Welcome back to our 6th Annual Blog-A-Thon!
It's good to be back with all you people of the internet. 2018 was a full and fast year here in Seattle, WA. When Annie and I video-chatted to plan out our month of blogging, we realized it had been almost 10 months since we had video-chatted last. Time just flies when you fill it with stuff.
For the first 9 months of 2018, Annie and I worked hard to post a monthly blog with updates about our life goals. Sadly, by September (i.e. an overload quarter), Annie and I had fallen off the blogging bandwagon. 2018 has taught me that sometimes I take on more than I can do comfortably. So, in the spirit of learning from past failures, Annie and I will be blogging once a week this year rather than once a day.
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This September, I had the privilege of traveling to Scotland and the Netherlands with my mom. The trip was glorious and full of beautiful cityscapes and scenic highlands. On the final day of the trip, we packed up our very FULL bags (probably we bought too many souvenirs) and took the bus to the airport. We had gotten there early, so we spent about three hours wandering the airport and working hard to spent our remaining Euros. Then, we headed to our gate and waited for our plane. And we waited. And we waited. Finally, an hour after our scheduled departure time, the airlines officially canceled our flight. The next 2-3ish hours were spent standing in line and arranging our new flight for the next day. This was definitely NOT how we had planned to spend our final day of vacation.
We eventually made it home the next day. Once I got settled, I filled out the paperwork to attempt to get a refund from the airlines. That was at the beginning of September. Fast forward three months - an email and a check arrived from the airlines indicating that we did indeed qualify for a refund. The refund basically covered the cost of one of our original tickets! Our trip turned out to be 2 for the price of 1.
Sometimes things happen that we don't plan for. Those things cause stress, frustration, and discouragement. But unplanned things have a way of eventually fitting into the arc of our lives. Unplanned things are a part of our stories - and sometimes, they even add value to it! This year has taught me to not be shaken up by unplanned events. Let them become a part of your overall story.
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This was a big year of change here on the East Coast. Tommy and I traded the mountains of Western North Carolina for the beaches of Charleston, South Carolina. I finished school and started teaching. And, I have lived a full year as a vegan.
Being a teacher has always been the goal. While I worked for the YMCA I would look longingly at classrooms in my school wishing I could be on that side. I spent what feels like YEARS of anxiety and frustration trying to get to this place, and I've finally made it.
When Tristinn and I were monthly blogging this year we set monthly goals for ourselves, and I was not achieving those goals. I was so focused on the mission to be in a classroom that I did not have the space to worry about anything else. And now I'm here.
2018 has been a good one. One of the best. Sometimes plans take a little longer to materialize than one would want, and that's ok. I am so happy to be living The Dream in 2018. Every morning as I watch the sunrise out of the window of my classroom I am glad for every struggle that has led me to this place.
I am also so excited that Tristinn and I have realized our limits and will be blogging once a week rather than every other day!
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