2022 Reflection and Onward to 2023

by | Jan 1, 2023 | My Stories

Onward to 2023

Looking back to 2022, I had a great and productive year. I met 87% of the goals that I set out for myself. So, I am feeling pretty satisfactory and swell. Here are some of the highlights and my proudest moments:

  • First of all, I want to acknowledge and thank all of the forty different organizations and companies that I worked with in 2022. I highlighted a handful of them in my November blog. I can’t appreciate them enough for the opportunities to collaborate in addressing important topics like mental health and diversity/equity/inclusion (DEI).
  • Talking about mental health and DEI, 2022 was the year that I pushed and combined the intersection of mental health and DEI. I truly believe that we can’t address diversity/inclusion without talking about mental health and vice versa. They are two sides of the same coin. 
  • Late in 2021, my prediction about my line of work was about 30% in-person and 70% virtual. I was dead wrong. Once mid-May hit, everything went back to in-person. In fact, between June and December, only about 10% percent of my speeches were virtual. This sprightly transition caught me off guard a bit, and it took me until September to fully re-adjust back to in-person mode. 
  • My film partners and I started working on our new documentary “Out in Nowhere” last April in Kentucky, and we wrapped up the recording in October in California. I am very passionate and excited about this project. I am very grateful that I can use film to spotlight some of the untold stories about the Asian American community. 
  • I wrote two long blog posts about my long battles with depression and anxiety. I am still stunned that I was able to articulate and actually write out my experiences because the whole process was mentally taxing and emotionally draining. So, I am feeling pretty proud of myself. 
  • In early July, I trekked my first major hike abroad at Trolltunga in Norway. It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience. 
  • I bought my place from my former landlord after living in it for nine years. Even though I own my own place now, I don’t feel like a homeowner. This is probably because I have been living here for so long and my place still looks and feels the same. 
  • Lola is healthy. She had a tumor toward the end of 2021. Now, she is in good physical condition and still crazy. 
  • I am not a big music connoisseur and the two genres of music that I listened to a lot in 2022 were Latin pop songs and trip-hop. I normally just played them randomly. Somehow these two genres were very helpful in boosting my focus and concentration while I was working. 

Now, onward to 2023. Here are some of the goals and projects that I am excited for:   

  • My presentations about the intersection of mental health and DEI received a lot of positive attention and feedback in 2022. I am excited to continue building out my materials around these two important topics in 2023. 
  • My other passion is using the arts to bring awareness about mental health and healing generational and historical trauma without anyone ever mentioning the words trauma or mental health. I am feeling pretty confident that I will have an opportunity to make this happen in 2023. Currently, I’ve received preliminary approval to creating a theater troupe in Los Angeles County. My vision is to use interactive theater as a conduit for a group of Asian Americans to address mental health, immigration, and celebrate our cultural identities. If this contract does come through, I will be fulfilling one of my life dreams.     
  • I am excited about the release of the first episode of “Out in Nowhere” in the spring. With the last round of grassroots fundraising, we’ve received some additional funding. With this new funding, I am hoping that we will be able to connect with another potential restaurant owner/interviewee and start filming the second episode. 
  • Almost two years ago, I was invited to write a chapter for an academic book. After so many painful hours of writing and back-and-forth revisions with the editor, I submitted the final copy in November. The book is scheduled to be published in March 2023. On top of that, I have already gotten invitations to talk about the book and my chapter at different upcoming conferences. Once the book is officially published, I will be able to share the content with you all. 
  • If you are reading this, by now you probably know that I love to travel. Somehow, I’ve never really thought that I would make it to the continent of Africa until recently. I have an opportunity and invitation to go to Kenya. I am definitely planning to go in 2023. If not, for sure in 2024. 

If you are interested in partnering up with any projects that advocate for mental health, DEI, the arts, and/or travel, let’s make it happen!

Photo by Gabriel Meiner