As the end of 2018 nears, the year didn’t pan out that well for me looking back. I experienced my first flight cancellation, suffered from impaired vision while on holiday and still experiencing the sequela now, sprained my ankle for the first time in a decade, and nowhere close to fulfilling my 2018 new year’s resolution.

The year started on a positive note when I promised myself that I’d become a better cook by the end of the year. This idea was inspired by the Tasmanian road trip I took last December where I realized cooking wasn’t as easy as I thought it’d be. Given that I haven’t worked the stove in 5 years, I should have known better that I’d fail spectacularly. And failed I did.

My travels this year weren’t that smooth-sailing either. I have always been pretty lucky with flights in the past, experiencing nary a delay much less a cancellation. But in Scandinavia, I got one of my flights cancelled on while I was in the transit area. Being new to all this, I immediately rebooked myself on another airline, burning a hole in my wallet in the process.

The spate of bad luck continued on my next trip. I survived a week in China climbing mountains with an eye infection which marred the vacation slightly though I could have as easily lost my sight. While the infection is gone now, the damage has been done – the occasional blurry vision and the accompanying migraine persist.

Misfortunes come in threes and shortly after returning, I sprained my ankle while walking down the stairs; it had been almost 10 years since I’ve last twisted my ankle. This wouldn’t have been much of a concern in normal circumstances except that I was a month away from the closing of my annual fitness test window and 2 from a half-marathon.

As the unfortunate year draws to a close, I’m still grateful for a few things. Despite all the physical setbacks, I remained in fairly good shape even if I didn’t exactly perform up to expectations at the half-marathon. Amid all the bustle of the year, I got promoted too, albeit a modest one. I’m also thankful for friends who keep in contact after all these years with some friendships stretching back almost 2 decades.

Hopefully, I’ve turned the corner and may 2019 be a luckier year!