Recap your year in photos! #challenge #2022Recap

[AdrianLunsong]

Hey Local Guides!! If you’re like me, you’re probably getting a few emails from various companies/apps showing you a recap of your year using their services (waves to YouTube Music!)… so I thought, maybe we could do a simple and fun challenge to mark the end of 2022 by doing a recap of our journey through 2022 using just 4 photos!

Here are the simple rules:

• Pick FOUR photos that you took this year in 2022 that represents your year! So, these are four photos that are really special and means something to you!
• The photo can be of anything (a selfie, a food pic, a view from your holiday, etc). Obviously, keep to the Community guidelines.
• You can post each photo separately or put them in a collage (see my example below in the comments)
• Add a simple caption to your photo and/or add some text in your comment to explain what each of the photos mean
• Tag just FOUR (or less) Local Guides to join in the challenge!

Some tips/suggestions on choosing your photos:

• You can split your year into 4 quarters (e.g. Jan-March, April-Jun, July-Sept and Oct-Dec) and pick a photo that represent each quarter
• Pick momentous occasions like a birthday celebration, a family/friends reunion, a remembrance of a loved one that’s gone, a new addition to the family, a graduation, a new job, moving to a new place… just think back to everything that’s happened in the past 12 months and what are the first 4 things that really stood out for you. Now check to see if you took a photo to mark that memory!
• You can restrict this to just Local Guides activities so it doesn’t need to be personal! It’s entirely up to you! Maybe you’ve gained a new level in the program, made a new friend, earned a new badge? Take screenshots and use them as your final selection.

Anyway, I hope that you’ll find this challenge interesting! You have the rest of 2022 to figure out what photos can adequately represent your year! Remember, only 4 photos are required and they need to be taken by you and during this year! Good luck and have fun!!

[AdrianLunsong]

So, I’ve chosen these four photos that marked different big moments in my life this year! In no particular order…

Top left: This was taken at KLIA airport on my way to Miri, Sarawak to explore the city with other Local Guides. It was the first time for me in Miri and it was great fun hanging out with the other Local Guides! This represents the Local Guides part of my life!

Bottom left: In 2021, I decided to move back to Malaysia to see if I could spend more time with my parents (by being physically closer i.e. we’re in the same country!). Finding a suitable job was difficult and in the end, I ended up at Dyson where I worked until the end of August 2022. It was a tough year of getting used to the weather, the different work culture, the different time zones in my project team, moving to a new place and having to literally start from scratch all over again. I was basically a ‘foreigner’ in my own home country! Anyway, this picture was taken at Dyson’s Family Day where I brought my neighbour and his daughter as my guests. My neighbour, Muru, and his family have been very supportive since I was on my own and completely clueless about life in Malaysia! So I chose this picture to represent my work at Dyson which I really enjoyed and also to acknowledge my lovely neighbours!

Bottom right: I took this picture with my mum at The Jewel, which is this new extension at Singapore’s Changi Airport. We had gone to Singapore to visit my sister just before I was to fly back to the UK. She had not visited this place before and it is stunning! But the picture is not just about The Jewel. It represents the time that I got to spend with my parents which I shall forever cherish and is the main reason why I wanted to move back to Malaysia. I had a great time with them and I hope that 2023 will allow me to make even more happy memories with them!

Top right: I took this photo a few days after arriving back in Manchester! I’ve been in the UK since 2000 so I’ve actually spent more time in the UK than in Malaysia. Coming back was really weird because things were familiar but not the same and it took me a while to readjust. UK will always be a home away from home for me so it is nice to be back here again and I’m thankful for my time spent here!

And that’s it! There’s been lots of things going in my life for 2022 and I think these four photos capture the essence of 2022 quite succinctly for me! I hope you’ve enjoyed this personal sharing of mine!

I’m going to tag @PeteMHW , @SP31 , @OliverKIWI and @Ewaade_3A to come join in this photo recap! Looking forward to what you all have to share!

[OliverKIWI]

Challenge accepted! @AdrianLunsong #challenge #2022Recap *** I don’t normally do selfie***

2022 is a special year. I started my new job as a teacher - teaching visual arts and technology. I have my moments in 2022. Some fun ones, some more challenging ones. I strongly believe this recap is profoundly meaningful. It’s a time for us to be mindful and check our path.

After winning Guiding Star 2021, I must say I was slow down for a bit. However, I do keep a very close tie with other fellow LGs on other platforms such as Instagram and Telegram. Thank you for tagging me:) I hope more LGs can join us!

Here is my 2022. Well, this is just a teaser. I will start another thread and won’t steal your thunder here:)

[jayasimha78]

@AdrianLunsong Another Challenge! Accepted.

2022 is an interesting year, I was able to resume Travel, even though there were some restrictions begining of the year. Visited 3 National Parks, we made a family vacation trip to Spain (Mallorca, Madrid, Vallencia and Barcelona). Unplanned trip to India to visit my mother who fell and fractured her leg. Visit to my 2nd daughters graduation from college.

All these travel created quite a bit of activity related to Local Guides!

Top Left: [Quarter 1] Feb 19th: This was selfie during a Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco. Most of the Parades and other street events resumed this year, after a two year break due to Covid. My Photogrphy hobby is back in almost full swing due to this activity.

Top Right: [Quarter 2] May 13th: Visited my 2nd daughters graduations in San Diego. With both daughters graduated I can stop paying tuition!

Bottom Left: [Quarter 3] Aug 7th: Family selfie on our last day of 10 day trip to Spain, captured in La Rambla, Barcelona

Bottom Right: [Quarter 4] Nov 26th: Captured during a Road trip to Avenue of Giants and Redwood National Park, That’s me sitting inside a Redwood Tree.

[AdamGT]

I’m not really into selfies @AdrianLunsong but had to take quite a few recently for the BIG 2022 Guiding Stars event, and I have to add, because of COVID, I haven’t been out much or travelled since February/March 2020. So I guess my photo above, one out of the many taken for 2022 Guiding Stars, represents the 2022 highlight for me. Being nominated and selected as a Guiding Star is a great honor!

Once again I say, to the Local Guide(s) that nominated me, thank you. To the Guiding Star Selection Committee, thank you! I’m truly honored that out of some 160+ million Local Guides you chose me to be one of the 54, Guiding Stars of 2022. I’m truly honored for this prestigious recognition.

Wishing all you awesome people, a happy, safe and festive holiday season, and an awesome year ahead, full of love, joy, happiness, good healthy and prosperity.

[Ewaade_3A]

Awww…

Adrian, this is a very emotional post to me. Thanks for the tag. Arggghhh

2022…

First, I want to comment on the photos here!

Your Mum looks so good! You have great genes, Adrian.

On the cover photo, my favorite photo is the one you have a beanie on @AdrianLunsong

@OliverKIWI woohooo, you took on teaching Wow! I have to thank Adrian for this post. I mean; you are one of the most patient I have seen in explaining and how you take your time to understand and know people are different is amazing!

Your students are lucky to have you, brother

@jayasimha78 you are the master of every challenge! Your collage is gorgeous. I will love to see a standalone photo of you at your daughter’s graduation, please

Congratulations, Jay! You are the Father of a whole human who has a Baccalaureate . I am proud on your behalf. we should emulate you and continue to contribute no matter how far we go in life…

I will add my photos in my next comment since it’s a challenge, it has to be done properly and I will confer with the four people I want to tag. I don’t want anyone ruining the chain.

[Ewaade_3A]

Beautiful way to end the year. I will be adding my photos here when I get in front of my computer.

The cat in your signature makes me smile always. It’s 8:02a.m. here, later.

@AdrianLunsong

The first picture is one that almost everyone has seen by now, it is an Art I created to reflect how I feel about the immense love I have received this year;

• The first lesson I learnt in the year 2022 is that; people love me a lot! Like; people just meet me and want to be kind to me! People will go extra miles just to ensure I never had a reason to cry. For some reasons, I can share some photos here, but I will give you two instances. On the 6th of January, 2022, my Surgeon had come to review me and check if I was prepared for surgery. He went through the items on the checklist one after the other and got to ‘blood donor’. “Have you gotten two blood donors? Has blood being deposited to the blood bank for you?”; he asked. My answer was; “No”. I had one hour to get blood from two donors else my surgery would be postponed. In less than 45 minutes, 6 people had come for just me! I made two calls only. I was in a place I had not been since 2004! The second instance is of moving out of my temporary shelter on the 1st of January this year without an idea of where to go and with a growth that seriously restricted my movement, I was taken in by Friars! I was the only female in a shelter reserved for just males of a religious order. So many, many other issues…

• Due to inactivity for almost 5 months, I gained a lot of weight. I have always being one to speak against abuse, especially body shaming! Well, I got to experience first hand what people who are overweight go through! I loved the weight though, I have lost most of it and back to being a size 10. The lesson I learnt from this experience was still a lesson of kindness, after I left the Friars, I was taken in by someone who had no idea I assisted, she gave me lots of love, care and attention, I guess it was only natural to gain weight.

• Putting so much work into something and suddenly seeing that it’s all gone! I woke up on September 4, 2022 to receive a prompt on my Tiktok account that my account had been permanently banned How?! Adrian, I just hit 40000 followers a day before! I thought it was a joke. I began to read, research, ask questions. Everyone who wanted to help, requested a fee. I wrote and wrote, installed and uninstalled by Tiktok several times, watched almost all videos. I thought it was all over, I opened my Tiktok on the 15th of October, to receive the message on the bottom left! I could not contain my joy even though my followers had reduced.

• This year was the manifestation of; “Ho, every one that thirsts, come you to the waters, and he that has no money; come you, buy, and eat; yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” for me. I got spoiled by friends and went to many choice locations! I can not share all since we are capping at 4. I shared this particular one of all my experiences because I have always wanted to swim in a beach, but never got the courage to go in. I did this time and got a shot!

I am tagging; @AZ_2021 Ashley, @LuigiZ @Ale_003 and @JustJake to participate in this challenge. Hello, Adrian wants 4 pictures that will serve as recap of Year 2022. I know it’s a tall order, but please give it a shot. Thank you.

[Sophia_Cambodia]

Great initiative @AdrianLunsong I would like to join in here too.

Big congratulation to @OliverKIWI and @jayasimha78 you have been doing wonderful on your part

For me, 2022 is truly a blessing year for many reasons, but more personal!

1. I had a chance to see tulip farm in Washington (top right photo), a place of my dream since childhood with my then boyfriend and my mother.
2. I have been invited to be one of the wonderful Connect Moderator team, which is a great achievement since I joined Connect and I actually expected that much from the forum. In the same month, I got married to the most wonderful man (top left photo).
3. I had a dream of accompanying my parents to visit USA and I had that dream come true in 2022. Since we are from the third world, not many can be given the opportunities (visa issue, budget and health). My parents (in their 60+) did enjoy the snow on Mount Rainier, Washington. Their first-time seeing snow and experienced it. Moreover, they were there together and visited quite many places (bottom left photo). The Museum of Flight did bring back their childhood memories because they grew up by the war [Vietnam war] where they saw so many war aircrafts and they saw those aircrafts in the Museum.
4. Last but not least, I am expecting my baby boy in the next two months (bottom right photo). This is the most exciting one as I am on the road to be a mother, for the first time ever!

This is also one of the reasons I haven’t been active in Connect as I used to, and that from May I haven’t travelled at all, besides from work-home in town, no more field work as I had to take care of my baby bump. Thank you @Ewaade_3A for checking on me and sending wish for my baby and me

[Ewaade_3A]

Awawawaw… now, you are going to make me cry , Sophea.

You have done more checking than I have. In fact, I feel like I am not doing enough. Please take your flowers you deserve it all.

@Sophia_Cambodia

[OliverKIWI]

@Ewaade_3A Thank you for the good words. It’s challenging… and rewarding at the same time!

[pingsp]

Top Left : The picture was taken by GoPro when I was first-time diving.

Top right : While listening to the sound of the waves and seeing the sunset on the beach.

Bottom left : The beautiful view around the AI Engineer camp, which I never thought I could do it.

Bottom right : The first time 10km hiking.

[OliverKIWI]

How awesome! @Sophia_Cambodia Nice photos! Well done!

[Sophia_Cambodia]

Thank you very much @OliverKIWI best wishes to you too

[Sophia_Cambodia]

Big congratulation to you @AdamGT you deserve the star though. Just say this before I forget to congratulate you! This year, I knew 21 fellow guides/CM who got the stars, who I knew have been so very active on both the map and Connect. Keep up wonderful work

[AdamGT]

Oh dear @Sophia_Cambodia you’ve had a much more exciting year than myself. Congratulations on the marriage and the forthcoming birth of your son. Wow! How all exciting! You said youknew 21 fellow guides/CM who got the stars but it’s 2022 so are you sure it’s not 22 that you know of Surely you can find another one

[Sophia_Cambodia]

Oh, thank you very much. It is very exciting though

Hahaha, you can be right @AdamGT because some stars came up with different name and face in the banner. I have to look more carefully and see if there are more guides I knew

[jayasimha78]

@Ewaade_3A Thank you for your kind words, looking forward to your collage.

[jayasimha78]

@Sophia_Cambodia Thank You! Lovely pictures. Congratulations!!

[JustJake]

@AdrianLunsong What an awesome #challenge. Thank you for posting this up, and thank you, @Ewaade_3A for the tag!

It seems to be a theme that 2022 has been about returning to things we love. I’m as stoked to be back to the mundane as I am the extra special.

Top Left: This year, I was able to get back to driving around my state of Arizona to visit my work clients in person again. I told my daughter I would be driving through the snow in January, and she was excited that I might see Olaf from Frozen. Arizona doesn’t get real snow, so I pulled off on a muddy side road in the mountains to find any remaining patch of snow on the ground. I made this tiny Snowman to tell her that Anna and Elsa must have been out traveling just ahead of me

Top Right: FINALLY, we got the return of live music and some comfort in returning to cramped, sweaty bars again. This was a special show because A. The Bronx (also Mariachi el Bronx) is one of my favorite bands to see live, and B. this Phoenix, AZ bar is in the same building as The Mason Jar, where I spent so many weekends when I was younger watching bands and playing on this very stage. It’s waaaay cleaner and safer now. I guess it grew up as we all did, but I get the feeling of being back in the days when my life revolved around music when I walk in.

Bottom Right: In May of this year, I was able to co-host a conference for Native American schools from across the United States. As with the other photos, this represents a return to normal. I hadn’t seen any of the attendees for our annual event since 2019. I also hadn’t spoken in front of any group of people, let alone 100+, since everything shut down. It’s strange to forget how it feels to be that type of anxious and energized. This stands out as a memorable time because of the reminder to not take for granted the excitement and joy of being face to face with the people I’m lucky enough to serve.

Bottom Left: There has to be a little bit of adventure included in my recap, too. 2022 was a return to Vacation, as well. My family and I took a short trip to San Diego, California, our neighbors to the West. I have been into Vespa scooters since 2017, and I have always wanted to visit THEE American Vespa masters at Vespa Motorsport/Scooterwest. I finally made it and had a blast. My family could have left me there while they went to the beach & I would have been just fine.

This was really a challenge to narrow down four defining photos! Thanks again, @AdrianLunsong .

[Ewaade_3A]

Aww…

You are into Music and you co-host conferences? Now, I see where you get those bars from! You have bars for days, dropping bars comes to you naturally!

Thanks so much for hitting the ground running.

It will be good to hear you sing some day and it feels good to finally see your face.

Hugs and kisses to your beautiful daughter, may all her good wishes come through.

@JustJake