So what’s been happening in 2023? Lots.

So let me make a list with a brief teaser for each item on the list.

I bought a house

Yes, I bought a house. The moment I turned 35 on my birthday on 22 September, I called my friend who was a real estate agent and roped him in to help me find my forever home. In fact, we started house hunting a couple of months before that, just to sniff out the market and see what was available back then. I only signed the papers sometime in October. But since then, a few months after that, I got the keys and it was off to begin major renovations to the house. It was only on the 1 of August when I officially started moving in. Part of the delay was the fact that the previous owners of the apartment that I bought needed to stay for 3 more months, as their home wasn’t ready to be moved in yet. So I allowed them provided they pay rent. I could have moved in earlier if not for that fact. But all was good. Patience was rewarded when I finally moved in without a hitch. It’s been one hell of a journey, taking almost one full year. But the wait was worth it. I’ve got so many things to say about my house.

I travelled by air for the first time since the pandemic.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, I never really flown out of the country. Although I went to Desaru, in Malaysia by land with my friends and colleagues but that was simply a short weekend getaway. In the first half of the year, however, I travelled to Melbourne and I enjoyed every minute of it. Getting back on the plane reignited my passion for travel. And although it was a small step towards normalising my travel plans, it was a huge moment for me to be flying again.

I am travelling again to Athens Greece and Mykonos next week

Next week, I am on a 10-day vacation to Athens, and Mykonos. I will be flying on Turkish Airlines via Istanbul. I am really looking forward to this as this has been planned months ahead. It is finally happening and I am excited to just get out of the country and away from work for a little bit. Work has been hectic.

And then another short weekend getaway to Bintan

Just like Desaru last year when I went for a short weekend getaway to Malaysia with my lab mates, I will be going on another short weekend getaway with those same group of people. It will take place right after I arrive back in Singapore from my Greece trip. Perfect timing as well because I am still on leave even when I get back from Greece.

I bought the new iPhone 15 Pro Max

This is a major update for me, coming from an iPhone 13 Pro Max. I skipped a generation and didn’t refresh my phone on an annual basis this time round, despite being a hardcore Apple fan. I am loving it so far after using the device for about a month now. The camera capabilities to me are by far the biggest improvements that Apple has made. I can’t wait to give the cameras a spin when I am in Athens taking lots of photos.

Of farewells and introductions

Over several months at work, there were a number of farewells as colleagues with whom I have been working for many years decided to leave the lab for greener pastures. I wish them the best in their endeavours but it is always sad to say goodbye to those you are most fond of. But on the flipside, new faces enter the chat and it is always nice to meet new people. Work has been busy, but the one thing that always keeps me going is my colleagues who are also my good friends I look forward to seeing them every day.

So that is basically a quick list of all the major things that happened in my life right up to this point. I will elaborate more in future posts in the coming weeks.