New Year, New Me?

Last year I wrote a blog post about the changes and big moments that I accomplished in 2017. It was such a positive experience for me to reflect on the changes in my life that I was most proud of in the previous year. This year I wanted to do it again. So, here is what my 2018 was like.

1. New Fur Baby: After a ton of discussion, Blake and I decided to get a kitten. We went back and forth with whether we should get a dog or a cat, but we ultimately decided that a cat was a better fit for our current living situation. One day in August, we went into PetSmart “just to look” and we fell in love with a baby black kitten named Amethyst. We were initially drawn to her sister, Lollipop, but Lollipop was a tad too crazy for us. We ended up taking the sleepy kitten who stole our hearts when she played with our shoelaces. We had a brief discussion before deciding we needed to bring her home. We renamed her Lily and we love her. She can be cuddly, sassy, playful, and quite the troublemaker sometimes. She also loves to sit on your lap while you’re on the toilet and walk along the edge of the tub while you’re taking a shower … I guess she just has a fascination with the bathroom.

2. Job: This year I was promoted from permanent part time to permanent full time. Also, Blake got a permanent full time job in the Kawarthas, so he was able to move back in with me. It was a positive career step for the both of us.

3. My Portugal Trip: In May 2018, Blake and I went on our first trip solo. We have been to Mexico a couple of times with my parents, but never on a trip ourselves. We (me) planned the whole trip ourselves and it was an … adventure. I definitely wouldn’t say that it was a relaxing vacation and we had our ups and downs, but it was a vacation that I will never forget. We started off in Lisbon and then headed south to Lagos for a weekend of some relaxation. We ate a ton of delicious food and made so many incredible memories. If you haven't checked out my blog series about this trip, then you should definitely check it out.

4. Weight: Since returning from Portugal, I have (surprisingly) lost 10lbs and have kept it off. When Blake first moved back to Peterborough, we started going to the gym, but it didn't take long before we fell off the wagon. Earlier last year, I struggled with something that I called “food guilt”. Whenever I had been eating healthy, if I slipped up even a little bit, I would belittle myself. Many nights, the little monsters in my head would tell me I was a failure and fat and a whole slew of awful things. It is something that I still have moments of struggle with, but have improved since changing my views on what “healthy” is. I try not to forbid myself from delicious foods or “diet” because it's something I've never been able to maintain. Instead, I allow myself to eat whatever I want, but in moderation and I believe that this is what has allowed me to lose weight and maintain it. Of course I still have moments of binge, but I know that, overall, I'm healthy… no matter what the scale says.

5. Sobriety: At the end of 2017, I decided to stop drinking alcohol. I was never a big partier nor had a problem with alcohol, but it was something that wanted to do. As well, I had a negative, personal experience in 2017 that caused me to have a lot of anxiety that worsened when I drank alcohol, so that definitely contributed to the decision. It has been a full year of being “sober”. Since I never had an addiction problem with alcohol, it's not something that I forbid myself from having. I still allow myself a taste of Blake's beers or sips of a particularly fancy cocktail. However, I never have my own drinks; I just sample others’ drinks. I still struggle with the “going out and having a good time sober” aspect of not drinking. The positive thing is that you're able to drive yourself home at the end of the night and ensure that all of your friends make it home safely. A negative aspect would be that you can no longer go out dancing in the middle of winter without a jacket and now have to coat check at every location...I learned that the hard way. Furthermore, now my brother has also quit drinking and I think it's a more positive experience if you have somebody to go through the journey with. It's something new for him and it may be challenging, but I hope that knowing we can have an alcohol-free time together, helps him through his journey.

Anyways, that is what my 2018 was like. A lot of changes and new experiences.

Here's hoping that 2019 will be even better!