What a year it has been. So many ups and downs. But most importantly, has been a life changing, dream chasing year. I learned so much about myself along the way. I am blessed to have the experience and growth of this year and cannot wait to see what is in store for 2024.
Some Highlights from the Year.
January:
We went on a ski trip with my husband's college friends, their significant others and kids to a beautiful Ski town in Vermont. We chose to drive. So we broke up the trip for travel. Two days there, two days back. We stayed in some really nice hotels. I really enjoyed the hotel experience, and I enjoyed spending quality time with my husband's friends. He has some really sweet and kind friends.
I also joined a book club. I loved meeting new people and catching up with old friends. I've never been a part of a book club before. It was exactly what I needed to start socializing again since my second was born in 2021.
February:
This month was slower but I did have a really fun experience in Hershey, Pa. Around Valentine's Day, the chocolate factory in Hershey has a wine and chocolate tasting. I did that with a friend from college and we had a wonderful dinner in Hershey after. I don't get to see my PA friends as often, so every opportunity I do, it's pretty special.
March:
My husband and I made the decision to start researching homes closer to my husband's job. He was struggling with his commute and we made the decision this month that maybe it's time for a change. For the next few months, we became obsessed with looking at homes virtually, sending what we find to each other, figuring out our budget, how we want to go about it, the areas we are looking at and agree on. It consumed us. At some points it was really frustrating, sometimes discouraging, and sometimes really exciting. It was quite the researching journey.
April:
My husband ran the Boston Marathon and broke 3 hours. I couldn't be there, but it was amazing to watch the tracker religiously passing each mile marker. I was so proud of him.
May:
My oldest daughter turned 3! We had a wonderful party for her. Her party theme was Mermaid Theme! I can't believe my baby girl is 3!
This is also my birthday month. I turned 33. I didn't do anything crazy special for my birthday. Spent the day with my girls, and the evening with my family. Birthdays have been low-key since I became a mom. It's been a while since I've had an actual party for myself. I think my last party I hosted for my birthday was my 28th birthday. Maybe for my 35th I'll plan something special! But until then, low-key birthdays with all my favorite things mixed in is pretty good to me.
June:
I went on a girls trip to Arlington, Va. We explored the area and went on a wine tour. I went with 2 of my closest friends from College. It was such a wonderful weekend to take time away from being mom and wife and just enjoying myself with friends who have been in my life for over a decade. It was such a fun trip that we will plan another weekend in 2024! We plan to make it an annual thing.
This month my daughter started speech therapy. We were on the waiting list for 6 months. She did this for 3 months before we moved out of the area. There was so much growth in such a short amount of time. Her speech teachers were absolutely amazing.
July:
After celebrating my one year anniversary, I took a step forward with the business I started in July of 2021 through Amazon. I started making money. It started as a hobby, but this month I realized it was more than that. It started to seem more like a passion of mine and I didn't want to give up on that.
My husband and I started looking at houses this month. Like actually getting in touch with a past realtor we worked with and schedule showings. Between this month and the beginning of August, we saw a total of 15 houses in an area 2 hours away. Took about 4 trips total until we found our house.
This is my Wedding Anniversary month. My husband and I celebrated 7 years of marriage. We did our traditional dinner date at our favorite AYCE Crabs restaurant.
August:
We put an offer on a house and they accepted it almost immediately! The packing started and we started to get our house ready to sell. We chose to buy first then sell.
September:
This month was HUGE for us.
My youngest turned Two. We had a "Born to Be Wild" party for her. It was the perfect theme for her because if you know my little two year old, she is a wild animal. She has quite the personality. It will probably be the last party we will host in a long time.
We busted our butts getting our house ready to sell. So much packing, painting, fixing, caulking, cleaning, planning. All while having two toddlers and a Great Dane to take care of. It was insane.
We closed on our new home and moved on September 19th.
We listed our home to sell on September 21st.
We went to the beach my husband and I got married at for a week at the end of September. It was the first time I experienced this beach off season, and the first time we went as a family of 4. It was the most relaxing week. We go to this beach every other year, so when we go, it's special.
October:
I visited my friends in PA. We went to Alumni weekend where I went to college and explored Lancaster. It felt so comforting walking the campus again. I've missed it. I hope to go again in 2024 just hope it isn't as rainy and cold as it was this year.
We got an offer on our home that we accepted.
I received an email from a nonprofit I emailed back in August asking if there were opportunities for part-time remote work. It's a nonprofit that works with schools as an after school program. I had experience with the program for 7 years and wanted to see if I could continue working for the program but for a different council since I was as living in a new area. I had a two informal interviews and they hired me this month to work as the community coordinator for my surrounding counties. I was so excited but also very nervous for the opportunity. It was what I wanted but I had to embark on a new journey, figuring out how to balance working, while staying home with two toddlers.
November:
My sister had her bachelorette weekend this month. We went to Disney! It was such a fun weekend! Everything my sister wanted and more!
December:
My new job started December 4th. The transition surprisingly went very smooth and my girls handled the change very well. Luckily, the council I work for now is very flexible with hours and I was able to choose the hours and days that work best for me. I think that's what made the transition so smooth. I was nervous though. It's a big change. But an exciting change.
My sister got married. Despite there being a bedbug issue at the hotel room we stayed in, the wedding was fun and my sister was absolutely radiant. Plus, it's been so long since I've gone full on glam with makeup and hair!
This year was the first year we felt the Christmas spirit from both our girls. There really is something magical seeing Christmas through the eyes of a child. This year, we saw it through the eyes of two children. It was the first Christmas in a long time that I felt the pure joy of the Holiday.
Throughout this year. I learned a lot about myself.
I learned to say no more
I learned to set boundaries
I learned that some anger I've been holding on to has caused resentment
I learned that I am still healing from my mental health struggles postpartum
I learned to love my postpartum body
I learned I love to inspire others that they can be curvy and beautiful
I've made the decision that I don't ever want to return to the classroom
I learned I can make simple review videos and sell on Amazon for commission
I learned I write things I have trouble saying out loud
I've accepted that I've lost friendships, but I've also gained friendships
I learned that people's words hurt me more than I'd like to admit
I learned House Fever is an actual thing
I learn the actual reasons why I don't want to have a third baby
I learned what it feels like to follow a dream and it becomes a reality
I learned what my dreams are
I learned what I'm passionate about
I learned that being a mom is my favorite job I've ever had but it is also the hardest
I learned that there are only a handful of people I truly trust with my thoughts and feelings
I learned dating your spouse is so important
I learned that I have really bad Social Anxiety
I learned taking my toddlers to the store by myself is not as bad was what I thought it would be
I learned I feel so much better when I start my day with 30grams or more of protein
I learned Mezcal Mules are delicious
I learned that I can finally overcome my fear of bridges
I learned doing one load of laundry a day helps laundry stress
I learned how to do my makeup in less than 10 minutes
I learned a compromise with my husband that results in me rarely having to do the dishes
I learned I will lose my patience more with flies around my food than screaming toddlers
I learned how to validate my girl's big feelings
I learned my oldest is more like my personality and my youngest is more like my husband
I learned my dog has skin issues
I learned how to use a gas stove
I learned my girls love to dance and sing with me
I learned I'm obsessed with bodysuits
I learned that it's okay to take time for myself and to not feel guilty about it
I learned that I am growing and changing.
My life after this year will never be the same. In so many good ways than bad. I am excited for what 2024 will bring. My main focus is to continue to strive for more internal peace.
Thank you so much for reading!
Susana
Comments