Sunday, December 31, 2017

2017

I'm on the west coast ringing in 2018.

It's strange that family and friends eastward have ushered in the new year already, but I quite like the extra hours in 2017 to remember these twelve months.

Some years seem like big years. Extra-memorable. Noteworthy.

2017 didn't seem like that when it was happening. But then I reflected on some of my favorite moments, and then it was big, memorable, and noteworthy in its own way.

I don't ever want to forget these memories:

most festive getaway
July 4th to Gulf Shores with Bethany and Christie


tried for the first time
Paddle boarding in Gulf Shores

non-fiction books i loved
Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life by Tish Harrison Warren
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick M. Lencioni
The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism by Timothy Keller

most challenging book
Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God's Work by Timothy Keller

most helpful book
The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery by Ian Morgan Cron

(and subsequently) couldn't stop talking about
The enneagram

favorite beach-read
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

marked off the bucket list
Traveling with Mom on her first trip overseas


not on the bucket list but did it anyway
Deep-sea fished for snapper on that fun short getaway to Gulf Shores


proudest achievement
Successfully assembled this racetrack for Little Man with Katie in Santa's Workshop on Christmas Eve


most fearful moment
Accepting a new position at work

most painful moment
Every single time I work out at Orange Theory
  
best view
From the top of Lincoln Cathedral in Lincoln, England


unexpected celebrity sighting
The Queen riding past Mom, Linda, and me in her Bentley as we walked along the sidewalk of Buckingham Palace 

moment that was better than i imagined
Walking the grounds of Wimbledon with Mom



performing arts high
Cirque du Soleil: Luzia in Atlanta with Bethany and Christie


felt like a kid
Watching Cirque like this for the entire performance:


favorite (and most overdue) trip to visit a friend
Kerrville, Texas, with Nikol, to visit Bost

most peaceful surroundings
Bost's family ranch in Kerrville ...


... and their family farmhouse that took my breath away


most indulgent meal
Hot and Hot Fish Club in Birmingham, for Bethany's birthday

spent my birthday
With Bethany at Gianmarco's in Birmingham

u.s. cities visited for the first time (albeit brief)
Norman, Oklahoma
San Antonio/Kerrville, Texas

biggest surprise
Crossing paths with Christopher in Terminal B of the Atlanta airport, both of us on layovers at the exact same time


best money spent
$110 to renew my passport

podcast that kept me company on my travels
Up and Vanished

podcast i binged the fastest
S-Town 

songs i repeated a million times
"Amen" by Natalie Taylor
"Burden" by Foy Vance

favorite albums
Tell All My Friends by Will Reagan & United Pursuit
Wounded Heart by Jeremy Adamiak 

netflix obsession
The Keepers

most magical day
December 8th, when it snowed 7 inches in Birmingham



sweetest taste
THE SNOW ICE CREAM FROM THIS SNOW (it was all-caps worthy)

No matter what time zone you find yourself in, here's hoping 2018 is a year of moments worth remembering, even if it might not feel like it while it's happening. Happy New Year!

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