2022 in review

“Where did the year go??”

I honestly don’t know, and I kind of want to. So I’m writing this thing on New Year’s Eve morning at 8:30am and hoping I’ll figure it out (remember) as I go.

I’m also realizing that a lot of you awesome people don’t actually know much about me. Buckle up, friends. The TMI might give you whiplash. I will try to make it concise(ish) and to the point(ish). (already failing)

(Also, if you’d rather just hear some fun plans for 2023, scroll to the end.)

January 3, 2022. It would have been my 24th anniversary if my husband hadn’t left on September 20, 2020. But we were technically still married (South Carolina’s ridiculous divorce laws + Covid conspired against me).

January 5, 2022. Youngest kiddo turned 16. (Don’t worry. I’m not doing every other day the whole year.)

Side note: January 3-5, 2021 were HELL. First anniversary after he left unexpectedly. Then on January 4, I found out that he’d been cheating on me for 4 of the 5 years we’d lived in Cambodia (2015-2020) and was back in Cambodia with his lover. Spent my kid’s bday the next day trying to smile instead of curling in a ball and sobbing.

MOVING ON.

February 17. My son-in-law’s green card interview. (the immigration process has also a nightmare experience thanks to #45, stay tuned for the book)

February 18. Final divorce hearing. The ex didn’t show. The show went on without him. 

March 24. Started my substack with a poem called “I didn’t lie about my marriage.”

April 8-10. Took a Legacy Trip to Montgomery, Alabama. Life-changing. 

May through October: working to support my family, two kiddos get jobs, son-in-law finally passes ridiculously-hard-in-your-second-language driver’s permit test, meet some internet friends IRL (one came to stay with me), trying hard to promote my book, unbelieve, on my own, constantly encouraged by amazing feedback but sales are slow, working on my next book. 

(I’m sure I’m forgetting so many wonderful and exciting things I did with my life. Could scroll through IG to double-check but don’t want to.)

November-something. I finish my book. My beta readers offer feedback. Then sensitivity readers. I meet David Morris, publisher/owner of Lake Drive Books. I sign a contract for my next book. We get everything done in record time and jaded released mid-December. The response so far has been heart-melting. (that’s a good thing)

THIS WEEK. I changed my substack name from poems in progress to writing wholefarted. (I’ll explain more as we go.)

AND I’M STARTING A WRITING COMMUNITY. Y’all will still get the FREE poem every Thursday but if you’d like to kick your writing hobby/passion/career into higher gear, you can pay $5 to join a fun community of writers who are going to encourage and support each other.

On Mondays I’ll share snippets of my writing journey (I’m writing 2 more books this year AND re-releasing 3 older ebooks) and some “brilliant” wisdom and advice, and you can ask questions. On Thursdays I’ll answer those questions (or point you to someone who can). FIVE subscribers so far, and I’m REALLY looking forward to this.

IN SUMMARY: 2022 was a big improvement over 2021 for me, but there were lots of challenges (I didn’t mention my anxiety and insomnia or any of my kiddos’ angst).

Trying to eeeeease my way into 2023 without too many expectations, but it’s tough because I really do have some big hopes and dreams.

I’m so glad you’re here. HOW ARE Y’ALL FEELING ON THIS LAST DAY OF 2022?