# What was my 2022 - Author: Maciek Palmowski (https://maciekpalmowski.dev/) - Published: 2023-01-19 - Topics: life - URL: https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/what-was-my-2022/ > A personal year in review for 2022 — new DevRel role at Kinsta, live streaming, WordCamp Europe, parenting adventures, and cycling highlights. 2022 is over - it's time to sum it up. Especially since it wasn't a bad year. ## Being a parent - the adventure continues **Adventure** - this is the best word that describes being a parent. It's fun, unpredictable, and sometimes scary but great. I'm very glad we didn't have to sacrifice anything. Our lives changed, but we are all cycling together (cycling carriers are the best), traveling together, and going to cafes together. We hope that 2023 will be similar but bigger, better, and more amazing. *[Image: Collage of three photos: a man carrying a baby in a stone alley, a hiker on a mountain, and a selfie with a baby.]* *Traveling with a baby isn't that difficult* ## Doing live streams is fun Last year I did 19 live streams for **Buddy**. I never, ever thought I would love it so much. Not only was it so fun, but I was also able to meet amazing people and learn a lot of interesting things (for example, I didn't know a thing about [SRE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R33UoHWVUqo) or [Crowd Testing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMn0jFEyNfE)). In fact, I liked it so much that I decided to start a channel of my own - [the Code and Coffee Show](https://codeandcoffeeshow.dev). *[Image: Over-the-shoulder view of a laptop showing the Buddy YouTube channel, 'The easiest CI/CD. Ever.']* *I recorded quite a lot of them for Buddy* ## New job In October, I changed my job - I started working as a Dev Rel at [**Kinsta**](https://kinsta.com).**Kinsta** is mostly known as an amazing WordPress hosting company, but they launched Application and Database Hosting this year. This was the main reason I wanted to join them - having a chance to work more outside WordPress was very important to me. After 3 months I can say it was a great decision and I'm very happy working there. I also had a chance to meet most of the marketing team in Athens. *[Image: Collage: two latte-art coffees, a selfie of two people in red shirts, and a group photo with the Acropolis behind.]* *Me as a part of Kinsta* ## WordCamp Europe Finally, WordCamp Europe happened. It was a true hugfest after the pandemic. It was also the first WordCamp our son attended (he was probably the youngest person there), and it was my first time leading a workshop session. Was I stressed? Of course. Was it amazing an amazing feeling doing it? Yes, it was. *[Image: Collage of workshop photos: attendees in face masks working at laptops, and a presenter in front of a screen.]* *My workshops* ## Focusing less on WordPress While working at Buddy, I started doing more stuff related to other CMSs and technologies. At first, it was a bit scary because I was always a WordPress person, but over time I liked it more and more. Right now, I really enjoy working with **Astro** and **Statamic**. It's a totally different experience than working with WordPress, but it's fun, and I feel I learned a lot. I also created an article about the [World outside of WordPress](https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/the-world-outside-of-wordpress/). ## Cycling around Tatry Mountains With my friend Michał, we decided to cycle around the Tatry mountains - more than 300 kilometers in the Polish and Slovakian mountains. It was one heck of an adventure. There were moments when we thought we won't make it - especially while climbing up in the biggest heat. This was really something crazy, and I can't wait to repeat something like this next year. Here you can read a [more detailed article](https://maciekpalmowski.dev/blog/cycling-around-the-tatry-mountains/) about this trip. ## Best games I played Every year I come back to some games, like Civilization VI, Red Dead Redemption 2, Fallout: New Vegas, or Cyberpunk 2077. This year wasn't different. Apart from those classics, I had a lot of fun playing: ## What I listened to It seems I mostly listened to some older stuff. Looking at my Spotify, I see a lot of **Archive** and **Rammstein**. I also enjoyed the OST from **Cyberpunk 2077** and **Stranger Things**. But if I had to select one favorite song, it would be **Lera Lynn's** - The only thing worth fighting for. I heard it on True Detective for the first time. It still gives me the chills. ## Best book I read It wasn't the best year for reading. Having a limited time, I only read a bunch of books. One of them was **Press Reset: Ruin and Recovery in the Video Game Industry** by Jason Schreier. The book focuses on people working in the game industry. It's a very sad book, in general, that shows all the worst in the gaming industry. ## Best TV Series It's difficult to pick something, as there were many great series. My biggest surprise was that Amazon Prime became one of my favorite streaming platforms. But if I had to pick the top 3, I would say: ## It wasn't that bad ... but I'm really looking forward to 2023. I have a hunch that it will be an amazing and unique year.