Space:
Space was my word for 2014, and it was something I spent a lot of time thinking about and working on. As we ushered in 2014, I was feeling incredibly claustrophobic in so many ways. I felt like I had grown out of my life, and I needed to open up and find some breathing room. For starters, the condo I owned was getting too small and it was clearly time to move. I had considered buying a home for a while, and I finally took the plunge this year. In July, we moved into our new home which was christened "Blue Star Haven" by Riley. It was a bittersweet time for me; I loved my condo and I loved my friends in that close-knit community, and it was incredibly hard to leave that behind. But I had lived in my condo for 11 years and it was more than time to move on. I'm still not 100% sure I'm cut out to be a home-owner, and I have a feeling I'll move on from here sooner rather than later, but for now, we are settling in and enjoying the lovely and peaceful space that Blue Star Haven offers.
Work:
I'll be honest, I've been debating whether call work a success or label it as "could have been better." Truth is, it's a little of both. Ultimately I would choose to lump it as "went well" because, despite some intense growing pains, I feel like I've really moved forward and succeeded this year. I dealt with some hard interpersonal issues at work, often felt like I was drowning by the workload, and spent more than a few nights wide awake, trying to figure out what the hell I should do about it all. While I didn't always make the exact right decision and take the perfect actions, things ultimately worked out well, so I guess we'll count it all as a win? I guess? There were some very positive sides, however. Because I was dealing with issues outside of my comfort zone, I was forced to reach out and ask for help and guidance, and in the process, I found some great teachers who helped me develop more professional confidence and stronger leadership and problem-solving skills. I learned to not let issues at work define how I felt about myself as a person, and I can honestly say that I'm incredibly proud of the work my team produced this year. So yes, I'll call it a win. I'll take that win.
Family:
Oh, my family. Mi Familia. The most important people in my world fall under this category, and as the year ends, I can be nothing but grateful for each and every one of them. One highlight of the year was planning and carrying off a surprise 60th birthday party for my Dad without him finding out about it. He's hard to surprise, but we managed and it was a great time! My family from California and Alaska were able to travel to Idaho for it, and it meant a lot to everyone to be together. My sister and her kids spent a couple of weeks with us in Utah in August and some of my nieces came to spend a weekend with me and Riley while their mom was at a church camp in July. I love having my home filled with my family and friends; it's the best use of the extra space I now have! (Note to my family - please come visit me!)
Friends:
New babies. Weddings. Divorces. Loss of loved ones. Job changes. New homes. Graduations. New careers. Starting over. New love. Book deals. Letting go. Health scares. My friends are part of my everyday life, and I am blessed to have some truly amazing people in my group of friends. Even though we are all busy with kids, jobs, and the details of day to day living, I am so grateful to have cultivated friendships that are real and honest and meaningful, and to know these people have my back when I need them. My friends add so much richness and color to my world, and I count myself incredibly lucky to have each and every one of them in my life. (Note to my friends - please come visit me!)
Travel:
Although it's getting harder and harder to do now that the Girl is in school and we have to adhere to a more strict schedule, Riley and I were able to take some fun trips together this year. Traveling is a priority for me, I always love the chance to get out and explore the world. In February, I traveled to NYC to meet up with some friends of mine for a long weekend. We explored the city, saw another friend open her one woman show off Broadway, ate some delicious food, and then I met up with one of my oldest, dearest friends and spent a day with her and her family in New Jersey before heading home.In April, we traveled to Atlanta to spend Spring Break with our friend and former neighbor who moved there in 2013. We spent a few days in Atlanta, and then headed out to the Georgia Coast for a few days. We rounded out the trip with an afternoon in Savannah. Fun trip, despite being rainy on the coast. In May, I surprised Riley with a trip to Disneyland, and we had a glorious 5 days of sunny california weather and lots of Disney adventures. I didn't think I liked Disneyland until that trip - now I know I LOVE it! I traveled to one of my favorite cities, San Diego, in June for a work conference. Despite being very sick, I enjoyed the conference and the city, though not as much as I would have if I had been feeling better. June and July were all about moving into our new home, but In early August, we went to the beautiful state of Wisconsin to attend our dear friends' wedding celebration. Although one doesn't normally think of Wisconsin as a destination wedding site, it turned out to be the most emotional, love-soaked, touching weddings I've ever been to.
We followed the wedding with a couple of fun days with friends at their home in Illinois- a lake, boat, kids -- Riley never wanted to leave. Once school started again, travel halted, but I flew to the Bay Area to see my sister and her kids for Christmas while Riley spent time with her dad in New Orleans. Although the travel isn't as plentiful as I'd like (I'd love more weekend roadtrips!) it's still something we continue to prioritize.
Health:
Health-wise, 2014 was a challenging year for me. It started off ok, but then a super-fun case of pneumonia flattened me for a good part of the year. It started in early May and took until Mid-July to finally clear up, with residual asthma issues that required an inhaler until late August. Just when I was feeling like I was getting back on track from that, a back injury in early October left me with serious activity restrictions and required intensive sports medicine and physical therapy for the next 3 months to get back to good. I'm finally able to work out and lift again, though I'm not supposed to run until at least March, possibly later. But I can walk, hike, lift weights, swim, bike, and do the elliptical, so I am feeling ok about where I am now. I've never, ever had any major health issues before (except a rough pregnancy, but that has a definite end date and a positive outcome) and I gotta say, I'm not a fan. I am grateful, however, for good insurance and talented health care providers and for being on the road to recovery.
Creativity:
This is an area of my life that suffered in 2014. Selling our condo, buying a home, moving, work challenges, and health issues all added up and left me feeling like there was not time for much in terms of creating. I kept up on a few photo projects and did a lot of personal writing, but nothing extraordinary. Nothing amazing. I was rather absent from this blog. I didn't sew anything. I didn't make. I didn't create. I didn't take my camera out and about much. I didn't do much that I really need to do, and I don't like that at all. I guess this is one place where a fresh start is very much appreciated.
There's a lot left unsaid here - a lot of personal work was done in 2014 around my own sense of self, what contributions I want to make to the world, my relationship with religion and faith, and breaking down some old stories that needed to be thrown out. It doesn't need to be rehashed here. But all of it contributed to times that often felt thick and heavy and while there were some highlights, there were also many dark and scary shadows to walk through. Now that the year is over, I'm grateful for both the light and the dark and for the dimension they added to my worldview. And now, as the clock hands spin us closer to 2015, I'm grateful to set all of that behind me, and walk forward with clarity of purpose and a heart that's been broken wide open. Happy New Year!
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