Well, this began differently from what I had expected. When 2022 was slowly coming to an end, I paused The Active Amputee for a bit. Took some time off. Mostly stayed away from my computer and social media. Enjoyed quality time for myself and with my family. And was already bursting with new ideas for the new year. Podcasts were in the making. I bashed out new ideas for new articles. Started the research. Contacted people. And was really excited about all the things lined up for 2023. I wanted to be back with new content on Wednesday, January 4. So much for the theory. And as so often, this theory belly-flopped as soon as it got in contact with reality. Why, you ask. Well…

Well, in late December I came down with a flue. Ages ago, I returned from a business trip to Cambodia with severe pneumonia which resulted in me being hospitalized for a week. Since then, my lungs seem to be weak. I only need to hear about the flue or think about the tiniest of viruses and I get sick. And towards the end of December, that’s exactly what happened. I was knocked out by this year’s flue season. Given the fact that we have been living in times of the Covid the pandemic, I also tested myself regularly for the corona virus, but for over a week these tests came back with negative results. When my coughing and joint pains slowly got better, the corona tests decided it’s time for a change. Time for a positive result and isolation at home. Time to shift some of my scheduled face to face work online and try to use the time in between to recover and get fit again. This had implications for The Active Amputee as I decided to extend the Christmas break to this very week. And while I am still not really fit, I think I am fit enough to start creating content and finally kick this year off. Two weeks later than planned. But better late than never.

So let me give you a little teaser of what awaits you over the next couple of week. Drum roll, please!

• Earlier this week I edited two of the recording from late December/early January. One interview for the German edition of the podcast. And one interview for the English edition.
• The interview with Fritz from Manderscheid in the Eifel in Germany went live yesterday and is now available on all your favorite podcast players.
• The interview with Kyle from Albuquerque in the United States of America also went live yesterday and is available on the usual platforms and players.
• More recordings are scheduled for next week (German edition) as well as early February (English edition).
• A new article about the future of prosthetic devices is in the making.
• In 2023 I will try harder to have more content from and for people affected by limb loss and limb differences of the upper limbs. I am in contact with a handful of people and we are currently discussing possible topics and formats. If you are affected by limb loss or limb differences of the upper limbs and would like to share your experiences here on the blog, please feel free to contact me. I would love to hear from you.
• In addition, I plan to offer more information about accessible tourism here on The Active Amputee.
• Fritz and I have started planning a community event for summer 2023. The idea is to offer a hiking weekend in the Eifel. We plan a nice mix of guided hikes during the day and joint cooking with plenty of time to chat in the evening. More details will be shared soon.

These are just some of the new ideas for the coming months. I hope they tickle your fancy.

Okay, so much for now. I wish you all a great day, a nice week, and an amazing 2023. We talk soon. Until then, all the best.

Bjoern