Out with the Old Year and in with the New

I’m never one to get too nostalgic about the ending of a year, although I do like the ready excuse to make big plans that comes with ringing in a New Year.

As with most years, 2014 was a whirlwind of ups and downs…

At the start of the year, I tried my hand at blogging full time and quickly realized that while I love the blog and all that it entails, full-time blogging is not for me. Not yet, anyway.

Of course, with that realization came the obvious conclusion – I needed to find a job. Cue the soul-searching, the inner turmoil, the stress. I go through this every couple years. There are so many things I’m interested in, so many things I want to do, try, live; but picking one is always a challenge. After a lot of thought and a number of conversations with people I trust, I decided to return to the one career that has continuously been badgering me over the last 6 years – teaching.

I applied, got the job and spent the rest of my summer prepping lesson plans and getting ready for school to start. Sure, I’m only one semester in, but I can honestly say I am loving this entire experience. I love this more than working at the high-end clothing boutique, more than the start-up iPhone app company, more than the real estate publication.

I honestly look forward to getting back into the classroom on Monday mornings. I look forward to the girls I teach. The subject matter I’m trying to impart. The deep, intriguing and sometimes down-right funny questions I get.

With that job came another move, since the school I wanted to teach at is in IL and I was residing in WI. But since I’ve been on the move every few years for the last 10, another move to a new city was no big deal. Although I did enjoy spending the last half of 2014 in my home state and being able to rediscover the city of Chicago as an adult, as opposed to the 17-year-old child I was when I left.

So far I’ve gone on an architectural tour along the Chicago River. Attended my very first Chicago Bears and Chicago Bulls games. On a very touristy day I went to the top of the Sears (ahem Willis) Tower. I’ve already consumed a number of Chicago-style hot dogs, because they don’t get any better than right here.

In health… this year I didn’t run any marathons (Boo). Hopefully that will be quickly remedied this next year. But I did go Paleo last January, and haven’t looked back, except for the occasional burger and beer cheat. This is probably the best decision I’ve ever made for my health, beyond signing up for a marathon before I could even run a single mile. The migraines that have plagued me for half of my life are nearly a distant memory. Oh and I went off caffeine for good. With a short month-long relapse I’ve been off all forms of caffeine since last January.

In family… I welcomed my second nephew almost exactly a year ago. Having three little ones in the family has certainly made everything so much more enjoyable. Watching them grow is some kind of wonderful. Oh and I got to welcome my best friend’s first little one as well!! Certainly, a year of baby blessings.

In travel… I made it to Houston (short trip), Virginia (week long) and San Francisco (several weeks). San Fran was the best. While there I got to explore a number of vineyards AND breweries. I visited the zoo and of course all the usual tourist traps too. I went on several 15 mile hikes, and just soaked it all in.

On the blog… This year has been my favorite so far, and while I still miss my blogging community from Boston, I’m really enjoying all the fun and creative things I’ve been able to do with ModlyChic. I’ve worked with some amazing companies this year… Karina Dresses, Monroe & Main, Coupons.com, Sweetworks, Adora Bags, Karen Kane, Mimi Boutique, DSW, Athleta, Kohls, Shopbop… to name a few.

And what about 2015?

More life. More love. More laughter. Hopefully.

I’m starting the second semester today and ready to make this one even better than the first. I’ve also got a trip planned to New York for this January, so at least I’ve kicking off the travel portion of life with a bang. Hopefully there will be more of that as well!

Since I don’t believe in resolutions… here are my goals for the year ahead:

• Run another marathon, or a couple halves if those work better with my schedule.
• Finish off my fourth YA novel and publish it!
• Read more classic and new literature. (It was a goal last year – one I failed at miserably. Oops.)
• Write more letters. (I didn’t even send out Christmas cards this year. Shame, shame.)
• Schedule better. I realized recently, although not for the first time, how much can be accomplished if there is a fixed schedule that is adhered to almost rigidly. I want more time to blog, more time to lesson plan, more time to write, more time with friends, more time to develop as a person. And while I can’t make the day stretch any longer than it’s 24 hours, I can schedule my time so there is no lag between activities, so that I am soaking up every moment of every day.
• Sleep more. I don’t sleep enough. It’s not good, especially off of caffeine! More sleep is a must.

What are your goals or resolutions for the New Year? It’s never too late to set some.

Out with the Old Year and in with the New is a post from: ModlyChic