2022 Survey

Borrowing this from Lisa…..

1) What did you do in 2022 that you’d never done before?

Traveled to Europe with my kids! Also went to two professional sporting events in Chicago (first time at pro soccer games).

2) Did anyone close to you give birth?

Not that I can think of!

3) Did anyone close to you die?

No, thank God!! I didn’t attend any funerals, unless you count watching Queen Elizabeth II’s on TV.

4) What places did you visit?

• Isla Mujeres, Mexico
• Ireland
• Rome
• Weekend/ day trips to: La Crosse, WI; Chicago; Wisconsin Dells
• San Diego, California
• Mexico City/Toluca/ Tepotzlan/ Malinalco, Mexico
• Sent boy(s) to: Washington D.C./ Des Moines, Iowa/ Stevens Point, WI/ camp!

5) What would you like to have in 2023 that you didn’t have in 2022?

More consistency with my diet (healthier/unprocessed/ lower sugar) and exercise. I feel like I was all over the place this year. There were really good stretches, and really bad stretches. Pre-pandemic, I won’t say my diet was awesome, but at least I was very consistent for years with regular exercise and gym going, EVEN during the years when the boys were very little and I was working shift work in the hospital. Seriously, I was a regular gym rat and didn’t miss a beat for years on end (or during running phases, I followed my training plans to a T.) Once 2020 hit and the gym closed, it’s like my wheels fell off and I’ve never been able to really glue them back on completely. IT IS ANNOYING! I feel that at this stage in my life, with teenagers who can stay home alone, generally need me less, and a work from home, flexible job, I “should” be able to do better at this than when I had toddlers and worked 12 hour shifts in the hospital. Yet, here we are. Hard to not view this as a discipline/priorities/”me” problem, versus otherwise situational.

Also, I just really want to be a person who defaults to whole, nutritious foods instead of sugary drinks and cheese topped foods. I want to be the person whose lifestyle just naturally includes tons of healthy foods, not because I “have to”, not because I’m following a “diet”, but because it’s just my lifestyle and that’s just “how I eat” and how I feel best. Does that make sense?

6) What dates from 2022 will be etched in your memory forever?

• Pretty much our entire trip to Ireland. Can’t choose a single moment- from arriving at the train station and hugging my nieces/nephew/sister, to cozy pub moments, to reading the Bailey’s Story book every night to my nieces, to taking photo after photo of beautiful scenery, to riding bikes on a gorgeous trail, to viewing historical sites together and strolling the streets of Galway… it’s impossible to choose one.

• The moment we entered St. Peter’s Square on our first night in Rome, with the Basilica looming in front of us. Amazing.

• Attending the Backstreet Boys concert in Milwaukee with one of my best high school friends who I hadn’t seen in ~15 years.

• Going to the Haunted Forest with the boys + friends!! This was such exhilarating fun- an experience I’d never done before, so it really stands out.

7) What was your biggest achievement this year?

I’d say just keeping our lives running!! We are BUSY. I work full time. Our kids are in tons of stuff. I planned all of our travel. I made the “special moments” happen- birthdays, holidays, decorations, traditions. We had meals to eat/ food in the house (usually 😉 ).We didn’t miss (too many) signups or deadlines.

Also, I experienced a lot of growth at work this year. No one thing, really, but just a lot of growth in leadership skills, confidence, and I even earned a cash $ performance bonus to recognize my great work- which is really rare in my line of work.

Finally, I kept up this blog, and I completed my Habit Tracker every single day, and my Highlight Journal pages probably >95% of the time. My life has been “DOCUMENTED”! 😉

8) What was your biggest failure?

Well, see #5 about consistency with diet/exercise. But besides this, other “failures”, if you want to call them that would be: a very lackluster reading year. I think I’ll end up at… 15 books? OOF that’s bad. By far the lowest number in several years. Also, I’ve done a terrible job at keeping our budget/finance spreadsheets up to date. Seriously, they have been untouched for a length of time that I won’t disclose. 😬 This is so bad of us! Definitely a goal for 2023 to reorganize our finances.

9) Did you suffer from illness or injury?

No, thankfully. But I have been struggling with ongoing, intermittent lower abdominal bloating for over a year now, and I can’t figure out what’s causing it. I actually went to the doctor and had an ultrasound done recently, because of course the words “ovarian cancer” were flashing through my mind…. but that all looked fine. I’m wondering now if it may be a newly developed dietary sensitivity of some sort, but it’s odd, because I have zero other GI symptoms (no gas, nausea, diarrhea, cramping, pain, etc.) that often accompany dietary intolerances or GI disorders. Just this mysterious bloating that comes and goes- but I really do not like it. Anyway, I may try an elimination diet soon and see if I can pinpoint something.

10) What was the best thing you bought?

Hmm, let’s see. That’s a tough one. I guess I’d say I’m really loving these two pair of ankle boots I bought this fall- one in a caramel/ tan color and the other in black. They are so comfy and versatile and I’m loving them. Also, I bought some new sweatpants/ joggers/ leisure wear this year that I’ve been enjoying. In October I used birthday money to order these Ogee Contour makeup sticks that Facebook kept taunting me with ads for…. they are pretty sweet! I’m happy that I bought a monthly gym strength workout membership from Macros with Em- I’m really loving having pre-programmed workouts again (even though I haven’t been 100% on them). I have a feeling my new Apple watch is going to be a favorite item, too! Love it so much so far!! (*That was a gift from Ivan though.)

11) Where did most of your money go?

Great question. 😜(See #8)

I think a combination of: private school tuition, travel expenses, extracurricular activites, restaurant meals and Nike.com/ boys athletic apparel. 😂

12) What did you get really, really excited about?

Definitely our vacations. I think because I do all of the planning, plus I write blog recaps, sort photos, etc., I actually probably enjoy the vacations more than anyone else in our family! I think that as a result of all the extras I do, I end up experiencing/ anticipating/ reflecting on our trips much more deeply than anyone.

13) What authors did you discover in 2022?

Um…. that’s a tough one. None?? I mean, I read that huge Tribe of Mentors book by Tim Ferris, and I hadn’t read his works before, but that was really just a compilation of interviews from other people, so I feel like that doesn’t count.

14) What do you wish you had done more of?

More consistent workouts. More reading.

15) What do you wish you had done less of?

Probably random phone scrolling. Cliche answer nowadays, I know. And drank less soda (my biggest vice).

16) How did you spend your Christmas?

At home, with my family + my parents.

17) What was your favorite TV program?

I liked all the TV we watched! We finished the series Atypical, This Is Us, Ted Lasso (FAVORITE!!!!!), and Younger (almost done).

18) What did you want and get?

To finally be able to take our several-times-rescheduled trip to Europe.

19) What did you want and not get?

I’ve been trying to find jeans that I love and feel amazingly comfortable, and I really can’t say that I’ve accomplished this yet. Recommendations welcome.

20) What was your favorite film of 2022?

Hmm, I think I’ll go with Top Gun: Maverick. Saw it twice in the theater it was so good! Also recently loved the new Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, and enjoyed the Elvis movie this summer. We’ve actually watched quite a lot of movies this year.

21) What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

Turned 39 and spent the weekend at an indoor waterpark in Wisconsin Dells! Also took a beautiful fall hike that was very memorable for me.

22) What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

I’d say somehow figuring out how to just feel like I “have it all together”. I always end up feeling like despite my best efforts at planning, organizing things, etc…. I still can’t quite ever achieve a state where life feels like it’s all just smooth sailing. Then again, maybe that’s a myth, or an urban legend. Maybe that doesn’t really exist. 😉

23) Who kept you sane?

Definitely would say Ivan. He’s soooo much more chill than I am in many ways, and when I get myself all wrapped around the axle or stressed about things, he is so good at bringing me back to reality. (Sometimes by saying things like, “Well, just remember that none of this really matters, because in less than 100 years we’ll all be dead, anyway.) 🤣🤣

24) Who did you miss?

Well, I hate not being able to see my sister more often. I hate that we can’t have a “normal” relationship where we can see each other’s families frequently, or where I can go pick out and drop off gifts for my nieces and nephew, or just be able to experience all the different stages of the kids without huge gaps of time in between.

I also always miss my childhood best friend. Sounds lame, but I’ve never had another friendship like hers. We’ve grown out of touch over the years, but I think of her often and sooooo miss the friendship we had.

25) Who was the best new person you met?

Um…. hmm. I don’t know! I guess maybe my co-volunteer coordinator for the swim team?! She was new to me and really nice, and kind of a lifesaver! I also really like the new Data Coordinator my department hired. She’s very cool and fun.

26) Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2022.

Okay, I think I’m getting fatigued from filling out this survey, because I’m not sure what to say. Haha. Um, I think I’ll say: I’ve learned to continue working on just being really content with who I am, and not trying to change myself or hide myself for others. Self-confidence has never been my strongest suit. I think it’s been an ongoing work in progress for a while now, but I think I’ve really made some strides.

27) Show us one of your favorite photos from the year.

Oh, you all know that’s impossible. I take so.many.picutures. ONE??!

If I had to just pick one, though, maybe this one:

This was our first evening in Tepotzlan, Mexico, and it was so charming and beautiful and I just felt really happy in that moment. This is my current phone wallpaper.

Whew, that’s a lot of questions! Thanks, Lisa, for the prompt!! That was fun!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, everyone! Cheers to 2023.

Daily Gratitude:

I am grateful to have made it through another year. (Well, hopefully I make it through the next ~14 hours, lol! This would become a really odd and creepy post if I didn’t! 😂😂)