2023 in Review
Hello!
What a crazy year it’s been. No matter how much happens, I always end the year with a bit of regret, a feeling that I could have done more. Not this year. I did a ton.
Lots of travelling
I did “revenge travel” just like everyone else. I was lucky that I could combine personal travel with work travel around conferences and other events. I visited places that I knew and loved, and discovered others that I want to return to again. The world is a wonderful place.
To put it concretely, I did the math for you (and me). So, in 2023, I did
- ✈️ 19 flights
- 😐 17 airports
- 🏙️ 11 cities
- 🌐 8 countries
I definitely don’t plan to do as much in 2024, but I still have a list of destinations that I would love to cross. I can’t make any plans right now, unfortunately, but this will be a special year to look back on.
Best of
I like doing these compilations. It’s a genuinely useful practice to think about the content you consume in general, and it forces me to do it over an entire year.
🎥 TV/Cinema
The Mandalorian, Season 3. What an amazing show. I picked the second season for my best of the year in 2022, and the third is nearly flawless (apart from one weird episode that made no sense). The show keeps delivering, The Mandalorian has given us more Star Wars than Obi-Wan and Andor, combined. The last episodes always has me feeling something special, despite watching it multiple times.
🎙️ Songs
The Devil & I Got Up to Dance a Slow Dance — Charlie Wilson. This is from the soundtrack of the Billie Holiday movie, which I picked last year. I heard it again this year but I can’t figure out where. Anyway, it’s grandiose.
The Tango Never Lies — Frances Madden. I discovered this fantastic Australian artist in London. I walked by a venue where she was going to perform, unfortunately I wasn’t there on the day, She’s one of my best music discoveries this year.
Albums
Come From Away (Original Broadway Cast Recording). One of the AirBnbs I stayed at had an Apple TV and I discovered this musical. It’s so good!
Lover (Live from Paris) by Taylor Swift. It’s 2023 so we can’t not talk abut Taylor Swift, right? This is a live album from 2020, I don’t know what happened in Paris that night, but the performance is stunning.
Podcasts
Psychology in Seattle: How not get tricked by the Internet. This episode gives a great framework to detect bad stuff on the Internet, but it’s a masterclass on critical thinking too. This will become more and more relevant as AI plays a bigger role in the fabric of the Internet. A must-listen.
Best Purchase
Laundry Sheets