Recap of 2022 (part 2)

Part 1 here.

I guess part 1 was about 2021 and background context lol, so this is the actual start.

So yeah, league of legends every day. Averaged around 500 steps per day in January. Every day I would wake up, play league of legends, breakfast, league, lunch, league, dinner, league, sleep. Some bathroom breaks here and there. Maybe shoveling snow here and there too. I told myself that this is a deserved break after everything in 2021. But how long will it last? Was I addicted?

I had big ambitions in the last few years about improving my running. But I did not exercise a single time. Might be the first time in my life that ever happened in a calendar month. I did not feel that bad. I was playing league all day lol. Except on Sunday evenings, a few hours before a course I took had something due. Was pretty simple buzzer-beater type submission lol.

This continued in February. I guess until labor day week, when I realized the break should now be over. I should find out what I want in life, my purpose, etc. So I decided to plan some things. Maybe I should do something cool every day and document it. One of them was to visit every subway station in the city. The other one is to stay up 24 hours in a row. Another one is to walk 24 hours straight (or at least be outside). That’s like 0–100 mentality.

But it only lasted for like a week. Then back to league of legends again. This time around I think I did a run or two lol. And some exercise bike sessions.

In March, this continued. My relatives visited a bit, and I guess they asked my dad what’s going on. Of course he mentioned to them that I literally do not exercise anymore and played league all day in my room. Yeah, my parents were not too happy about that. But somehow, they allowed me to do it. I of course had no idea what else to do in life. Was I still burned out? Probably not. But I was still playing league every day. Not even listening to Olivia Rodrigo or Taylor Swift.

In 4 months, I was literally going on my own, living in Seattle, and hopefully living a nice adult life, but at the moment, in March, it felt like this might last forever? Kind of wasting these 7 months of nothingness. Most people would travel or do new cool stuff. I would love to do that. Travel, try new things out (like what I pointed out in February), but somehow the mind controls the body, and did not allow a lot of these things.

It was a random moment. Maybe in the last week of March. It was a pretty nice day outside.I decided to do my usual 7 mile routine run. And as I am writing this recap, that was by far the hardest run I did all year. Harder than a 2:47 marathon. Harder than the spartan run. At the half way point, my legs, core, and part of my back was burning. A lot of pain. Sore. I guess that’s what happens when I don’t exercise/run for 3 straight months.

But I did it. Although I had to take the next few days off. It felt like a shimmer of hope. I was able to break through my league addiction? And run.

I guess that era of league of legends was over. I didn’t stop or anything, but from this point on, everything changed.

Also I probably didn’t point this out and super embarrassed to type this out, but at max I would take a bath/shower twice a week during these times. Washed my hair at max 2 times a month. And this was the peak of my long-hairiness, pretty much hair that touched my mid-back. I don’t recall the exact days, but I remember being the stereotypical person who stays in room a day long gamer thing. Smelly. Though it was not that bad until the upcoming months when everything marinated and the room smelled really really bad. Ugh.

Well luckily that was over. I decided to do some new stuff. I walked to downtown Toronto one day and did a bunch of stuff there then walked back home. Over 20 miles for the day. Legs were super sore. But it was something I always wanted to do! I did this many many times from March to June! (only 1 way to be time efficient but still be optimally personally fulfilled)

The pride parade was cool, first time happening since 2019 that I was able to attend / walk to. I started volunteering again. I guess I didn’t want to do the food bank stuff again since I felt like that chapter of my life was over, and wanted less interaction I guess. I did tree planting and forestry stewardship stuff for the city of Toronto like once a week or so. Pretty fun, but won’t burn me out or anything.

I didn’t really use the exercise bike too much but I started to run again. Still the same olivia Rodrigo / dua lipa playlist routine which I had since May 2021. Sometimes with some taylor swift (Red TVI. I guess I was desparate for new music lol, new music that I can listen to forever when running and felt nice.

I guess it’s also good to mention that I was back to showering daily every day lol. Though my hair was still an issue (to most people aside from myself). Getting longer and longer. Have not been cut for like over 2 years, not even a trim to tidy things up.

Also did a lot of things with friends. Elementary, high school, and university friends! Got to watch sports (Leafs first round routine, Raptors stuff), do other nice activities like mini golf. Collaborated with SOMA a bunch which was REALLY HYPE! Watched movies like Morbius and Sonic, Dr Strange. Ate a lot of nice food. A decent amount of bubble tea. Did stuff with Mathush and Roji and Ajax, ball runs, super fun followed by food and boba! Went to some starter hacks thing. Visited waterloo a few times to hang out with friends. A few nice escape rooms. Go Kart. Bingz. Jolibee. Chick Fil a. Popeyes Probably forgot to mention a ton of stuff. Also SIUUUUUUing a bunch. That was the best. Esepcially the final SIUUUU I did with my friends.

Did lots of fun stuff with family too. Visited Ottawa during long weekend. Brantford. General weekend trip stuff. A week in Banff. Very cool.

For running, despite barely any training, (barely ran 7 miles end of March lol). I ran a half marathon and 10k in May. Haven’t ran those since mid 2019 and 2018 respectively. So they were free PRs. Not a huge improvement (I ran faster in training runs in 2019/2020/2021 lol). But it felt good to know I wa sin ok shape. I believe end 2019 was a big peak in my running when I was doing a bunch of track workouts too. So I guess that’s my benchmark.

Oh yeah one of the highlights was definitely finessing Planet Fitness free youth summer gym program. No ID needed for the location I went to. Went with my good friend Thomas almost every day to work out there. Afterwards we would grab some OP food. Nice Poke place. Deer Garden. Wendy’s. Tim’s (shoutout to their app lol). JCP. Lol I remember trying to 5-year anniversary runback family meal of Popeye’s. I finished everything but the biscuits and some fries. Better than last time. A bunch of nice boba.

Overall that was a really fun time. I probably forgot a bunch of other fun times. But for May-June-July, I accomplished what I wanted to do in February — do something new and cool every day. My upper body was nicer because of it. I was nowhere near back in shape, but I was still running like 5 timees a week like around 30–40 miles per week. The days of Jan-March were no more. Me not being able to run as nice was still felt, but I was very thankful that I was out of that zone.

Of course graduation. Was kind of fun. Had covid on that day (found out late at night). Sore throat all over destruction. But was really fun with my mom and sister eating at lone star that night (their first time) — some solid tex mex. And then got a really nice Coco boba deal — brown sugar pearl milk tea for like under $4. Very fun very fun, and memorable.

Got a switch impulsively and got to play fall guys and fortnite with my friends. Was very fun, very cool. Still don’t have a official Switch game to this date. But all good. Still nice.

Thomas’ brother Dr. Nick opened his own chiropractor office so I saw him a few times, to fix up my back nicely. That was fun too.

Got a haircut at the end of April. It was a (layered) trim. No more ponytails!!! Well at least for the next month. Was not a short haircut, not even close, still pretty long. But for the first week, the style was very nice thanks to the product the salon used. I also learned how to take care of my hair a bit better. No more 2 in 1 stuff. Gotta wash hair twice then conditioner. Learned how hair worked better, why I was losing more hair than before. Learned how to wrap my hair with towel nicely after showering. All that. I was a scrub, all I knew in the past was a buzz cut thing.

Not sure if I am writing too much. But hopefully this is it. I did so many more things. But overall enjoyed the last 3 months before Seattle a lot. The final months in Toronto for a while. Moving was a bit nerve-wracking and aside from co workers, I did not know anyone there. I guess that was part of the reason I wanted to go to Seattle — somewhere a bit new and figure out most things on my own. Probably one of my strengths in life so far Is that I am pretty independent.

I guess part 3 here, where I’ll talk about the rest of the year.