First of all, PLEASE CLICK THE HEADING AND READ THIS LETTER IN YOUR BROWSER BECAUSE THIS EMAIL WILL CUT OFF IN YOUR INBOX AND YOU WILL NOT GET TO NUMBER 22. Second of all, I want to apologize for referencing Taylor Swift from the get-go twice in a row. I realize not everyone is a Swiftie and I am not trying to alienate my audience, it simply felt thematically appropriate. But no more! If I reference Taylor Swift in the next email heading, you can retaliate as you see fit.
Today, it’s a wrap on 2022! What a strange year. Does time and consciousness always feel like general chaos or is it amplified by the incessant awareness of constant mayhem and tragedy occurring in real time everywhere? You don’t have to answer that.
A year ago, I shared 21 Happenings of 2021. I’ve decided to continue this nascent tradition with 22 things that happened in 2022. It was a year of happenings! Lots to unpack, it’s going to be extra long because I did not write as many newsletters this year (we’ll get into that happening) and I have lots to talk about. So, grab your beverage of choice, a little snack, and follow along with this, ahem, listicle (fml).
22 Happenings of 2022
Drank approximately 750 cups of tea.
Let me start with a low stakes happening, the happening that happens every day. I wake up I’m woken up by a hungry, angry, vindictive feline who does not understand why he gets less pâté than he used to (vet’s orders!). I stumble out of bed, brush my teeth, feed the monster, and start the kettle on the stove. Then I grab a mug and find whichever caffeinated tea I feel like and get brewing.
I’ve sampled a variety of tea brands this year, including some turmeric concoctions from VAHDAM and a couple bags from Art of Tea, but find myself coming back to Harney & Sons. If you have tea recommendations to try in 2023, send them my way!
Sent out 4 newsletters.
This letter is the fourth installment of Life of Leah in 2022, a quarter of the output of previous years. My breaks from writing these letters were unplanned, but ultimately, I think I needed to step back from everything, including this space, for a moment.
It’s interesting to look back on the feel and texture of 2022 without the monthly reflection points I sent out in previous years. I didn’t realize how writing this letter changed my memory; it’s harder for me to keep track of what I’ve watched or written or liked without writing about it consistently. I’m still reading and experiencing life and journaling, but there’s something about the practice of sharing that makes my own life, or my memory of it, cemented in my mind, narrativized perhaps, easier to recall.
I’m glad I took the break so I could discover the value this practice was bringing to my life, a value I can easily forget about when I’m running late on my own arbitrary deadlines!
Founded Seedling Stage.
Unemployment was the vibe when 2022 began, but eventually I was ready to try out new ways of working (and have an income, income is helpful!). I wasn’t ready to hop back into a full time role and wanted to build with early-stage startups again, teams that may not have budget for a full time Head of People. So, I started Seedling Stage, a consultancy dedicated to cultivating people-first cultures at early stage startups.
It’s extremely fulfilling to meet founders, work across different teams, and redefine what work looks like for me. The solopreneur (*gags on buzzwords*) learning curve has at times, taught me more about myself than I wanted to know! Almost a year in, I’m still experimenting and finding my footing.
Overall, it has been a joy to meet other folks in the HR consulting space, get connected to new communities, and build something for myself. Looking forward to more growth here in 2023!
Published 4 articles with Select Software Reviews.
Writing in a professional context has been a fun new venture, and it’s incredible to see the response from folks in the People Ops/HR community when a piece I wrote resonates. My jaw dropped when I opened my email one day to see that A Guide to Outsourcing Your Company's HR and People Ops was featured in The People Ops Weekly, a newsletter by Alex Hilleary I read often to learn and gain inspiration from. Someone else shared The 10 Most Important Functions of HR and People Ops saying it was a really useful resource for them, which was wonderful to see out in the wild.
I’m ideating on writing more in the business side of my life in 2023, we’ll see what I come up with!
Watched 77 movies.
A consequence of being married to one of the 12 Most Exciting Cinematographers in New York City (my guy is #2!) is seeing many many movies, and this year I tracked what I was watching with Letterboxd (follow me for 3-7 word reviews!). There were some old movies that were new to me, and lots of new content between streaming and the theater (shoutout to Regal Unlimited). Here are some highlights:
Moonstruck
“I lost my hand! I lost my bride!” Chaos, beautiful unadulterated chaos is what this film is. Nicolas Cage is arresting as always, Cher is Cher, the performances are big and sexy and absurd and I could never possibly forget this movie happened.
Fire of Love
Regal (please pay me to advertise for you) gave me a free ticket to this volcanic documentary, so I texted a friend and we sat down for this unexpected love story. The footage was mind-boggling, like nothing I’ve ever seen. It’s ultimately a tragedy, but a beautiful one to watch.
When Harry Met Sally
I’m not sure why it’s taken me my entire goddamn LIFE to see this movie but it was worth the wait (what was I waiting for?!). The sweaters. The animosity. The friendship. The fact that I used to work in the building that housed Harry's apartment was shot in. Magnificent, no notes, give me both of their outfits.
Aftersun
UGH. I think about this movie and start crying, it’s one that didn’t feel like a big emotional film when I was watching it, but then Dustin and I discussed some of the meaning and symbolism on the way home and tears started streaming down my cheeks, a happening thankfully ignored by the passengers of the 2 train. It’s subtle, dropping hints and making statements without saying anything. I don’t know how to explain this film but A.O. Scott does a nice job.
TÁR
Just give Cate Blanchett all the awards. This movie was riveting and surreal and I love digging into the many theories surrounding it. Real cinema, real storytelling, real tension, I love it.
Saw Dustin’s films on the big screen.
This past year was a truly exciting one for Dustin, he was at SXSW and other festivals sharing a few films with the world. It’s so rewarding to see the projects he worked on getting seen on the big screen and winning awards all over the place!
I know, I know, you want to know where you can see the films and when they’re available to stream, I’ll let you know! For now, you will have to be satisfied with a single trailer.
Read 48 books.
Not having a job for awhile allowed me to get ahead on my reading goal this year, and I plowed through novels and memoirs and self-help and essays. Again, I noticed my memory of what I read has changed since I’m not regularly writing about it. I’m also questioning the usefulness of a quantity goal over a quality reading experience.
My kindle always advertises a book that claims to help you read faster, but I wonder if faster is better? I’d like to deepen my reading experience in 2023, do some rereading of books I remember loving but don’t remember what exactly I loved so my mind can actually be transformed by the information, instead of just passing through.
All that aside, when I look back on the books I read this year, there are only a few that I wouldn’t recommend checking out, and I’m not sure how to pick top reads to share here. I’m just going to leave you the whole list with the ones I wouldn’t recommend crossed out, and the absolute stand outs circled.
Please know, if a book wasn’t circled, I would still probably recommend it? So if you see a book on the list and wonder why it’s there, ask me why I liked it!
Watched so much TV.
There was tons of juicy, cunning, heartwarming, and hilarious tv streaming this year. Abbot Elementary, The Bear, Yellowjackets, White Lotus, Station Eleven, The Summer I Turned Pretty, FBOY Island (HBO MAX cancelling and removing the series from their platform is FBOY behavior!), Only Murders In the Building, Never Have I Ever, Andor, The Big Brunch, Fleishman Is in Trouble, I could keep going!
There is always something to watch, you simply have to commit. Therein lies the decision fatigue, making me reminisce about having only 5 channels to choose from that played new episodes at 8:00pm once a week and left us trying to catch glimpses of the 2nd choice show during commercial breaks.
If you asked me what my favorite shows are overall, I’d give you the package of Succession (technically 2021 but I’m still emotionally invested through 2022), Severance, and Industry.
Upon receiving that package, you’d realize I may be an awfully boring person who wants to spend her free time being stressed about work. Which is a fair conclusion to draw! But I would counter that work takes up a significant portion of our lives and these shows have engaging characters muddling through their lives and work just like us! They’re not heroes, they’re people, and I love them and want MORE of them in 2023.
Industry
My friends in finance visibly cringe when I mention this show for good reason, but I’m removed enough from the day to day of day trading to enjoy the ride. The characters are infuriating, the work environment hostile, but I’m invested.
Severance
What if you could actually compartmentalize your life from your work? Would you, and what factors would lead you to do that? What kind of company would offer that life for their workers?
This eerie series is riveting, a bit of sci-fi with all the worst parts of corporate culture being played out in a dystopian setting. Every person working on this show delivered and Patricia Arquette hasn’t been this frighteningly calculated since she was Kissin' Kate Barlow!
Succession
I know this show did not happen in 2022 but I’m giving it an honorable mention because I missed it in 2022. The casting call for Season 3 went out in 2022, the teaser trailer was released in 2022, things are being prepared for 2023 when I can find out what happens to my favorite dysfunctional family and what outfits they put on Shiv next!
Listened to podcasts.
According to Spotify Wrapped, my top podcasts are You’re Wrong About, We Can Do Hard Things, Up First, Maintenance Phase, and Fresh Air, which are all great, and I would add Adulting to the list as a friend recommended it to me this year and it’s a delight. Here’s a few favorite episodes I listened to this year:
I have spent the past year browsing through the archives of You’re Wrong About and it’s been a balm and a treat. This more recent episode taught me about how we got the nightmare of online return systems we have today. Other ones I enjoyed were the 5-part series on Princess Diana and the ongoing breakdown of the O.J. Simpson trial. The episodes are alway unique and unexpected journeys that I look forward to taking!
Another one I dug through the archives to catch up on is Maintenance Phase. I’m sharing this episode specifically because I listened to it and felt justified in my instant dislike of Rachel Hollis when I saw her book cover at Target in 2018 telling me to wash my face. Petty, I know! But I have literally washed my face twice a day since I was fourteen years old and I am STILL mentally ill, I do not need her telling me what to do!
My personal vindication for not stanning Hollis aside, this podcast centers on the destruction diet culture has wrought on people's lives and introduces new perspectives on health and wellness. Highly recommended!
I mostly go to Fresh Air for long interviews with the people in recent shows and movies I enjoyed, and I loved this interview with Kieran Culkin about Succession, growing up with his brother, and how he chose acting for himself.
A friend invited me to join her and see ALOK at the New York Comedy Festival in 2021, and it was an unforgettable performance, inspiring laughter and tears and wonder. I was happy to hear their voice again in this episode and the one after it.
Drove through Ireland.
Driving on the opposite side of the car and road wasn’t so bad, although my passenger will tell a different story (I guess it’s a little scarier when you’re not in control of the car that’s about to brush your side door against a wall? Who knew!). Fun fact, there are no street lights in the Irish countryside and it is completely dark when you’re driving backroads after sunset. A very calm, peaceful situation to navigate with your partner who’s convinced you’re going to side swipe a hedge! Also, yes, we did nearly get taken out by a tree branch when we were stuck behind a semi. Nothing like a shared sense of physical danger to enrich your relationship!
I was overly excited to drive our car onto a ferry, taking us across a bay that’s home to dolphins and other wildlife. We didn’t know that fact at the time though, so we didn’t spot anything because we were not looking. Next time! On our drive, we stopped by the Barack Obama Plaza, a gas station devoted to our 44th President. Apparently he has an Irish ancestor!
The other thing I appreciated about Ireland is the abundance of castles. Like every town has a castle in some state of restoration or ruin, which makes sense since towns were formed around castles back in their heyday. The one in Limerick is great because the museum it houses has big f*ck England energy, which I fully support.
Saw an overwhelming amount of art in Paris.
If you love museums and find yourself in Paris, the Paris Museum Pass is the way to go. We got a 6 day pass and saw 11 sites, which is a LOT and somehow not enough! On our 6th day, we stopped by the Musée Eugéne Delacroix and I asked Dustin if he wanted to go to the Conciergerie afterwards and he held up his finger and said, “No more MUSEUMS.” A sentiment I accepted and understood.
Ironically, I had the worst french onion soup of my life in Paris. It was at a cafe within walking distance of the Eiffel Tower that obviously benefits from tourists showing up and we were fooled into thinking we’d have decent food. It was so bad! Thankfully the cafe near our hotel never disappointed.
I would like to take this time to apologize to the sweet older French people who stopped me to ask for directions. I was of no help to you, but I was flattered that you thought I could help you. I hope you found your destination safely.
Sat on a couch in a hotel lobby in Lisbon for an entire afternoon.
I want to formally apologize to Lisbon for only giving us two nights there at the end of a two week trip because, I’m gonna be honest, I was not in an appreciative mood! My back and feet were done and I did not want to see another historical landmark or learn anything. Thankfully, we stumbled into this hotel lobby where they let us get coffee and seltzer and a cheese board and we sat there for approximately 4 hours, an entire afternoon reminiscing on the trip we were still on and making a game plan for when we returned home.
Portugal, you will see us again for a proper trip!
Climbed Mt. Rainier (partially).
Mountains seem like a happening? We partially hiked around Mt. Rainier, and by “partial hike” I mean we took a long walk with some light incline. We didn’t do a full hike because honestly, we did not prepare properly. Specifically, I forgot sunscreen and I was not about to get burnt! It turns out there is not much of shade on this particular mountain, we’ll keep that in mind for next time.
Visited Rockaway Beach for the first time and loved it.
A beach? In New York City? I assumed it would be mid but after visiting last July, I’m kicking myself for spending 6 summers in NYC without ever going out to Rockaway Beach!
I never wanted to take the L train to the beach because… I don’t know. It didn’t seem ideal. Taking the train is a commuting activity, not a beach day activity (the same could be said for a car but idc). This summer, I took the ferry with a friend and yes, it’s a journey! Yes, the journey still involves a train to and from the ferry! But honestly I’d take a summer ferry over the L train any day. Give me views and the option for fresh air! A bar and snacks for the ride! The ferry drop-off point is way less crowded than the L train drop-off point so… I will be at Rockaway Beach Summer 2023!
Spent time with friends and family.
The brightest spots of this year was the time spent with friends and family. We cooked together, ate together, drank together, saw plays and musicals, watched movies, sat on the beach, laughed a bunch, cried a bit, and found ways to show up for each other again and again.
I couldn’t imagine this year without the people who helped me through it, too many to name here, not enough photos taken (I promise I still love you even if you didn’t make the newsletter collage 😭), but if you’re in my life, I’m grateful to you. Always.
Met my friends’ offspring.
Some fresh faces joined the friends and family this year and it’s been a great joy to see these faces pop up on the gram and IRL. Thank you for letting me cuddle your babies, friends!
Received my official invite to join the Illuminati.
Cared for my mind and body.
My peloton stats are too embarrassing to share, but I did keep up my physical therapy and therapy therapy and I’m proud of myself while also being kind of bummed that… I just have to keep doing these things? Turns out, there isn’t a point where you win or graduate from taking care of yourself (although I may graduate from physical therapy this year, woohoo!)! The win I’m working towards is consistency, continuing to show up for myself and others in big and small things. I’ll keep stretching myself (literally and figuratively) in 2023.
Cooked some memorable meals.
On Christmas Eve, a few friends came over to help demolish a heaping pot of cioppino and it was delicious and messy and I think it’s going to become my yearly tradition. I’m a sheet-pan meal enthusiast and this feta and chickpeas and tomatoes recipe was so simple and perfect. This sausage and cabbage recipe was going to become a staple in our household, until I ate too many servings in a 48 hour period and found myself on the toilet until 4am. Make the dish, but be wary of how many servings of cabbage you consume in a row! Lastly, this no-recipe recipe for fish chowder was one of my favorite things to experiment with, even if not all the experiments worked out so well (whatever you do, don’t add bell peppers!).
Upgraded my bath experience.
I was gifted a bath caddy for Christmas and it has changed the game for me. In 2023, you will find me in the tub with salts and suds and my Kindle. Relatedly, I get grossed out by bathtub cleanliness and getting a dish brush to clean up the bath while I’m taking a shower has been super helpful and made cleaning the bathtub feel like less of a chore.
Made some home improvements.
While it may seem silly to “invest” in a rental, I rarely regret putting some dollars and work into making my home a place I want to be in. To every person who has complimented the bookshelves we installed this year, please keep complimenting them, it warms me every time!
For Christmas, I gave Dustin the DIY project he asked for: a projector screen! We’ve been watching movies on our wall for years but he’s always wanted to upgrade our home cinema experience. It finally happened!
Refilled my humidifier, watered my plants, cleaned the litter box, wiped down my kitchen counters, washed the bedsheets, etc. over and over and over again.
Every day there are happenings, most are so small we forget them when looking back on the 365 cumulative days someone decided to call a year. My plants are faring well, I’ll end the year with one more than I started with, a testament to the plant lights I installed, the trellises I was gifted, and the watering I’ll continue doing. My stainless steel appliances are shining because I finally figured out how to clean them. My cat has lost most of the weight the vet recommended, and he’s unhappy about it but seems to be doing well besides the crankiness.
A therapist recently told me that anything can be therapeutic if approached that way. It’s a bit of mindfulness practice really, learning how even the chores, even scrubbing the tub or the dishes can be comforting acts of self care. I’m not saying I am never annoyed by the idea of doing laundry, pissed off at the prospect of cleaning my stovetop, or exasperated by how much junk mail a person can receive in 2022. But occasionally, I get glimpses of peace in the doing, in the being, in the happening of my life.
I’m hoping for more glimpses of peace for all of us in 2023.