Favorite 2019 Memories

Whelp, that's a wrap. 2019 was... hard. I know no one likes vague blogging, but in the interest of privacy, all I can say that this had to be personally one of the most challenging years of my life. It required a lot of bootstrap pulling, relying on close friends for support, prioritizing my son, flexibility, and trusting my gut. There was also a lot of awesome, fun, and happiness in the mix, which made this year survivable, but also more emotionally... inconsistent. I'm really, really tired, but I'm also grateful that things are currently better and that I can see the good in the bad. I'm not sure what 2020 will bring, but can we ever? In the interest of positivity, I've decided to put together some highlights of my favorite parts of this past year:

Travel- I didn't go anywhere far or life-changing, but I was able to take Sawyer on our annual trip to Yosemite in the spring and we also traveled up the coast together during the summer for a few days. I went to Zion on a quick hiking trip with friends, which was beautiful and challenging, and my husband accompanied us to the Central Valley for Thanksgiving, which was the best combination of ordinary and fun. 

Deciding to train for my 12 (or 13th?) half marathon- It was a tough decision, but I've worked hard at taking care of my feet and sticking to a training plan. I generally dread most of my runs, but once I start I'm fine, and, once I'm done, thrilled. It's good to have a fitness focus, since I think I stop pushing myself when I'm just working out in general. The fact that this training cycle is during the holiday season has been a huge benefit- no weight gain from eating ALL the cookies. 

Concerts- This year I saw Elton John and the Strumbellas, two of my absolute favorites. I love live shows and each were amazing in their own ways. I probably liked the Strumbellas more, just because it was a tiny venue and they were so charismatic, but the fact that I can say I've see Elton before he retires/dies is pretty awesome. 

Opening my Etsy shop- This was really, really hard for me, as I get nervous about putting myself out there. What if no one bought anything? What if people made fun of me? What if? WHAT IF? It's actually gone really well; I've sold a lot more than I thought I would, it's been incredibly fun to run my embroidery Instagram account, and I've done lots of fun custom orders. I love that people I know buy things and I love that complete strangers do. I can't wait to keep going in 2020. I'm so thankful for everyone's support, whether they've ordered hoops, followed me on Insta (@daily_floss_), or just have said nice things. I've never considered myself creative, so this has been really out of my comfort zone.

So many friend dates- One of my favorite nights of the year was a four hour slightly-drunken dinner with one of my best friends at the good ol' reliable Cheesecake Factory. Besides that, there were just so many casual outings, fun events, kid-dates, etc... with so many good friends. Not a day goes by where I'm not incredibly grateful for all of these people- they're low-maintenance, supportive, smart, flexible, fun, and thoughtful. I've become even closer to some ladies this year, too, and I'm just seriously so happy to have a great circle. 

Sawyer starting kindergarten- It's been so fun watching him grow academically and socially. He is kindergarten full day at the place he was at for preschool, which made the transition super easy. He is in a new class with new teachers, but a lot of his friends are there. I love that they do a lot of science in his class, as well as just a lot of important fundamentals (like cutting) that sometimes get lost. 

My surprise student cereal birthday party- This really, really touched me. So often I am the planner in most of my relationships, but my students took control and did this for me all on my own. There were so many sweet touches (a poster they all signed, a class singing of "Bohemian Rhapsody," decorations, etc...) and it was just the nicest thing. 

Christmas season- Sawyer would say at least daily during December that Christmas is his favorite time of the year- his excitement was contagious. We did so many fun things, from a botanical Christmas garden, Knott's Berry Farm and the Zoo, decorating gingerbread houses with his friend, seeing Santa, etc... we had a great time.  

UCLA Visits- I've been to my alma mater UCLA more this year that I have in several years combined, which is always a fun walk down memory lane. I went for the Michelle Obama Reach Higher Event with work, two readings, and to a gymnastics meet.  

Here's to 2020!