This year looked nothing like the hopes I had for it. I envisioned finishing my novel, creating my home library, and being in Europe right now to celebrate the New Year. I had plans to adopt two dogs I loved and the promise of my temporary job turning into a permanent one. And then in blow after blow, things fell apart.
This year often felt like taking giant leaps backward, trapped as everyone around me kept moving forward. It was a lesson in perspective, patience, and reassessment. It was recognizing that setting goals aside temporarily is sometimes necessary and doesn’t mean giving up.
I keep seeing people talk about their vision boards and the accomplishments they’ve “manifested” in the past year. I love seeing people celebrating their success, but I also think social media neglects to remind us that no amount of will power will ensure that life goes the way we try to force it to. Achieving goals is fulfilling, but being able to course correct when plans change is no less an accomplishment.
This year was full of canceled plans, exhaustion, and loss. But there were beautiful moments, too.
This year I was offered my first media stay for my blog, and I published an article in a dream travel publication. I traveled to Texas to see the total eclipse with my mom and Michael after years of planning it, and though it looked like severe weather would ruin the day, the clouds parted just in time. I made 80 friendship bracelets and experienced the joy of the Eras Tour. I read 85 different books, wrote 29 blog posts, and started a newsletter.
I officially adopted Chewie on Valentine’s Day after loving her for years. I walked in my first Mardi Gras parade with her, and we celebrated her 18th birthday. She just spent her 5th Christmas with me.
This year was a lot of stroller rides with Chewie and 4 million cookies from Levee Bakery. It was doing gymnastics tricks and spinning on aerial hoops (less frequently than I wished) and spending so many joyful hours laughing with my book club friends. It was trivia Tuesdays and moon facts. It was the excitement of watching the Olympics and the anger and disappointment of the election. It was taking down my Little Free Library after it was vandalized too many times. It was stress, uncertainty, calculations, job hunting, and a new (temporary) job. It was struggling with a lack of motivation for most of the year. It was turning 35. It was hundreds of hours planning and daydreaming about future travel and sitting at home while writing about elsewhere.
One of the best parts of the year was starting my new travel business. Since May, I’ve planned trips for clients to Italy, France, Wyoming, Uruguay, Argentina, and Turkey. I’ve started planning a few 2025 trips for clients already. Few things bring me more joy.
During the pandemic, I wrote about how difficult times don’t negate gratitude and joy, and I was reminded of that again and again this year.
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