2017 Recap

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Above is my "best nine" aka most liked pictures on Instagram in 2017. Honestly many moments of pure joy (Including the ice cream. Also that company is called Pure Joy I think.) One of the mixed emotions and exhaustion (the 2nd one; basically the exact mid-point in our year in so many literal and figurative ways). And also one of my haircut: the only day of the year (or every other year as the case may be) that my hair is styled.


Here's my personal 2017 recap:

 January

 Feeling: nauseous and numb as the reality of this new administration set in; glimmers of hope thanks to the resistance. (This is a picture of enthusiasm building the day before the Women's March, on my street, in front of two of my favorite local business, who not only make incredible food, but stand up to hate, even when it literally comes to their doorstep with bigoted signs or through their entrance with a loaded rifle and head full of conspiracy theories/aka bullshit.)


February

Apparently so depressed that I took zero pictures. Was probably: calling Eleanor (my congresswoman), training/not training for my half marathon.

Also: Craig got into school!!

March

 Announced the move to the church fam. Saw all the Williams fam at my cousin's wedding. Ran a half marathon. Turned 29.



April

 Walked around the neighborhood a lot. Felt lots of feelings.


 May

 Finally went to the Holocaust Museum. Stayed married for the 7th year in a row!

June

 Craig's last day at his job.


July

 Last day at my job. Craig became Rev. I verbally abused my mom and in-laws while they carried all our belongings a quarter mile down the street one load at a time until we filled up the trailer. Spent two days in a car with all our belongings and Craig's parents. Somehow fit in a camping weekend in the middle of the month.




August

 Spent two happy weeks with family in AR. Visited Craig's family in Trenton MO (my first time). Landed in Edinburgh.



September

 Started school and new jobs. Visited Oban & Iona. I visited Paris and met my cousins.





October

Played with new friends. Saw old friends. Found a rhythm? Worked a lot and also probably not enough. Said yes to everything. 



November

 Ran a 10k. Survived major paper 1 of 4. Both of us. Where are our "I survived" t-shirts? Celebrated in London. (That unassuming sidewalk is actually Abbey Road.) Caught colds.



December 

 December came and went so fast. It's January now?? Hosted my parents. Had a happy Christmas. Where did the rest of it go?



 . . .

This was a year full of emotions of all kinds. I started out feeling very emotionally heavy and also inwardly empty, but ending the year feeling much lighter (at times, as light as I've felt in years) and full of life and joy. Making this choice to leave a lot that we loved in DC and seize these opportunities in Edinburgh was and is hard, but definitely right. I'm still very worried about the world and the US and all the people who have been and are and will be hurting. I did a lot of listening in 2017 and hopefully a lot of learning. I tried to find specific ways that I can help but am still a lot more passive than I'd like to be. Working on this in 2018.



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