Wow, what a year.
I had started the new year fully involved in a new role at work: I became a trainer of new coworkers in my area, and it has been the most rewarding thing I've achieved this year by far.
I have trained nearly 100 individuals to date (12/18/2023), and look forward to reaching and connecting with even more. I have watched and fostered growth in their roles, safety in their environment, and trust in, if nothing else, that I am there for them.
There have been so many people I am privileged to have not only met but have impacted, coworkers and guests/customers. I have dozens of stories from my job, and all but one are entirely positive. I am so fortunate to say that.
I also got involved in many new personal projects and hobbies!
I have crocheted countless little trinkets for loved ones; made a million origami butterflies; learned Notion and started a concentrated research bank to share with anyone I feel might need it; I participated in more hobby circles like World Anvil; I started this website and started learning how to code html and css.
In those aspects alone, I have achieved so much this year, and beyond that have much to look forward to, which is an achievement worth celebrating in itself.
Here's to 2023, all we've achieved, and all there is to still reach and strive for!
There are quite a few holiday traditions in my house.
I still live with my family, and our traditions revolve around food the most around the holidays; My dad loves to cook and went to culinary school, and our family is a bunch of foodies, so its very dear to us.
In the weeks leading up to Christmas, my dad makes pizzelles, a kind of italian waffle cookie. He got the recipe and the press from an old italian woman he worked with once.
He makes hundreds, at one point for all of my teachers in grade school, but now for my extended family and my immediate family's favorite coworkers and friends. I hope to get his recipe and keep the tradition once I move out.
A few years ago, my family started playing a viral game on Christmas Eve with saran wrap, little goodies, and a big prize in the center. We literally call it the saran wrap game, but essentially you wrap different little gifts in a big ball of saran wrap ahead of time, then to play you gather friends and family and two dice, and one person unwraps as fast as they can to get prizes while the person next to them tries to roll and get the same number on both dice.
We get very competitive.
For Christmas morning, my dad makes monkey bread, covered in cinnamon and raisins and composed of delicious dough balls all stuck together. I hope to take a photo of it and share it here.
I've made a Pixel Potluck version!
What I've made for the event!
