he best thing about 2023 was the fact that the world was opened up for travel again. Anders and I made the most of it, though much of his was for work, of course. I went to the US for the first time since 2018 and got to see both my mom’s and my sister’s new places. We had our epic tip-to-tip trip in the Tesla during the summer from the very southernmost point of Sweden, to the very top. I’m already looking forward to some travel next year as well: back to the US in the spring, and somewhere fun for my big birthday, perhaps finally to Ireland, we’ll see! And of course, our road trip with the 3 of us plus mom and Danely to Germany for Christmas! Mom and Danely are here until January 4, and I don’t start work until the 5th, so a nice easy start to the new year.
Family & Personal Highlights of 2023
- Anders’ ski trip to Canazei and getting to see Karin
- Getting the crate from the US!
- My trip to the US to stay with my mom and visit with Sarah and family
- Working at the Axis Boston office for a week
- The gorgeous kitchen renovation by Anders
- Martin moving to a new apartment in Malmö
- Karin working again at Axis from May to end November
- The Tesla trip up to Treriksroset
- Adding another country (Finland) to my list of visited countries
- Seeing Becky for a weekend in London
- A day trip to Odense for my birthday, with Martin
- The little red MGB convertible
- Martin’s new boyfriend Theo
- Getting into crossword puzzling with Martin
- Karin heading off to St. Anton for another ski season as ski guide manager
- Mom and Danely visiting for 3 weeks over Christmas
- Another epic road trip down to Germany to spend a week with John and family
- Seeing Karin on Christmas Day
- Losing 7 kilos!
According to Goodreads, I read 85 books in 2023. Definitely better than last year’s count! I got a new Kindle for Christmas from Anders, and am very motivated to read more!
Best books of 2023 (in no particular order and not including re-reads)
- H is For Hawk by Helen MacDonald
- The Past is Red by Catherynne Valente
- The Address Book: What Street Addresses Reveal About Identity, Race, Wealth, and Power by Deirdre Mask
- The God of Endings by Jacqueline Holland
- With My Little Eye by Joshilyn Jackson
- Girlfriend on Mars by Deborah Willis
- Keeper of Enchanted Rooms by Charlie N. Holmberg
- Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
- The Road to Roswell by Connie Willis
- Go as a River by Shelley Read
- The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer
- The Magician’s Daughter by H.G. Parry
- The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
- Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher
- Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
- Wild Ones: A Sometimes Dismaying, Weirdly Reassuring Story About Looking at People Looking at Animals in America by Jon Mooallem
- The Empyrean books 1 & 2 (Fourth Wing & Iron Flame) by Rebecca Yarros
I listened to, and added to my playlist, a lot more new music than in previous years, mostly because Martin added good stuff for me and because I made a habit of listening to Spotify’s Discover Weekly list curated for me.
Best new music artists of 2023
- Vitamin C
- Heather Small
- Blaest
- Mysie
- Tahiti 80
- Lighthouse Family
- Goldfrapp
- Tove Lo
- Titiyo
I watched fewer movies in 2023 than any year since I started keeping count, only 34 films. We didn’t watch as many series either, probably due to Anders being away so often during the week for work.
The movies I enjoyed the most in 2023 were: Don’t Worry Darling, Air, Tick Tick Boom!, Barbie, Past Lives, Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part 1, and Mrs Harris Goes to Paris.
The new (to me) series I enjoyed the most and recommend were: For All Mankind, Hawkeye, Lucifer, and The Bear. We watched the final seasons of several shows we liked as well, including The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, Sex Education, The Morning Show (maybe not the last season), Lupin, and Ted Lasso. And of course, we watched Bäst i Test, Fråga Lund, and På Spåret on Swedish television.
Some manageable goals for 2024
- Continue with the weight loss after the holidays
- Cut down drastically on sugar
- USA trip in the spring
- Install a fireplace in the living room
- Pave the swing patio and plant trees & bushes
- Ireland for my big birthday
2024 is already looking like it will be a good year. Martin will be moving home at the end of February while he looks for both a new job and a new apartment. Karin will be home in April, and it might work out that both kids and possibly even Anders go with me to the States (we’ll see) for 3-4 weeks. Karin may finally be starting university next fall, maybe Martin will too, who knows? It’s VERY hard for me to believe that I will be turning 60 in August. I don’t feel 60. I don’t look 60. How can that even be possible?? We’ll see if it hits when it finally arrives.
Tonight we are celebrating New Year’s Eve with my mom, Debbie and Ola, and Camilla. Danely is going to hang out with Martin and his friends at a party in Lund. We don’t have any fireworks, but Anders is already in the kitchen cooking up a feasty storm. Happy New Year’s!
Mood: relaxed
Music: Sarah Crean—02:00 AM