Things that made me happy in 2023

Running shoes I got into serious running towards the end of last year, dedicating about 30 minutes to each run, three times a week. Being quite prone to notions, I hesitated to invest in proper running shoes until I was certain that running would become a consistent part of my routine. During this time, I made do with my hiking shoes, but their weight wasn’t ideal for my ankles. It wasn’t until the day before my second 5k race that I finally decided to purchase a pair of Hoka Clifton 9s. I figured completing two races was a significant commitment to warrant new shoes. The experience of running in them was blissful – it felt like gliding on clouds and with them I hit a new personal best.

Small pan Too much hassle to wash a big pan just to fry a single egg. Surprisingly though the small pan has also been great for cooking most meals for two.

Journal Over the last couple of years, I’ve been committed to journaling in a passport-sized Traveler’s Notebook as a way to encourage the habit. Choosing a smaller journal was deliberate on my part. The blank pages of larger journals felt intimidating and made it harder to be consistent. The shift to smaller notebooks erased the fear of putting pen to paper, gradually replaced by a growing desire to write more. Opted for a dotted Leuchtturm1917 in a size B6 to explore this newfound enthusiasm. So far so good!

Kindle I’ve had a Kindle 10th Gen since 2020 and I’ve noticed a significant uptick in my reading habits since adding this device to my life. Lately, though, it’s been showing signs of lag and occasional unresponsiveness even after freeing up storage. Not enough to justify an upgrade but definitely one of those things I would easily replace if it ever decides to completely give up on me.

Blender Nine and I lived without one for many years but we thought why deprive ourselves of smoothies any longer.

Japanese mug My morning coffee is a daily ritual and it just doesn’t feel right if it’s not in my own mug. I didn’t bring one with me when I left Malaysia. I never anticipated how much of a difference it would make when you find yourself far from everything familiar, and your only source of comfort is the assurance that your mug will be there each morning. The same mug you’ve been using since you moved out of your family home. Not wanting to settle for just any mug, I decided I’d find something special during a visit to Nine in Geneva. There, I found a store offering an assorted range of Japanese art and housewares, including beautifully hand-painted mugs. Many of the patterns looked similar but none two were completely alike. Whichever one I chose, there would not be another of its kind. I left with two of what I thought would look great as a pair. These mugs now hold new memories for us, one we can cling to no matter where life takes us.

Tiny spatula Before I even got the small pan, Nine bought me a tiny, beveled spatula, and it turned out to be the perfect companion. I’ve never quite figured out the purpose of the beveled part, but using it has been a joy for almost everything in the kitchen. Well, almost everything – it’s not the best for flipping a fried egg. Burned my fingers a few times trying to rescue the egg from slipping off the spatula.

Monitor There is life before a monitor and after a monitor and once you know what that’s like, it really is impossible to go back to relying solely on the laptop screen. One of the first few items I acquired after my first internship paycheque so that I can work better so that my work is better so that work will keep paying me.

Running cap This one was a bit of a splurgy purchase but honestly blown away by Ciele’s quality and design. Fits my head perfectly, wears comfortably, no trapped heat issues, and does an excellent job at keeping the sweat from dripping down my face. Totally worth it!

Bus card Pay €17 for the card once and never worry about bus fares again, no matter where you need to go in the country. I’ve gotten so much use out of it that it took me less than three months to feel like I got my money’s worth. Malta being as small as it is, most things happen in the city, so there are plenty of buses heading that way. It’s super convenient, especially since I don’t drive here. Free public transportation really makes it easy to show up for things.