Getting back to (the new) normal

As we get ready to welcome the new year, it's always nice to look at the year that was.

"New Normal" is a term that's been around since the later part of 2020, but it was this year that it felt like we were really moving in to it.

With the travel rules easing, masking becoming optional, and more people going out, it started to feel like the world was going back to what it used to be. But of course, there were still indicators of the pandemic - people still wearing masks, the reluctance to remove masks in public places, the practice of social distancing, and the feeling of overall cautiousness.

Personally, we started to go to the office more often. Our shoots were a bit more relaxed, sans the face shields but still with a lot of swab tests. Meeting up with friends became a tad (just a tad) bit more frequent. And yes, this was the year that I was able to travel again.

First, it was to Bicol with the family. That was the first domestic trip. 

Second, Mark and I were able to go to Seoul before the year ended. That was a special trip in a lot of ways.

And as 2023 comes rolling along, it feels like we'll start to do a bit more "normal" things. Hopefully, with more confidence and less reluctance.

Thanks for easing us to a new sense of normalcy, 2022. And we're hoping for a better a more "normal-normal" 2023!