After two years of the pandemic, 2022 felt like a return to a normal that was new. Below are some of my highs from the past year. The pandemic gave me Covid-19, but it also heightened my appreciation for being in the presence of others. I recall delighting in real time in each of the moments in this retrospective.
Five days in London with Mom, Stacy and Dan
Seven days in Kiawah Island with Mom, Stacy, Dan, Andrew, Maddie, Josh, Katie and Noa
150 days in Hilton with Krista, Tesse, Olympus, Saxa, Puppy and Finny
Imagining that President Zelenskyy of Ukraine might be a relative
A walk in the Mondi plantation with Krista, Pete, Sue and Tesse
Seeing Puppy outside the window of my office
Mixed doubles with Mom, Stacy and Dan for Mom’s 80th birthday
Standing on the floor of the House of Commons
Touring Lord’s cricket ground with Dan and Calum
Talking cricket with Pete, Sue and Connor
Trying pickleball for the first time
Eating one entire pizza apiece with Mom, Stacy and Dan at L’Antica Pizzeria in Marylebone
Finding a water bottle that I like
A new, soft mouthguard to prevent me from grinding my teeth at night
Losing a few pounds after snacking less
Seeing “Top Gun: Maverick” with Mom at the Manor Theatre
Watching giraffes watch me, on a game reserve in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province
Walking with Mom and Stacy around the reservoir at Highland Park
Getting a bivalent Covid-19 booster
Then getting Covid nearly there years into the pandemic
Testing negative for Covid 11 days after testing positive
Watching alternating episodes of “The Crown” and “Harry & Meghan” with Krista
Dinner at Nando’s for three consecutive nights in Shoreditch
A one-night vacation in Durban with Krista
Heading home via the Merritt Parkway on an August evening after a day of house hunting in Connecticut, listening to Stevie Wonder BBC News and the Yankees, and then seeing the spires of Manhattan with their airplane lights that blink red, towering in the hazy purple twilight as I drive over the last hill in the Bronx.