Reflections
I know 2018 was rough for many people, but for me, it was a great year.
The first big event happened in February, when I traveled to Washington, D.C., as part of my fellowship for Teachers for Global Classrooms. I finally got to meet the other fellows, people with whom I had been conversing, collaborating, commiserating for the fall semester prior. And, I got to hang out with my Colombia cohort, people who have since become some of my favorite people on the planet.
In March, Laurie and I headed to South Beach for Spring Break. I think the two of us brought a total of nine books with us, and we did a lot of laying by the pool, drinking good drinks, eating good food, and reading good books. It was the best.
In May, I did a lot of cool things, including selling earrings and art with Jesus at our neighborhood's Cinco de Mayo festival, seeing Lizzo and Haim with Laurie, and reading a lot. But the best photos are from when we went to Art-A-Whirl, a super fun event in Northeast Minneapolis.
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| Me + my tall, rockstar friends. |
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| Some of my favorite people in the world. |
June was a month of transitions: I finished my time at a school where I had taught for three years, and I moved over to our district's alternative high school. It could not have been a better move for me -- in so many ways.
Jesus and I also taught our third Summer Academy program, and it was bigger and more successful than the other two years (possibly even combined); we smashed it.
Oh, and we saw Emmanuel Jal and Xavier Rudd (insert heart-eye emoji here) at the Minnesota Zoo's concert series.
In July, I got to travel to Colombia, one of the most beautiful places in the world. It was the best experience of my life -- truly transformative -- and I cannot talk about it in just a two-sentence blurb. So, check out the blog I wrote while I was there.
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| Barichara |
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| Students with whom I worked in Bucaramanga |
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| Bogota |
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| My incredible friends |
In August, Jesus and I presented (for the second year in a row) at Des Moines' Summit on School Climate and Culture.
Oh, and then we got engaged!
And then my mom and my aunt came to town, and I "said yes to the dress," and Jesus and I also "said yes to a venue." Wedding plans were underway!
In September, I officially started my new job.
My best friend, Katie, also came to visit me, and I had dinner and drinks with my high school friend, Matt, whom I had not seen in probably more than 15 years (which makes me feel super old).
In October, I had several other visitors: my friend Michaela (whom I have known since third grade and who was my college roommate all four years), my sister (who was super-duper pregnant), and my friend Caitlin (with whom I traveled around Colombia).
We also had our engagement photos taken:
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| Photo credit: Nicki Lynn Photography |
And, I traveled to Omaha for my sister's baby shower and a "bachelorette" dinner for me. It was so nice to see my sister, my sister-in-law, my mom, and my next-door "mom" -- my favorite women.
In November, I went to France. (Who am I?!)
Jesus, Xiomara, and I also hosted Thanksgiving for the third year in a row. I really love this tradition that we have going.
And then in December, my nephew was born!
After meeting Andrew in Knoxville, we went to Omaha to spend the weekend before Christmas with the rest of my side of the family.
It was a wonderful, wonderful year.
Now, let's check in with how those intentions (a fancy word for "resolutions") went:
Fitness: I definitely hit that mark. Not only did I attend four Pilates classes per week, but I also upped it to include one day of personal training to get back into my weightlifting regime. And I'm smashing it in both arenas.
Nutrition: I ended the year on a high note with this one. I started off attempting several different things: Whole30, Avatar nutrition, etc. But I've finally found something that works for me and is sustainable, so I'm feeling confident that 2019 is my year.
Water: I did a fairly solid job of consuming all the water, especially in the last couple of months of 2018. I look forward to continuing this trend; honestly, I just feel better when I'm super hydrated.
Books: I fell off the wagon with this one -- hard. I did not read nearly as much or as often as I wanted to, but I'm hoping that with my new habit tracker, I'll get back into the swing of things, back to reading voraciously.
Social Media: Well, I started off strong with this one (and even deleted Facebook from my phone). And then I reinstalled it, and the mindless scrolling continued. Sadly, I'm going to have to chalk this one up to a loss.
Nails: This one was pretty hit-and-miss throughout the year. I had some periods of long, beautiful nails, and I had other (more stressful) times where I picked at my nails like you wouldn't believe. Currently, they are shorter than I would like, but I'm hoping to change it around again -- starting now.
Looking Forward
I know that 2019 is going to be my best year yet. First, I get to marry the love of my life! I truly just wish the wedding were tomorrow: I mean, it's going to be so much fun, but I just want to be married to my best friend now.
Also, Jesus and I get to travel to Peru! We're chaperoning a group (mix of students and adults), and I cannot wait to see yet another beautiful country, this time with my boo.
I'm also super excited about a girls' trip my best friends and I have planned for February: Florida, here we come.
And, since it's the New Year, I am also excited about setting intentions. But truthfully, I did this already, just a few weeks ago: I created the new habit tracker, which really encompasses most of my 2018 intentions. (It does not cover nutrition or nails, however, but I am going to continue working on those two things as well.)
I wish you all -- friends and family -- a beautiful, peaceful 2019.
Cheers!
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