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It seems as if I've spent the last five months lazing around (well, technically I have been... if you compare it to what I could have been doing :) but as I sit and ponder what all I have (and have not) done this year, I'm still pleased to say, Michael and I have had quite an eventful year (it's really easy for me to forget all the negatives because when I blog, I'm usually in a happy mood :)
We moved to London, became colleagues, worked our @sses off, fought, laughed, cried - a lot (I visibly aged during my stay there), enjoyed some world reknowned chefs, (but on the same breath) ate more bad food than I ever had in my entire life, delt with the horrid customer service, explored the neighborhoods, roamed the street markets, sun bathed in one of the world's most famous park, met some wonderfully diverse people, traveled to five other countries, did our first family trip (with my parents), saw STONEHENGE!!!... and still had five months left of the year to spend an action-packed summer and autumn here in our hometown Portland!
My biggest personal feat this year was taking that much, much needed hiatus from work. Seems pretty insignificant I know, but after more than four years in an oftentimes volatile (but opportunistic) work situation, I finally found it in me to leave. Really leave (after threatening to leave so many other times). It was the best thing I could have done for myself and the most liberating thing I did all year.
Meanwhile, Michael (who suffered sympathy pains from my unhappiness at work - I love that guy :) applied and got accepted into school and had just finished his first term at grad school <--- so proud of him! Btw, he got straight A's this past term ;) Woohoooo!
It can be easy to forget what fortunes this last year has brought us... for all of us. Have you thought about what you've done this last year or what it has taught you? Life oftentimes seem routine, uneventful and nothing short of ordinary. But never disregard the miniscule or mundane... to forget to reflect or appreciate the events of your life, significant or not, happy or sad, would be a disjustice to your vitality! Guddha (my version of God & Buddha) knows I've had my share of grief this year, but if I've learned anything at all, it's to not dwell on the bad, but focus on the good. Everything happens for a reason (my mantra for the year) because sure enough, if I look back at everything that has happened to me (even/especially) if I focused on the bad things, I now totally see why it happened. You should try it!
In hindsight (isn't hindsight a beautiful thing ?) ...
I have really enjoyed this past year, particularly my time in Europe (even though there were moments I couldn't wait to get the hell out of there) and these last few months of my "sabbatical" where I found the time to dabble in things I never thought I'd like (baking, hiking, hosting, sewing); explore things I've always wanted to do more of or get better at (blogging, photographing, volunteering); and spend time with my family and friends the way I've been wanting to the last six years.
This year has been about realization, strength, love and learning. I've (with all this free time) learned so much about myself. I've realized I am so lucky to love and have people who love me back. They give me the strength and support to keep learning about myself. I've realized, the grass is not greener on the other side (although I'll keep having to remind myself through the years) but even so, it doesn't matter, my grass is green enough! There are so many bigger problems in this world than the ones I face on a day-to-day basis. There's always someone out there who has it worse than me, but they have the strength to keep on truckin'. Hopefully, by this time next year, I can look back, remember more good things and learn from the bad... and through all the hard times, say that I too, kept on truckin'.
We moved to London, became colleagues, worked our @sses off, fought, laughed, cried - a lot (I visibly aged during my stay there), enjoyed some world reknowned chefs, (but on the same breath) ate more bad food than I ever had in my entire life, delt with the horrid customer service, explored the neighborhoods, roamed the street markets, sun bathed in one of the world's most famous park, met some wonderfully diverse people, traveled to five other countries, did our first family trip (with my parents), saw STONEHENGE!!!... and still had five months left of the year to spend an action-packed summer and autumn here in our hometown Portland!
My biggest personal feat this year was taking that much, much needed hiatus from work. Seems pretty insignificant I know, but after more than four years in an oftentimes volatile (but opportunistic) work situation, I finally found it in me to leave. Really leave (after threatening to leave so many other times). It was the best thing I could have done for myself and the most liberating thing I did all year.
Meanwhile, Michael (who suffered sympathy pains from my unhappiness at work - I love that guy :) applied and got accepted into school and had just finished his first term at grad school <--- so proud of him! Btw, he got straight A's this past term ;) Woohoooo!
It can be easy to forget what fortunes this last year has brought us... for all of us. Have you thought about what you've done this last year or what it has taught you? Life oftentimes seem routine, uneventful and nothing short of ordinary. But never disregard the miniscule or mundane... to forget to reflect or appreciate the events of your life, significant or not, happy or sad, would be a disjustice to your vitality! Guddha (my version of God & Buddha) knows I've had my share of grief this year, but if I've learned anything at all, it's to not dwell on the bad, but focus on the good. Everything happens for a reason (my mantra for the year) because sure enough, if I look back at everything that has happened to me (even/especially) if I focused on the bad things, I now totally see why it happened. You should try it!
In hindsight (isn't hindsight a beautiful thing ?) ...
I have really enjoyed this past year, particularly my time in Europe (even though there were moments I couldn't wait to get the hell out of there) and these last few months of my "sabbatical" where I found the time to dabble in things I never thought I'd like (baking, hiking, hosting, sewing); explore things I've always wanted to do more of or get better at (blogging, photographing, volunteering); and spend time with my family and friends the way I've been wanting to the last six years.
This year has been about realization, strength, love and learning. I've (with all this free time) learned so much about myself. I've realized I am so lucky to love and have people who love me back. They give me the strength and support to keep learning about myself. I've realized, the grass is not greener on the other side (although I'll keep having to remind myself through the years) but even so, it doesn't matter, my grass is green enough! There are so many bigger problems in this world than the ones I face on a day-to-day basis. There's always someone out there who has it worse than me, but they have the strength to keep on truckin'. Hopefully, by this time next year, I can look back, remember more good things and learn from the bad... and through all the hard times, say that I too, kept on truckin'.
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