An Ode to 2014

Even though I apparently never blog anymore, I thought I couldn't avoid doing a 2013 wrap-up post.  This is mostly because I have so much gratitude for the year that was 2013.

Some personal highlights for me:

• Getting a new job: it is a well-known fact, for those of you who are long-time readers, that I was miserable and felt under appreciated at my old job.  I spent much of the first half of this year actively seeking out new opportunities, which eventually led me to where I am today, in a job that I love.  While I'm kicking myself for not leaving my old job a year earlier, the important thing is that I now feel appreciated for the work that I am doing and find that work to be very gratifying.
• Seeing a bevy of friends and family say "I do": 2013 was truly our year of weddings {4 total!}, three sets of friends and one set of family members.  There is nothing more beautiful than watching a couple profess their love for one another and make a lifelong commitment to each other, so I felt so fortunate to be there to witness that. I was also honored to be a bridesmaid in a dear friend's wedding. We have a few coming up in 2014, so I'm thinking that this will be the story of our lives for the next few years.
• Traveling: 2013 brought lots of fun travel for me: several trips to Pittsburgh, a long weekend in Chicago, a highly-anticipated trip to the Lake, several trips to New York, work travel to Texas, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, Massachusetts and Connecticut, as well as day trips in the DC area.  I felt very lucky to be able to experience so many new things.
• Running a marathon: I first had the half-hatched idea to run a marathon when I was abroad {although this was most likely the pastry-induced weight-gain speaking}, and finally bit the bullet thanks to a friend and signed up for the Rock 'n Roll Marathon.  The training was grueling and there were certainly times when I doubted that it would be worth it in the end, but I can't put into words how thrilling it was to cross the finish line.  Other than a brief mental breakdown at mile 21, which I quelled with M&Ms and Shot Blocks, I felt fantastic and enjoyed every minute of it.  I would not have been able to do it without the support of friends, family and Dan, both throughout my training and on race day.  Fingers crossed that I can do another one either this year or next, but, in the very least, I have the Nike Women's Half and the Cherry Blossom Ten-Miler coming up in April!
• Moving in with Dan: 2013 was really a special year for Dan and I, and I am now convinced that moving in together was one of the best decisions we have made.  When I have a tough day at work, the thing that keeps me going is knowing that I get to come home to him at the end of the day.  I almost don't remember what it felt like to live out of a suitcase and shuttle between our respective apartments! It brings me the greatest joy to wake up and fall asleep next to him every day. We definitely had our share of tough conversations this year, and had to be real with each other about where we saw our relationship going given Dan's impending grad school plans.  Luckily, we were on the same page about that one :)  We are excited to {probably} be moving to Ann Arbor in the fall {although Chicago may still be an option}, and I can't wait to begin that journey together.

I am all for making realistic expectations, so don't expect any weight-loss resolutions for me.  However, in thinking about how I want my last few months in DC to go, I decided upon the following resolution, inspired by Sheryl Sandberg: don't leave before you've left.  She talks about it in the context of professional women of childbearing age, of not stepping away from professional opportunities before you are ready to have a family {regardless of whether or not you plan to continue working after having children}.  How does this apply to me? Well, I am determined not to use the fact that we are moving as a crutch that prevents me from taking advantage of my last few months in this wonderful city.  So friends, hold me to that, will ya?!

A happy and healthy 2014 to all of you!

Relaxation Time: How I Spent My Christmas Break

As I mentioned in my post yesterday, I certainly was not lacking in relaxation time over break, which, after a stressful few months at work, was certainly in order.

After getting caught in a terrible snowstorm that turned what normally is a 4-hour drive into a harrowing 9-hour drive, Dan got back to DC.  Knowing that he would be grumpy and starving {he only ended up being the latter}, I had some homemade mac & cheese casserole {one of his favorite dishes that I make} and Oreo cupcakes {which he claims is his favorite dessert EVER- patting myself on the back haha} waiting for him when he got to my apartment.  He worked from home on Thursday and Friday, so we just hung out in my living room during the day and got to hang out at night.  SLASH we MAY have also gotten addicted to Homeland during parts of the work day :) The only thing on my agenda was going for a run- I had a 14-miler on Friday- so the rest of the time, I just sat pretty.  I also made crepes on Thursday morning, so that took up a little bit of time as well!

On Friday night, we saw Les Mis {the movie}. SO. FREAKING.GOOD.  Tears were rolling down my face for a sizeable chunk of the movie, which Dan made sure to give me grief about haha.  In all seriousness, I was amazed by the singing performances {other than Russell Crowe's}; even Anne Hathaway, for whom Dan tells me that I have an irrational hatred, did a great job on "I Dreamed a Dream." They were all incredible, and it is such a moving story that they captured so beautifully.  As we left the theater, a tissue-less me still sniffling, Dan remarked that he had forgotten that the story was so sad.  Yeah........

On Saturday, I took my "day off" from exercise, which actually ended up being a very busy, not to mention active, day.  Dan wanted to go shop for some golf supplies, which I didn't really want a part of, so I met up with my mom to see the Christmas displays at the Botanical Garden, which I would highly recommend, by the way.  From there, we went to the Museum of the American Indian for a bit.  It was nice to have some mommy-daughter time! When I got back, Dan and I headed over to the Thomas Jefferson Community Center in Arlington to play some basketball.  We had been threatening to play for, oh, about a year, but we finally did it.  We didn't play 1-on-1, but we did play two games of horse and one of Around the World, all of which I won, thank you very much.  Too bad I didn't have the good sense to put a home-cooked meal on it beforehand! 

After we showered and changed, we headed over to Georgetown to check out their ice skating rink. FAB.U.LOUS.  It was significantly less crowded/hectic than the Sculpture Garden rink, not to mention more picturesque at the time of day that we went {7 p.m., so all the lights were sparkling!}.  After skating for about an hour- and avoiding falls! Woohoo!- we hopped over to the newly reopened Farmers, Fishers & Bakers for an 8:00 reservation...only to wait until 8:45 to get seated. WOMPPPPPP.  We were so hungry after our active day that we got pretty grumpy, but quickly cheered up when we learned that they were comping us a round of drinks and an app.  Now THAT'S how you placate angry diners, people!  Let's also talk about the fact that the food was OUT OF THIS WORLD, and also reasonably-priced!  We got an appetizer of soft pretzels and three mouthwatering dipping sauces, and, for our entrées, Dan ordered jambalaya and I ordered a gardener's pie {essentially shepherd's pie but with veggies instead of meat}.  Our tummies were sure happy when we left, and we vowed to go back very soon.

On Sunday, we went to our beloved Metro 29 for brunch after our runs, where who should we see but Eric Cantor.  I was so tempted to bitch him out, because, at that point, Congress had not reached a deal to avoid falling off the fiscal cliff.  However, I kept my cool and stuffed my face with French toast like a good little girl.  For the remainder of the day, we watched football.  Now, I hate football, but watching it meant that I got to spend time with Dan, and it also required no effort, which pleased my exhausted body.  In return, he told me that, since I had been so good to watch 9ish hours of football, I could choose Monday's activity.  I chose Mt. Vernon, which ended up being a slightly poor choice because of the cold weather and the fact that the place pales in comparison to Monticello.  Who knew?  However, while there, we saw Michele Bachmann.  I kind of creeped myself out by recognizing two politicians in 18 hours, but I know that I was right.  Again, in a perfect world, I might have bitched Michele out for her politics, but I refrained.

And then came New Year's Eve.  Last NYE was definitely a depressing one for me, because, as we walked around Dublin on that day last year, it seemed as though there was a happy couple everywhere we turned, which only made me miss my guy more.  That's why I was thrilled to not only spend so much time with Dan this break, but also spend New Year's Eve with him.  We had decided that we wanted to do something low-key {but still actually go out}, so we threw on our party clothes and headed to Old Town.  All of the Christmas lights lining King Street twinkled away, and I briefly forgot that I was not walking down the Champs-Elysées.  Dinner was yummy, and we decided to head to O'Connell's, a charming old pub, afterward.  We were SO fortunate, because, just as we got there at around 10, a group of women was leaving, so we snagged their seats at the bar.  We didn't have to fight for drinks all night, AND we got seats.  Seriously perfect.  We made friends with some pretty interesting characters {one, a guy named James with long, red hair and a pink sparkly cape, was particularly entertaining} and just enjoyed each other's company.  It was perfect.  Seriously, I was in my happy place, getting to spend the holiday with my love.

So that's all she wrote, folks!  That was my UBER-relaxing vacation, and I enjoyed every second of it, whether spent with my family or with Dan.  It was definitely tough to get out of bed on Wednesday morning to come back to work, but, surprise! Today is Friday!

For whatever reason, my photo uploader isn't working, which is kind of annoying, so I'll try again later to post pics of the rest of break!  Happy (almost) weekend!

New Year's Resolutions

via French By Design

I really hate the start of a new year, partly because my once-crowdless gym suddenly becomes crowded, and partly because it's the season to make resolutions that you don't end up keeping.  Because I'm one for actually achieving goals that I set for myself, I prefer to have tangible, reasonably attainable goals for myself, rather than making sweeping declarations.  So here, my dear readers, are my Tangible, Attainable Goals for 2013:

• Assert myself more, whether in my personal or professional life {for those of you who know me, you know that assertion and conflict are not exactly two of my strong suits}
• Run a marathon {I'm already signed up, and am in the midst of the hardest part, all of the training}
• Eat enough, and well enough, to bribe my body to run 26.2 miles. HA!
• Put some of my Pinterest home decor ideas to use {more on this soon!!!!!}
• Always take the time to help or listen to a family member or friend in need, and never hesitate to let those people know how important they are to me, both through my actions and my words
• Enjoy the little moments.  I am so goal- and milestone-oriented that I often struggle to stop and smell the roses.  I have so many wonderful things to look forward to this year that I want to enjoy everything in the moment, rather than constantly looking forward to the next thing.
• Do things and spend time with people who bring me joy
• Do not fear change
• Do not forget to laugh, especially at myself!

I would love to hear some of your New Year's resolutions or goals.  How do you hold yourself accountable {or don't you?} in your quest to achieve these goals?