Reflections of 2019 and Ideas for 2020

I love lists. Taking scraps of paper. Writing down everything that I can possibly think of, just to get it out. I work better with lists. They give me direction and make me realize I do know the answers. I just have to trust myself.

Patterns. Repetitions and rhythms of life. Noticing. Is that the key to finding change? Sometime last year I found an “18 resolutions for 2018” list I made and loved how I accomplished so much. Despite being packed away and completely forgotten, the ideas that I created in that list continued to dictate my next steps. And it happened on a subconscious level. Then a couple days later I listened to a podcast where the guest said, “Map your actions to your aspirations.” Then it clicked that I had been taking the steps all along, but there are always going to be roadblocks.

Sometimes I believe in magic. Maybe I believe in the magic of lists and that in some cosmic way that 2018 list was a binding contract with the universe. Either way, I’m doing it again.

So this year I made some modifications: 19 times/things I was grateful for in 2019 & 20 desires for 2020.

19 Things I was Grateful for in 2019

I am grateful for the newest & cutest edition to the team, Betsy Ross. She has taught me SO MUCH about patience, compassion, overcoming your fears, and being a lil badass pup.
I am grateful for all my opportunities for travel & to see all the different beauties or oddities of the world.
I am grateful for hot Hawaiian days, turquoise waters, and being reunited with my honu friends.
I am SO grateful for our little house, our little neighborhood, caring + strange neighbors, this city, and the fact that I look forward to coming back to our cozy home all the time.
I am grateful for being able to work with my family, which gives me a chance to see them often and have unique flexibility.
I am grateful that we live in an area where we can have so many different adventures less than an hour away.
I am grateful to get to meet new people even though my social anxiety.

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During the hike 11 miles up Mauna Loa in Hawaii.

La Casa Del Caffe has delicious coffee granitas + it’s right around the corner from the Pantheon.

Zack caught a baby hammerhead shark off the coast of Georgia.

This was the first day we got our pupper, Betsy Ross!

8. I am grateful for SO MUCH GOOD FOOD.

9. I am grateful for outdoor adventures, finding little critters & creatures, and maintaining my curiosity about our natural world.

10. I am grateful for the enchanting and mystical beauty of the desert, especially the moment when a mysterious flute pipe player flooded Cathedral Rock, Sedona with music and magic.

11. I am grateful for the cuteness of puppies, their soft little bellies, and the precious sounds they make when they sleep.

12. I am grateful for my person, how we continue to learn and grow from one another, how we support one another, how I have seen my definition of love expand.

13. I am grateful for late Italian nights (especially Siena), walking/dancing along the uneven, stoney streets, buzzed on red wine, and a little high from jet lag + life.

14. I am grateful that pieces of the prehistoric world are still here.

15. I am grateful for the stronger connections I made with incredible people I already know.

16. I am grateful to see so many gorgeous, breathtaking sunsets and sunrises.

17. I am grateful to start photographing again, meeting fun, amazing clients up for anything and rediscovering the joy of the unexpected.

18. I am grateful for the individuals that share their lives on blogs, podcasts, books, social media, what have you. They have granted me permission to create for the sake of creating and helped me find a voice.

19. One of the things I am most grateful for is my body and how it surprises me. It is not lost on me how grateful I am to have the ability to hike 11 miles uphill with a pack, some unnecessary items (sunscreen should not have been sacrificed), and no previous experience or training. I learned so much about my own resilience and power that I would love to bring into 2020.