2017: Favorite Moments & Life Lessons
2017 was a crazy year! If I'm being honest, it had a lot of ups and its fair share of downs too. Both personally and professionally, this year was marked by many challenges that forced me to think about what I value most, where my priorities lie, and how I treat myself and others. At the same time, it was marked by many sweet moments and small triumphs. Normally, at the end of the year I do a list of things I'm grateful for, but I feel like each blog post is essentially my gratitude list :-) So I thought that I'd do more of a highlight reel along with some of my personal learnings. As 2017 comes to a close, I'm making it a priority to go into 2018 with a clear mind and an open heart.
2017 Favorite Moments
1. Seeing my brother get married. My brother is one of the kindest, most gentle souls in this world. If there's anyone who deserves endless love and happiness, it's him. So to see him standing at the alter, so genuinely proud and happy, made my heart so full. It's hard to put into words, but there was a peace that came over me, knowing that he had found his partner and soulmate for life.
2. Falling asleep with my mom and sister in London. After all the sight seeing and adventuring was done for the day, one of my favorite memories from our Europe trip will always be the three of us snuggling in bed at the end of the day while watching a movie and laughing together. It was in those small moments that I truly felt happy, and realized that my relationship with my mom and sister is like oxygen -- I wouldn't be able to survive without it.
3. Being on the Great Wall of China with Derek. It was a perfectly sunny day, barely anyone was there, and it felt like we were in the middle of nowhere and at the top of the world all at the same time. It was such a special experience to have as a couple... and knowing that we were checking something off of his bucket list made it that much better.
4. Movie nights with Mercy. This one is more of a collection of moments... but when I look back on the year I can't help but smile at the thought of my niece and I at the movie theatre on Friday nights. She often kissed my cheek, held my hand or sat on my lap during the movie, and it was in those moments that she melted my heart with her love and sweetness.
5. Saying goodbye to a wonderful grandfather. I'm very lucky to have known the love of two special grandfathers who have now passed away -- both mine (my Papa) and Derek's. This year, we visited Grandpa Larry in his final days before going to heaven, and I'll never forget how it felt to be reminiscing with him about his life. It was a good reminder that our time here is finite and precious. Whenever I think of him now, I think of him cracking a joke and talking about his love for his family. It's crazy, but I can still hear his laugh and feel his hug.
2017 Travel Adventures
1. Los Angeles: I kicked off 2017 with a drive down to LA to see my sis in her first year at UCLA. We had the best time at the beach and drinking butter beer at Universal Studios!
2. Austin: My mom and I had the BEST time exploring downtown Austin's wall murals, eating at the headquarters of Whole Foods, and driving to San Antonio to see the Alamo.
3. Beijing: Derek and I went to the heart of China and had a blast climbing the Great Wall and walking through the Forbidden City (in the freezing cold!)
4. Tokyo: Derek and I spent our time in the world's most massive, dense, clean and amazing city, then totally chilled out at a resort in Odaiba overlooking the city.
5. Orlando: I attended my annual work conference where I successfully presented on an all-female panel on the topic of culture and innovation in the workplace, and had so much fun doing it!
6. Las Vegas: Derek and I did our annual detox summer getaway to Las Vegas where we spent all day laying at the pool, reading, people-watching, and enjoying the hot sun.
7. Minnesota: Watched my brother get hitched, gave a speech about how special he is to me, then danced the night away!
8. London: My mom, sister and I jetted to London and explored the cutest areas, jumped for joy at Buckingham palace, and got our Harry Potter on.
9. Paris: I officially checked the Eiffel Tower off my bucket list (finally!)... and of course fell in love with Paris at the same time. The view from the top of the tower was surreal!
10. Cabo: Derek and I had an end of year getaway to be by the ocean, soak up the sunshine, and pretend that it isn't winter. And let's not forget the endless amounts of delicious guacamole that I ate too!
2017 Life Lessons
1. You can have it all, just not at the same time. One of my coworkers said this was the best advice they have ever received, and for some reason it has stuck with me too. I'm learning that life is a series of gives and takes, compromises and sacrifices that we sometimes choose to make and are other times forced to make. I strive to have it all when it comes to every aspect of my professional and personal life, but I've realized that sometimes one area will be thriving while another is suffering, and that is okay (and actually, expected). It's a good reminder for me to understand what my priorities are at different points in life, and to set more realistic expectations for myself when it comes to striving for perfection.
2. Anger is just a tragic example of an unmet need. This was a phrase that my counselor said and it has made such a difference in my life. I've learned that everyone has a set of needs that live underneath the surface of their emotions, and that our emotions and reactions are just reflections of those needs being either met or unmet. Personally, I am trying to listen to my inner voice more and identify my own needs so that I can better control and understand how I feel. It's such a simple phrase, but honestly has taught me so much.
3. Invest in the relationships that feed your soul. As each year of my life passes by, I feel like I learn so much about relationships. One of the main things I've learned is the importance of recognizing which relationships feed your soul versus those that don't. It is so important for me to know this so that I know where I should invest my time and energy, and where I should limit my time and energy. I've also realized that while the relationships we have with others are critical, the relationship we have with ourself is even more critical. Being kind and compassionate to myself, especially in how I speak to myself and how I treat myself, is one of the most important life lessons I think I've ever learned.