2018 recap + 2019 outlook.

All around, 2018 was an interesting year. Not exactly what I thought it would be but when do things ever really meet our expectations? I digress. While I’m not big on resolutions, I am very much goal oriented, which made much of 2018 feel baseless and without purpose.

At the same time, looking back on it, I did a lot. Like a lot, a lot. I decided to focus my career on writing, so I wrote. I launched a blog for Fortune 500 company. That blog even got early recognition in a big Internet report. I consistently wrote for an online publication, mostly as a ghostwriter, but sometimes under my own byline, too. I kept up with this blog, something I thought I put to bed a few years back, reviving it and averaging a few posts a week. I published a piece on The Billfold, a site I’ve read for years and years.

I visited two different continents - spending time in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Japan and documenting all of my adventures along the way. We renovated our bathroom and kitchen and celebrated Jesse’s 40th birthday in style and had a killer party despite the weather. I saw my friends welcome first babies and second babies and buy new homes. I went to Memphis and in the process managed to knock off a quick trip to my 38th state, Arkansas. I ran my first 5K since 2016, thanks to the help of my allergist and some great nasal spray. I read 42 books (well, really 41, I’m still finishing the last one). The reality is, it was a momentous year and yet for some reason, I feel like I didn’t really accomplish that much.

Which leads me to 2019. I’m not sure what I think of this one. The holiday season was both joyous and wonderful and at the same time, didn’t really feel like it was happening. Like the timing was off. Maybe because we traveled so much. Maybe because goal warming made sure it was 60 degrees and sunny yesterday (which made for an interesting polar plunge).

Either way, I decided to spend January getting back in alignment. So for right now, my goal is to stay quiet. I’m going to continue writing things down, because there are big things ahead, and some already underway, but I’m just not sure I want to talk about them yet and isn’t that anticlimactic? For now, please enjoy the picture of my dogs at the top of the page. I’ll be back soon with details. Promise.