My Favorite Things of 2022
(Not really things)
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This is my last post of 2022.
I’m taking next week off because S+S has been going for 16 months straight. I need to heed my own advice and slow down a little bit.
I would suggest that if you can, you do the same next week.
I’ll be back in early January with a newly revamped Simple and Straightforward! I’ve got so many ideas swimming around my noggin about what to do with this newsletter. They’re slowly forming a plan and structure for 2023 — both for paid and free posts — and it’s a good one.
To keep you going next week, I’ve curated a long list of my favorite things of 2022. I always like to look back on a year and see what I’ve done, where I’ve been, and what I’ve read that has changed the way I look at the world.
Naturally, few of my favorite things are actually things - although I have included a few that I couldn’t live without.
Have a great Christmas, all.
Books
Non-fiction
Bringing up Bébé by Pamela Druckerman
The Weirdest people in the world by Joseph Henrich
Grit: The power of passion and perseverance by Angela Duckworth
Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
Fiction
Duende by Jason Webster
Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason
Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld
Beautiful world, where are you by Sally Rooney
Medium articles
Medium is where I do the majority of my reading. Yes, these articles are behind a paywall, but that means incredible writers actually get paid for their writing and that’s worth the $5 a month alone, let alone all the excellent articles you can read on the platform. If you’re not a member, you can become one here - or you can read 2 articles a month for free.
The Bar as Public Space - Mikael Colville-Andersen
At 40 I’m Starting My Career Over and I’m Terrified - Sam Dixon Brown
What’s a Sustainable Lifestyle, Really? - Melissa Frost
Why Everyone Should Apologize to You, the Night Owl, for Saving Humanity - J.J Pryor
The Obscure Minimalist Custom That Drastically Simplified My Life - Stephan Joppich
Travelers: What Are You Running Away From? - JM Riordan
12 Months of Hardcore Minimalism Changed Me - Renee Tarantowski
Life As a Minimalist Solopreneur - Niharikaa Kaur Sodhi
I Was Eddie Munson, and You Hated Me - Benjamin Sledge
The Age of Passport Apartheid Must End - Tessa Char
As the American Dream Dies, Smart Money Moves You Can Make Now - Rocco Pendola
Want to Be a Digital Nomad? Stop Overthinking. Here’s How You Start - U-Ming Lee
My Neighbor Yelled at Me and It Was Eye-Opening - Carolyn Light
Refusing to Be Your Parent’s Caregiver - Christine Schoenwald
I Didn’t Buy Anything for One Hundred Days. Here’s What I Learned - Eric Weiner
Here’s Your Secret To Success: Go The F*ck To Sleep - Ryan Holiday
It Costs A LOT More to be Cheap—Here’s a Much Better Way to Spend - Anthony J. Yeung
And two off-Medium articles that blew my mind
I wrote a story for a friend (In which I liberate the ending to Minecraft from Microsoft) - Julian Gough
Why do rich people love quiet - Xochitl Gonzalez
My articles
I’m my own worst critic, but I was actually proud of these:
"Besa" - an Albanian Word for the Lost Art of Generosity and Trust
Nobody Will Remember Your Stuff. But Hopefully They Might Remember You
Dancing like You're a Four-Year-Old Listening to Metallica
The Conundrum of Social Media vs. a Simple Life
Places
Book your flights. I’ll see you there.
Tbilisi, Georgia
Porto, Portugal
Tirana, Albania
Zagreb, Croatia
Rome, Italy
Jerez, Spain
Food eaten (and where)
Turkish Ezme salad at Çiya Sofrası, Istanbul
Georgian khinkali (dumplings) at Amo Rame, Tbilisi
Croissants at Brites bakery, Porto
Bifanas (spicy pork sandwiches) at Conga, Porto
Seafood at the Company Shed, Mersey Island, UK
Souvlaki in Tirana, Albania
Roman pizza at Bonci Pizzarium, Rome
Cacio e pepe at Piatto Romano, Rome
Tortllita de camarones (shrimp fritters) at El Faro, Cadiz
No-compromise favorite items
They never change year after year and will never leave my side:
10-year-old 11-inch Macbook Air
Kindle
CBD vape pen
Foam earplugs
Bullet journal
Allbirds sneakers
And finally
This guy:
He’s the husband who edits all my articles, holds my hand when I’m sad, calls me out on my bullshit and travels the world with me.
As cheesy as it is, he’s the very best thing about 2022.
People always are.
Love it :-)
And why Sam is the best, I get that too. Happy Holidays you wonderful humans!
Happy holidays and a well-deserved break, Charlie!