Happy New Year!
1st January, 2022 - Blog
Happy new year! It’s 2022, woo!
Hope you and yours stayed safe last night however you celebrated. New Year’s Eve has always been a bit of a non-event in my mind. I don’t drink, and it lands smack bang in between my birthday and Christmas, but the firework display over London was amazing this year.
As a (very unreliable) blogger, an end of year post is expected, and this is it. 2021 was challenging for all sorts of reasons, but there were also a huge number of reasons to look back on it fondly on a personal and professional level.
It all kind of happened quite quickly, too. Much of the movement in my life happened from June onwards, and I think in many ways I’m still catching my breath. I bought a house, changed jobs, went to therapy, and did plenty of freelance work from June.
The house has been a huge reason for my mental health improving this year. Going from a (lovely) two-bed flat, with a two-year-old, to having a small house, with a little garden, a separate office, and even a swimming pool has been incredible. We’ve got plenty of redecorating planned for 2022, but for now it’s a house full of love and laundry.
On a professional level, I was faced with a conundrum in the summer. Gfinity took me on when I had nothing, and allowed me to grow to be one of the site’s most senior staff in a very short space of time. The trouble with that kind of rapid learning is that it becomes addictive, and I wanted a new challenge. I joined Dexerto right at the end of August, and the four months since have been fantastic. I now manage a bigger team, which took some getting used to, but I’m constantly inspired by the creativity and passion of all of them. I was nervous about making the move, but I couldn’t be happier that I did.
Then there’s the rest of the stuff this year. I dropped a significant amount of weight, somehow managed to lose the facial alopecia I’d had developing, and in a career high point, interviewed a NASA astronaut. It’s been wild, with Jackson turning 2 in May and Frankie and I spending our fifth Christmas together.
2021: the year I found my happiness, lost a lot of weight, and finally became an Avenger. pic.twitter.com/NgsCpwcCYe
— Lloyd Coombes (@lloydcoombes) December 31, 2021
The last couple of months have been tough, but I’ve taken steps to improve my situation. Therapy is one, but I’m also keeping an eye on how I deal with people in 2022, and how I can be better for Frankie, for Jackson, and really, for everyone around me.
Best of 2021
As you know I like to recommend the best things I’ve played, seen, or listened to in any given year, but I’m going to keep it shorter this time around.
In no particular order:
Best albums of 2021:
- Welcome To Horrorwood: The Silver Scream 2 by Ice Nine Kills
- Amazing Things by Don Broco
- Manic by Wage War
- Gone are the Good Days by Chunk! No, Captain Chunk
- Eternal Blue by Spiritbox
- For Those That Wish To Exist by Architects
Best movies of 2021
- I didn’t get to see that many movies this year, but I enjoyed the following:
- Spider-Man: No Way Home
- Shang-Chi
- The Suicide Squad
- Fear Street Trilogy
- Mortal Kombat
Best games of 2021
- Halo Infinite
- Forza Horizon 5
- Deathloop
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- It Takes Two
- Returnal
- Hitman 3
- Metroid Dread
- Monster Hunter Rise
- Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
Looking ahead to 2022
Man, we’re already almost 24 hours into the new year, and I’ve not accomplished anything yet! I’m kidding, of course, but one of my New Year’s Resolutions is just to be a little kinder to myself. I’m always holding myself to some bizarre standards I impose on myself, and I think I can afford to cut myself a little more slack.
I’m also hoping to put some of the techniques I’m learning in therapy into place, and I’m more excited for this year than I have been in a long time. Frankie and I are hoping to go and see a few prospective wedding venues in 2022, plus my sister is getting married soon, too. Then there’s Jackson turning three, decorating our house, and plenty more to look forward to, as well as keeping my fitness regimen going.
I’d also like to put up blog posts more regularly. I know this has been my first in, uh, months, but you can expect one per week going forward. These will range from more personal pieces (like this one!), to tech, apps, and more that I’m using at any point in time. As a result, it may end up being a bit scattershot, but I like to think there will be something for everyone.
Finally, I’d like to try and see friends more in 2022, especially since I’ve not seen some of them in a year or two.
What are your goals for 2022? What do you feel most proud of in 2021? Be sure to let me know, and whatever happens, be kind to yourself – you got through a rough year, and you’re still standing.
