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2023 was a hit and miss. Well, most times, miss. I am glad to see the back of 2023, with no going back. Having said that, there are some memorable moments of 2023, like finally being able to skydive, checking more things off the bucket list, visiting new places and doing different things. So I will be highlighting some of the good memories as well as reflecting on the bad events that have happened during the year.
With all COVID restrictions finally ending, a new challenge emerged: friendship issues that had arisen with some of what were once my good friends, including one I had been friends with since intermediate school. There was a personal conflict that caused her and me to become ex-friends, and although I will never forget that, I will move on from it. There was also minor conflict on my dad's side, which has since been resolved a long time ago, and an incident at a music festival which resulted in me being kicked out of a chat group on what was once Twitter - now known as "X". Personal conflicts with friends and family ensued. At the end of the year, my best friend stopped talking to me after my mother called the doctor on me when I was supposed to meet up with a guy I came across on Badoo, a dating site. The date never happened, as I was so upset about the conflict that ensued with my mum that I wasn't up for it. There was also a conflict over a nude bungee jump that I wanted to do, but fortunately, in the end, I got to do it anyway. It also didn't help when it was confirmed I did have PCOS - and the readings are pretty high.
If all of that wasn't bad enough, we experienced the Auckland Anniversary floods and Cyclone Gabrielle hitting Auckland. The Anniversary floods were so severe that our tenant's flat was badly damaged, necessitating major repair work and renovation. Just a few hours after I completed the 5-hour Black Abyss tour in Waitomo, torrential rains in Auckland caused flash flooding. The floods reached our tenant's flat while we were in Waitomo. The cyclone also made it nearly impossible for us to sleep at night due to the intense wind and rain, forcing the entire household to sleep upstairs and, beforehand, move things to higher ground. It also prevented anyone, including myself, from going to West Auckland beaches such as Muriwai and Piha, as well as other affected beaches. The storm impacted businesses, some of which had to shut down for months, affecting the economy and the tourism sector in the North Island. We had an exceptionally wet summer, with the wet weather persisting throughout much of the year. Consequently, I wasn’t able to snorkel or take surfing lessons. Parts of the North Island were totally off-limits to everyone except residents. Adding to this mix were the cost of living crisis, the ongoing war in Ukraine, the recent events in Palestine, along with a still ongoing pandemic, and other global issues.
There were also positives to 2023. I checked off some items from my bucket list, which I had never done before—like skydiving, paragliding, hanggliding, going down the Kaituna Rapids, and visiting Yosemite National Park in California. Other good things that came out of the year were Christopher Luxon becoming Prime Minister, Kiri Allan getting arrested after crashing her car and later resisting arrest, Jacinda Ardern resigning as Prime Minister and going on a long-haul trip to San Francisco—the first time I had been to the United States since 2015 and also the first long-haul trip of this decade and since the pandemic began. Additionally, I have been traveling around the country and to Australia multiple times, in addition to going to San Francisco. I also took up horse riding lessons, which is a new experience for me as well.
In conclusion, 2023 is a year that I'd rather not repeat, marked by friendship issues, both mental and physical health challenges, personal conflicts, and even freak weather events, including a cyclone. The aftermath required major repair work, disrupting our daily routine, proving to be costly and time-consuming.
Starting 2024, with me likely having contracted COVID while in Australia, doesn't make matters any better. Furthermore, conflicts in both Gaza and Ukraine persist, along with the ongoing pandemic. However, let's hope that in 2024, things will settle down, and it will be a much better year than the previous ones.
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AuthorI am Natalie Dunn. I am a feminist who believes in gender equality and rights for everyone. I have many passions in life such as fashion, beauty, adventures and travelling. Archives
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