Here we go! In a few days’ time, we’ll be saying goodbye to 2023, and I have to confess that I’m feeling a bit down after a year incredibly rich in new experiences! This morning, I was meditating quietly and thinking about the year that had just gone by. I soon realized that it was time to write a blog post to share with you my assessment of 2023: my feelings, my achievements, my areas for improvement…
Already, 2023 was a special year even before it began, as it marked my 10th anniversary in Nice and on the Côte d’Azur in general. In the final analysis, it marked quite an unexpected turning point in my life.
So I wrote down on a piece of paper everything I managed to achieve this year, but also what I was less successful at and what I should improve on. Let’s take a closer look.
1. I quit my job
I began 2023 under the yoke of stress: my main preoccupation was professional. I’d been with the same company for 6 years and I had this feeling that I’d come full circle and was no longer evolving. I had the opportunity to leave once, but fear had taken over again. This time, it was the right one and I didn’t miss it… Still with fear in my stomach but, in the end, you have to know how to let go and trust life and the universe.
I was able to take a “rupture conventionnelle” and leave with peace of mind to go 100% freelance in digital marketing. Fortunately, I’d already had clients since 2018. So I’m starting a new chapter in my life, and I don’t yet know where it’s going to lead. In any case, this new freelance life means I can work from anywhere and discover new coffee shops in Nice!
2. I discovered Heels Dance in Nice
For those of you who follow my instagram account, you must have seen several videos of heels dance classes in Nice… Maybe a little too many haha. More seriously, this practice has totally changed the person I am.
In life, we all try to find an activity, a passion where we can feel truly aligned with our inner self… Dancing has always allowed me to feel this alignment. Alas, with studies, work, daily life… I stopped for many years until my body let me know!
So I took part in a HEELS workshop in July 2022, even though I’d never danced in heels before. Conclusion: it was love at first sight. So I started dancing in heels with Maeva at Arty Studio (in heels and Latin dance) in September 2022, then with Inass at Sopolendance in February 2023. I rediscovered the alignment that pushes me to surpass myself and give it my all, so every Thursday and Friday evening of the 1st half of 2023, I practiced, practiced and practiced, not to mention the private classes I booked and all the workshops in Nice and Paris… To finally be ready for the preparation of the Gala that will have marked the end of a very rewarding year of dance in Nice.
What I loved most was seeing my evolution in dance this year. I felt myself progressing and gaining confidence. It’s been a great personal achievement and it doesn’t stop there. Practising Heels has given me the desire to move to London to progress even further.
3. I’m leaving Nice to live in London
London, along with dancing, will have been the most memorable experience of this year 2023 and I thank the Heels for that as it was the trigger for this trip. Once again, I let my intuition guide me. In addition to having a close friend who lived in London for 8 years, I meet 2 people in 2022 who have also lived in London. Knowing how I work and paying attention to the signs that life places in my path, I’m sure I’ll have to take a trip there… The more I improve in heels, the more I feel the need to leave France and go to a city where judgment is less present, a city where you can really be yourself. The only condition was to stay in Europe. Result: London is the perfect city for this.
So I left on August 7, solo as usual, with a big suitcase, intending to stay for 1 month, but in the end I ended up staying for 3 months. 3 months in which I was totally immersed in dance, with 3 classes a week in the biggest London studios: base studio, pineapple, the manor ldn… The shock was brutal on my arrival. I found myself up against professionals who made me doubt my place. But in the end, it inspired me more than anything else, and I persevered like never before to make progress. The expression “cut your brain out” took on its full meaning in London, as I let go of everything and greatly improved my concentration to be able to retain a one minute 30 minute choreography learned in 1 hour of classes.
I’ve talked a lot about heels in two paragraphs, but let me reassure you, my London experience wasn’t all about dancing! I was also able to discover a new culture, meet some superb people, visit some incredible museums, go back to school… I detail everything in my last article about my stay in London.
4. I improved my English like never before
My London experience also made me feel much more at ease in the language of Shakespeare after spending 3 months there. As well as having foreign flatmates, I signed up for a month-long intensive course at Speak Up London. This school enabled me to practice my English almost every day with top-quality teachers. It really helped me to improve my English, but not only that! Having a London boyfriend helps even more. In fact, I’d go so far as to say it’s helped me the most. By dint of practicing and listening in English, my ear has become totally accustomed to it and I’m much more at ease in discussions. I’m not fluent yet, but with practice and daily exercise I hope to be one day.
5. I fell in love with Edinburgh
One of my fondest memories of 2023. I’d always dreamed of going to Scotland, and more specifically, I hoped to visit Edinburgh one day. I’d never seen a photo of the city, so the surprise was even more incredible once I got there. I found the city full of charm, very sophisticated and really pretty. I was impressed by the old town, which is set high up. It really reminded me of the città alta in Bergamo, Italy, a village also perched on high ground. I was also very surprised by the proximity of nature and the hills surrounding the city. It reminded me of the Baou de St Jeannet overlooking the Alps. Finally, I was surprised by the proximity of the sea, which is only 30 minutes away by bus. Truly, this trip was a wonderful surprise!
6. I made a solitary escape to the Pays de Fayence
Before leaving for London, I spent 4 days on my own in the Pays de Fayence, where I visited the pretty villages of Fayence, Callians and Tourrettes. I stayed in a lovely Airbnb 5 minutes from Callians at Erika’s house. I loved going off on my own again, even though it was only 1h30 from Nice, and I loved driving on the roads of Fayence, which gave me a great feeling of freedom. It was a foretaste of my trip to London.
7. I developed my Love-ly-south website
In 2023, I continued to develop my love-ly-south site by writing new content about new food addresses and my life as a southerner in general. This year, my site was also translated into English, doubling my traffic from one year to the next and getting me noticed by some of the media. I was contacted by the “RDV sur la prom” media to produce my first love-ly-south podcast, sharing my experience as a former Parisian who had moved to Nice.
I also prepared a month’s worth of newsletters during my stay in London. This enabled me to keep in touch with southerners and increase the number of subscribers to my news. It’s pretty cool!
8. I played less sport
My new life as a digital nomad has clearly had an impact on my sporting activities. After leaving the metropolitan cap 3000 club last April, I joined the fitness park for 3 months and ended up moving to London. I’m still doing my cardio abdo sessions on youtube at home, but I’m less motivated than before. I was lucky enough to have access to the little gym on the upper riverside in Greenwich for a few weeks during my stay in London. I went every day. Then I had to give up my accommodation and therefore access to the gym… and my little belly is feeling it :/
Objective 2024: to re-join the gym and set up a sporting discipline.
9. I’ve delayed my digital training courses
We often idealize the freelance life, but I can assure you that the workload is even greater than that of a salaried employee. You have to be up to date all the time on the latest tools from Google and others, and that means training. This year, I perfected my SEO skills with a 10-hour training course. Other digital marketing training awaits me, which I’ve postponed until early 2024. This new year is likely to be very studious for me (at least, at the start of the year).
How would you sum up 2023? Is it positive? Negative?
