Things You May Want To Try In 2023

In a few days, we are going to say goodbye to 2022. Before I get going with this post, let me ask you a question. What did you accomplish in 2022? I hope you have done many things. Now, the year of 2023 is about to come and I think as the new year comes, it will be great if we can try something new that we haven't done before. And today, I will share with you some fun and meaningful activities and hobbies that you may want to try in 2023. Remember, this list is all things that I have done before but some of you may have not done before. I hope you can put on your resolution list for 2023 and consider of doing it.

Start a podcast

In 2020, during the pandemic, I turned myself to a bunch of podcast shows. From true crime to fiction. From comedy to self-help. I found out podcast is a good platform that people can say whatever they want without being afraid of buying a lot of stuff or having experiences. All you need is a recording device which your phone has that one, and a good topic to talk to. After I did some research on how to do a podcast, I started one. It called "Something You've Already Known." The name must sound ridiculous, right? Well, at first, my podcast only focus on what is happening around us like current events, scandals, social issues, or trending things. I put it on my podcast. But then, I began to talk more about my personal life, which of course, nobody knows. It is a personal blog that I tell everyone about my opinion on a certain thing. I usually do research on every topic, find reliable sources, and put it together in a script. When I record, I look at the script but I don't read off everything from it. I use it as an idea for me to say. During an episode, I'd like to express my feelings which I think is a best element in a podcast. I have to practice my voice repeatedly as well as my pronunciation in each difficult word. It is fun to do a podcast. It is a new type of diary, you know. So, in 2023, if you find anything to say, you will want to consider to put it on a podcast show. You may want to invite your friends or your family to join with you to share things, or you can get people for you to interview. Anything you want to say.

I'd like to share with you a platform that you can create your own podcast show for free. Anchor. You can do anything with Anchor and you won't regret.

Driving from place to place

I found out driving is the best thing that God has given me. When I was in Vietnam, I barely went out by myself or with my friend. My life revolved around school and home. That was it. But when I came to the U.S. and got my driver license, I was reborn. I drive from place to place all by myself. I need an escape from the hustle and the bustle of real life. It doesn't matter where it is. I just want to drive away. I can be at a coffee shop, I can be a park, I can be a shopping mall, I can be at a library, or I can be at school. Anywhere that I can drive far away and take my mind off those stressful things I am facing with. Just for a moment to get relax; then, I will deal with those things later. Sometimes, I don't drive to a specific place. I just drive. It feels good. You may want to try it if you're like me.

Sitting on a bus

Before I had a driver license, I took bus to school everyday. It was kind of annoying. One, I had to wait for it. Two, there were many kinds of people on a bus. Three, I hated it. But why do I recommend you to do it? The bus has a special power. When I took a bus, I usually sat next to a window if there was an available space. I put on my headphone and listened to my favorite playlist. I looked outside where cars were driving, people were walking on the sidewalk, as well as places. They all hypnotized me. I couldn't think of anything else but my life. More specifically, I thought about what was happening to me, how I was going to deal with it, or maybe it was about future. It gave me ideas. Like driving, I took a bus driving to nowhere. When the bus reached the final bus stop, I waited for the next one and came back home. For nothing. But I somehow found a peaceful in me while sitting on the bus and looking outside.

Listening to jazz

Spotify just made a wrapped-up for me. It turned out the genre that I listened to the most is jazz. It is no surprise because jazz has been my music for years because I watched so many old black-and-white movies and they all contained jazz. Jazz is life, jazz is classic, jazz is beautiful, jazz is slow, jazz is amusing, jazz is everything. I listened to jazz when I studied, before I went to sleep, and when I did something. Jazz can help you to stay focus on what you are doing. The sound of saxophone, piano, double bass, trumpet, and a good atmosphere will help you to escape from reality. The iconic voices of jazz legends like Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong and many more will bring you back in time. Not only that, when you are listening to jazz, you have to use an open mind. Why? Let imagine yourself in a bar, smoke in the air, you are having a glass of whiskey or bourbon, and in front of you, there is a band playing jazz live. All you have to do is leaving all the trouble and tiredness behind you and enjoy the symphony of jazz. It is the heaven to you.

Reading long-pages books

What is the longest book that you have ever read? I will tell you first. Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. The book caught my attention when I was at a thrift store. I bought it only for 99 cents and it was in a good condition. At that time, I simply thought that I hadn't read Les Misérables before so it would be a great chance to read. Then, I spent three summer months to read the book. I had been through so many level of emotions until I reached the end. But then I realized, Les Misérables was the longest book I have ever read in my life. Over 1,000 pages. Unbelievable. My point is reading a long-pages book is like you are trying to climb mount Everest and once you reach the final page, you will see how much information and knowledge you have been absorbed. They can be life values or life experiences that you can apply to your life. It is so precious. With people who read a lot of books, I think it is easy. But with people who never read long-pages books before, it will be something new to try. I recommend you to start with Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. You will find many interesting things in the book.

Love yourself more

Do you realize one common thing in all those things above? It is about taking care of yourself. You know, one thing that I have learned in 2022 is that myself needed a better treatment. It has been a terrible year for me. I lost myself several times and didn't know how to find a way back. I had been struggling with my life. I used to have a suicidal thought. But after all I didn't. In a moment, I found out something. A light in front me, which gave a strength to move on. I was so exhausted and couldn't move on. But it was all about me. About what I was facing with, what put me down, and how I turned into that person. I hadn't taken care good of myself and it led to those negative things. I kept chasing unreal material that I forgot who I was. The moment I realized I was on the wrong track, I took a U-turn. I decided to focus more on myself. You see, when we are all hustling with other busy things outside, ourselves is feeling tired because of that circle. And because of that, we always feel tired, angry, hopeless. But if we pay attention to ourselves for a little bit, we will find the strength again. Like a phone as its battery is running out, we also need to recharge. You don't need to do something big to take care of yourself. When you feel tired, you can just simply let yourself to rest and stay away from all the stressful things out there. Let it rest! It deserves to be taken care of.

Conclusion

Throughout my list, I hope you can find something interesting and try it out for 2023. But after all, my recommendation is for you to pay attention more to yourself and take care good of it. You will find nothing better than a healthy you for the new year. Good luck!

So that is my last post for 2022. I would like to say thank you to everyone of you out there reading my blog, which is the first time write sit down and write. At first, this blog is a project of my class. But then, I found writing blogs is actually kind of fun so I keep on going and update every time. It is such a great pleasure to write those blog posts and get your supports. I am very appreciated.

As the new year is coming, I want to wish you all the best and have a wonderful new year with a new hope and a new things to come. Happy New Year! And see you in 2023 with new blog posts.

XOXO

Huy Nguyen