Reflecting and Resetting (Originally for Greenville Pulse)

You’re one month into the new year. Maybe your 2015 holiday season was just as crazy as mine and you’re also just now feeling back-to-normal. The hours may pass slowly but the years tend to fly by. If 2016 hasn’t started off quite like you planned, start it over again. Take some time to reflect and reset and use this year as your chance to "make it happen." You know what "it" is: now decide that you're not settling with the status quo and get moving.

2015 was a good year, but certainly had its share of challenges. I learned how to do things that I never planned on: I spent a lot of time working through health insurance options, discovered the intricacies of being a bridesmaid, figured out how to share difficult news with strangers, and learned how to do a long-distance relationship well. I unexpectedly had to buy a new car, realized that it is possible—and even worthwhile—to be in transit for longer than you'll be at your destination (hello, last-minute road trip for my friend’s engagement celebration), worked to cope with relatives facing Alzheimer's, and acknowledged how overwhelming December can be when you try to "do it all." How encouraging and gratifying it is to look back on all the good with the bad! 

Making it through the challenges—big and little—is so empowering. Remember when "it" seemed so impossible that it made you want to cry and run to Netflix rather that come up with a game plan? Bam, it's done. You did it. Smack that one on your resume, my friend.

I spent several weeks in December toying with potential new year's resolutions, and ended up back with an old familiar goal: be intentional. Make time for the things that I want to make time for and prioritize the things that are important, not just urgent. Try not to beat myself up for not doing everything. People often have more regrets about the things they didn't do than the things that they did. 

Let 2016 be the year that you finally plan the big trip, pay off your student loans, read one book every month, lose the extra pounds, buy the dream house, decide to be content instead of constantly worried, call your parents more often, or turn down that glamorous-but-sure-to-be-stressful offer. As Nelson Mandela said, "It always seems impossible until it's done."

From 2012 to 2013

I can't believe it's Christmas again! How does everything always go so fast? Thank goodness God's in control, not me. 

The Notables of 2012: 

• Interning with American Leprosy Missions, including attending the Catalyst Conference 
• Running my third half-marathon 
• Having a GREAT D-group--what would I do without Emmi, Emily, Tayla, Sam, Adair and Katie? Traveling to Switzerland (with a pit-stop in Paris) 
• Taking a double-decker bus trip with Jay to visit DC, NYC, and Boston and stay with Lily, Rob and Megan
• Discovering collard greens, brussel sprouts, kale, artichokes, bean sprouts and butternut squash--yum! 
• Presenting at a Communications Honors conference..and getting my paper published! 
• A year and a half with Jay 
• Learning about the spiritual disciplines, love languages, the enneagram, and how to deal with my perfectionism 
• Going to a very glamorous wedding in Cincinatti--what a party! 
• Not taking plastic bags from stores all year long
• Realizing that friendships with Shannon, Lily, Grace, Carrie and Charlee really will last--love 'em. 

The Notables of 2013: 

• Traveling to South Africa, Namibia and Botswana in February and March 
• Graduating in May: what?!? #Grownuplife, here I come.
• Cruising to Alaska with my brother, parents and grandparents in June 
• Getting a big-kid apartment 
• Job-searching (and hopefully, finding): I want to be somewhere where I can use my communications and research experience to make a tangible difference in the world.

Summer of Adventures: Capitol Fourth and My Second Half Marathon En Route to Florida

A Capitol Fourth, Indeed:
It was a sweltering and wonderful trip to DC. This trip will most certainly remain unforgotten for a long time. I loved seeing all of my friends, particularly my sweet little fairy godchild Sophia with the most gorgeous eyes I have ever seen. I channeled my Army-brathood and I unabashedly basked in the the patriotic energy of being in our nation's capital for Independence Day. I wore the glittery Uncle Sam hat and the cheesy temporary tattoo, got way closer to Steve Martin that I'd ever thought possible and reverently listened to the 1812 Overture with cannons in front of the Capitol building with a zillion others.

Xterra Half-marathon:
Yeah guys, a week and a half after the fact, I can still say—it was rough. I really wasn’t aware that it was possible to go uphill so many times in a row without going downhill…Columbia is an interesting place. Hey, at least I made a couple of friends in my 2 hour-plus run (my time was surprising compared to last time…hills? Roots? Summer air?). It was a challenging and awesome experience. Claire’s reaction to her first half was priceless: “I feel like I just swam in a lake and rolled in the mud”. Jay was a good cheerleader, and it was nice to see his house and meet the ‘rents on the roadtrip. I have effectively crossed “trail marathon” off my to-do list. Successful trip.

I'm Coming Home:
I head back to my lovely Florida island home on the 30th of July…don’t quite know how to deal with this, besides the need to truly appreciate how awesome this summer has been. I love Greenville; I thoroughly enjoyed the crazy-at-times house situation, spending lots of time with the boyfriend, babysitting my life away, listening to too much country, losing my ipod and learning that I can actually survive without it, becoming close with some truly incredible people that I’ve met just within the last year, trekking to DC (my favorite place), going to museum after museum, getting star-struck at “A Capitol Fourth” (apparently I do like bluegrass, thanks Steve Martin for actually being funny in person), and meeting the fairy-godchild, playing Just Dance, growing a little garden, interning with one of the coolest organizations I’ve ever been involved with, finally getting a darn Twitter, learning to racewalk, getting to jam out at Radius nearly every week without having to check my watch to leave early for chapter or the library, getting stabbed while picking wild blackberries, biking 22 miles on the Virginia Creeper Trail (yes, there is actually a Creeper Trail), learning more deeply of God’s incomprehensibly vast love through studying Hebrews. It's been a very happy time.

As much as I’m scared to grow up, I know the best is yet to come. I wonder if I’ll have to start acting normal when I turn twenty…probably not.