Reflections

Philosophical Review of 2011:

Each new calendar year is an(other) opportunity to reflect upon the past year and get inspired for the coming year. Here's what I had to say about 2011 at its start: link. I was both successful and a complete failure at living deliberately. In my daily life, I think I failed to truly act deliberately. I went through a lot of motions instead of really contemplating whether each one was the best decision for me. In doing so, I spent a lot more hours behind a desk at work than at home with my husband or out building friendships. That allowed me to get some incredible experience, like preparing several trials and fully handling two trials, and it allowed me to make an impact, like keeping several families together (ie - preventing/delaying deportation). Toward the end of the year, however, I came to see that my focus on my job and keeping up with its heavy stress load was taking a toll on what truly matter to me: my family and my health. Fortunately, I was in a position to act on that realization and leave my job for some soul searching and career evaluation time. This is where I think that I was successful in acting deliberately.

As for my other 2011 goals, here's how I score myself:

• Give time and expertise to causes that inspire me  -  D
• Take refresher Spanish classes so that my second language can be a little less broken  -  F
• Bring our home a little closer to complete  -  C-
• Keep traveling as much as our budget and schedules allow  -  A+
• Explore local attractions, especially the outdoor ones  -  D

Eeek. Better luck next year...?

Chronological Review of 2011:

George and I started the year with an amazing trip to New Zealand. It was my first time to visit New Zealand in the summer, and I fell in love all over again. We had a great time catching up with friends and family while taking in a few tourist attractions, such as as many wine regions as we could reasonably reach.

In April, we had a visit from Flat Laila, the flat version of our niece.  While she was visiting, we got away for a weekend to Alberta, Canada to celebrate George's birthday. I was particularly taken with the scenery of the Canadian Rockies, and we both agree that Lake Louise and Emerald Lake are places we hope to return to once we have a family.

At the end of May, we took off for the Philippines. The trip was a year in the making, planned by one of our dear diving friends. For the first week, we stayed on a diving liveaboard in the middle of the Sulu Sea. We were at a resort for the second week, still diving about 3-5 times a day. We had a fantastic time from the diving to lounging on the deck of the boat between dives to some fun nights at the bar at the resort. We stopped in Hong Kong on the way home, but we didn't get to enjoy as much of it as we would have liked because I came down with a stomach bug for the last two days of the trip.

In July, we celebrated our second wedding anniversary with a return visit to our reception site: Canlis. That same month, we learned that my old Cavalier needed its engine replaced. In August, we purchased our first (but probably not last) Subaru, a 2011 Legacy sedan, and we retired the Cavalier. In August and September, we got away as many weekends as possible, visiting Willamette Valley (Oregon) wine region, Las Vegas, and my hometown in Ohio for my 10-year high school reunion.

In October, we contemplated some big changes; I decided to leave my job; and, at the end of the month, we learned that we have a baby on the way. Although planned, I was still completely shocked at learning the news. To be honest, I'm not sure I'm completely out of that shock even now.

In November, we had our first two glimpses at our then-embryo. Seeing the heart beat for the first time was a life-changing experience. Then, we celebrated Thanksgiving at our house with a giant feast and the good company of our friends, Sam and Brian. I had my last day at work on the 30th.

In December, we decorated our Christmas tree and patiently waited for our next ultrasound appointment. My mom visited us for a week and was able to attend the ultrasound and doctor's appointment with us. Shortly after the appointment, we were finally able to make the announcement to the world. We celebrated Christmas by quietly lounging at home and then attending an amazing Christmas dinner hosted by our friends, Seon and Ki. To finish off the year, we celebrated last night with dinner at Canlis with our friends, Sam and Brian, and with Brian's parents. Canlis showed, once again, that they know how to throw a good party.

Phew. What a year! Even though most moments not mentioned above were filled with work for both of us, we still managed to accomplish quite a bit.