January:
When last we left the annual review I was unemployed and in
a seemingly never-ending bureaucratic battle for unemployment benefits from
Pennsylvania. The good news is that
although it looked pretty bleak at the time, I won my appeal and started
receiving benefits within the first month of the year. It was such a huge relief!
February:
Even though I was unemployed and on a tight budget I decided
that if I didn’t make to New Orleans for Mardi Gras (and to cross several other
things off my list) I would definitely regret it. In the past, I’ve not taken opportunities to
travel because I was hoarding my dollars, but then things get better I’ve
regretted not spending on a travel opportunity.
In 2013, several factors came into play making it the perfect time for
me to attend Mardi Gras. The Super Bowl had been in New Orleans a week
earlier so 1)Mardi Gras was poorly attended, meaning that it wasn’t crowded AND
2)hotel prices were less expensive than a normal year. I also 3)lived within easy driving distance,
4)had the time to take to actually be there on Fat Tuesday, and 5) there isn’t
a five, but it feels like there should be.
Anyhow, I went to Mardi Gras and crossed several items off
my travel list all of which were AWESOME!
Especially, Preservation Hall – if you have the chance GO and buy the
Big Shot pass…it was totally worth it.
The real headline for February though was welcoming my
newest nubbin, Gretta Lexi, named after two incredible women and showing all
the signs of their determination and stubbornness from the beginning.
March – June:
Several family members came out to Texas for Gretta’s
blessing (which happened to be on Easter); I took another quick trip out to
Hill Country to see blue bonnets and other wildflowers, and packed up my life
so I could head across the pond.
July:
I spent most of July in Utah saying goodbye to family and
friends before embarking on my great European adventure!
August – October:
EUROPE! Seriously, so
awesome. Can I do this every year?! I visited several countries: United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Spain, Italy, France, and Portugal – and I’m still dealing with a
cracked tailbone suffered in Budapest.
November:
I turned 40, and my sister-in-law, Mandi, was baptized a
member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
December:
The first Christmas/New Year’s in several years that I got
to spend with my whole family.
As the year ended I was still unemployed, but had a great
adventure – an absolutely amazing year.
I don’t think I could duplicate the highs that I experienced this
year. I made my dreams come true and got
to stand in some of the most beautiful places on earth. I met so many extraordinary people from
around the world, and learned so much about myself, about how I view the world,
and how the world views me, and how I can pretty much deal with whatever this
wonderful, wacky world throws at me. It
was absolutely, jubilantly, surprisingly JOYFUL.
2014 will never be able to compete, but I’m still expecting
good things in the coming year!
