We might be three months, almost four, into the new year but what a rollercoaster it has been so far and I am ready to get off this ride.

If the last few years of the COVID-19 pandemic have taught me anything, it's that saying 'New Year, New Me' and 'May the new year be better' is absolutely redundant.

Sure, there's been some good news this year, such as Western Australia finally opening up its borders, the New Zealand travel bubble and international flights overall, but there's been plenty of terrible things too.

Just look at the floods across NSW and QLD, and the war in Ukraine.

Communities across the state continue to struggle with the aftermath of the floods. Residents in flood affected areas will feel the affects for years to come.

Then there's the down right shocking such as the unexpected death of cricketing great Shane Warne. His death came after the passing of another cricket great, Rod Marsh.

I'm not going to lie, I shed a few tears over Warnie's death. I still can't believe he's gone. My heart aches for his family. If you're concerned for your health, please make an appointment to see a GP.

A little closer to home for me was the somewhat unexpected death of my grandmother in January after battling an autoimmune illness for seven years. While I find relief that she is no longer suffering and in pain, my heart hurts.

And don't even get me started on the new COVID-19 Omicron sub-variant that is currently making it's way around the state.

Numbers across the state continue to increase, with NSW Health strongly recommending wearing a mask if you're unable to maintain a social distance. However the NSW government doesn't plan to reintroduce restrictions any time soon.

Speaking of viruses going around, an eighth person has been diagnosed with Japanese Encephalitis, which is transmitted by mosquitos.

It's like we can't catch a break. First COVID, now another virus. If you need me, I'll be stocking up on Aerogard and bug zappers.

Like I said at the start, we're only a few months in but I've had enough of 2022.

Hopefully the second half of the year gets better.

Vera Demertzis

An ACM Journalist