of the most thought-provoking ideas from Psych 101 this first semester. I've always seen old age as a stage of life that can be exciting, but also has frequent feelings of regret, sorrow, or boredom. The data suggests otherwise; I guess having kids (ironically) is the common trough of life, but from there it's all up.
Isn't that super cool?
Tech📱
Game-changing. The sole reason I started reading and growing this website. If I could own one piece of tech (behind an iPhone of course) it would be my 2022 paperwhite.
Song🎧
“Después de La Playa”, Bad Bunny
Solid album. Fantastic single.
And come on, who doesn’t love a Latin banger?
Sporting Event⚽️
Oh, there’s not much competition here…the World Cup.
Putting politics aside (which there is a lot) this competition always delivers. One of my favorite effects that happen during the month this tournament runs is something I call the world cup spell: if an important game is on, it has the ability to hypnotize the earth. Children learning at school, cashiers working their 9-5, college students stuck in lectures, office workers filling papers, and even business members stop anything they are doing to watch the action. It genuinely feels like the whole world is watching, and that's the beauty of this sports competition: it unites everyone.
The whole tournament was already exciting, but just when I thought it couldn’t get any better we got that final.
Going in there were so many storylines; Messi, Mbappe, Argentina, old school vs. new school. Except unlike most finals, this one actually delivered. Seriously, you could not write that ending up, and it might be the best soccer game ever.
In fact, I'll take it a step further. I think the last 45 minutes of that final is the best entertainment I have ever seen; better than any game, movie, book, or TV show. Just a real spectacle, with endless emotion and passion. There was even a moment when I looked over at my Dad watching the game with me and said “this isn’t soccer anymore, we are watching the Game of Thrones.” Six goals in one final, come on man; legendary game.
This event is always special, and Qatar was no different.
Book📕
King delivered once again. I don't know how this man still writes this well, what is this book 65?
I would review this if I had more time, but it's essentially a modern twist on the traditional fairy tale. The story starts out as a slow burn but eventually grows into a thrilling plot of a boy and his dog at the end of the world. It's not his best work, but it definitely got me through finals week this year.
Memory🧠
Six months ago, I got stranded in France.
God, this is hilarious. Back in August, I was backpacking in Europe with some friends, and of course, we got the cheapest route traveling from England to France: a ferry across the English channel. It was going smoothly on the boat, a surprisingly decent ferry. But once we arrive on the beaches of Calais, for some reason we get dropped off at a military base; no trains, taxis, and barely a road nearby.
So what do we do?
Like escaped convicts, we grab our 6 feet hiking bags and trek on the barren street for a couple of miles to civilization. It's crazy because you don’t realize how close you are to your friends till you walk three miles on the side of the road in a foreign country. Good times.
And yeah, just a few of my favorite things of the year. Let me know if there's anything you would add. This was fun to write up, and I look forward to growing the website in 2023!
