My 2023 in Review (300th Post)

I can’t believe I’m writing my 300th post! Usually, my yearly review is the last post of the year. But since it’s my 300th, I wanted to make it more personal and less financial.

2023 was another “interesting year”, so to speak. I’m not certain of how I will remember this year. Only time will tell I guess.

I feel like I’ve been in a tunnel since 2020. The lingering pandemic accounts for much of that. It’s been challenging, but I made it through. I survived. And now I feel like I’ve finally exited the tunnel.

Without further ado, here is where I am at as 2023 is coming to a close.

Here’s what I wanted to do at the beginning of the year, and how it actually unfolded.

Rebuild My Social Life- In Progress

The pandemic hit me hard, socially-speaking. I lost a lot of friends and my social life went in free fall. I found myself very isolated at times, as I don’t have family here.

It took some time for activities and meet-up groups to resume, here. Meet-up has always been an important part of my social life. I found a few local groups in my area, and attended a few events. Friendship takes time, however.

Spend Christmas in France- Pass

Unfortunately, it won’t happen this year. I resumed working in July, and doesn’t have enough vacation at this stage. Not to mention the plane tickets for this period are expansive.

Resume Traveling- Done

2023 marked the return to international travel for the first time since 2019. Although I went to France in 2021 and 2022, I don’t really consider it traveling. For me, traveling means visiting a new country.

I spent 2 weeks in Guatemala and really enjoyed it. My Spanish nicely came back, which was a pleasant surprise.

Switch Careers- Pass

I thought I was done with Accounting. I’ve worked in this field since 2010. It has served me very well, both financially and career-wise. I’ve had never had any trouble finding work, including in the dab of the pandemic.

Back in 2017, I explored the possibility of becoming and ESL teacher. I even became certified to do so. However, I never got around to looking for a job in this field until 2020. The pandemic made things very challenging, as being an ESL teacher would require me to leave Canada – as a non-native speaker, finding a job teaching English in Canada isn’t really possible-.

So, this plan was put on the back burner, until 2022. Last year was really difficult for me, professionally. I quit 2 jobs. I started questioning my professional identity. The idea of uprooting my life and starting over overseas came back.

In the Fall of 2022, I did extensive research on my options. Since I had no experience in this field, I decided to do a trial by volunteering overseas, namely in Guatemala. I also wanted to ensure that it’s something I could do long-term.

I enjoyed my volunteer experience, although it was a lot of unpaid work, as the non-profit I did this with didn’t have many resources. I enjoyed working with the kids, and this is something I can see myself doing.

So what happened, you might rightfully ask.

Jury Duty Summons and Further Thinking

Shortly after returning from Guatemala, I received a summons for jury duty. It put me in total limbo for 6 weeks.

I couldn’t make any plans, as I didn’t know if I would be selected or not.

In hindsight, it wasn’t a bad thing. I started doing some further number-crunching, which I had neglected to fully do. I also realized that I wasn’t ready to uproot my life based on a 2-week experience.

I decided to find a 1 year contract and that I would rent-out my unit while I was away.

I found a contract, despite being a non-native speaker, however the renting numbers didn’t add-up.

Because I don’t have anyone here, I would have had to hire a property manager. These people charge money, 10% of the rent on average. I would have also incurred some storage fees, as I would have kept my belongings.

All in all, the rental income and my salary wouldn’t have been enough to cover my expenses both in Canada and overseas. I also would have had some upfront expenses that I couldn’t cover. I didn’t have enough money, as I wasn’t working.

The salary offered was also low, given my credentials. An ESL teacher isn’t the same as a certified/licensed teacher. I was aware of this, but I guess until I wasn’t actually confronted with it, I thought it wouldn’t bother me. But it did.

I’ll write more about this in a separate post.

In the end, I decided to stay in Vancouver and to look for an Accounting role. I found a job in June, but most importantly, I found the right professional fit. I enjoy the role and the people I work with. The salary and benefits are also great, an added bonus.

My 2 previous jobs definitely had a negative impact on me. It contributed to some of my confusion. I realized that at this stage of my career, I’m looking for more than just a paycheck and benefits.

Financial Impact

Being a PF blogger, I have to talk about money at some point.

This year, I didn’t work for 6 months. I’m glad and immensely grateful that I could afford not to work. However, my cash reserves were all gone when I landed my current job.

I am in the process of rebuilding these. I also saw a spike in costs and expenses. I’ll write more in a separate post as well.

Final Word

Overall, I would say this year was challenging in general. But I needed to go through this. I needed clarity and a sense of direction. I needed time to think and focus. I needed a break. I needed to prioritize my mental health.

I can’t wait for 2024 though. I want to move on and forward.