Just Feelin' Happy

My worlds collided about a year ago when I found out my GMAT-study-group-turned-business-school-BFF and work BFF knew each other. Fast forward, and now the three of us run in the same circles and see each other relatively frequently.

My work BFF has abandoned me for an amazing project abroad, and came back for a visit this weekend. Unfortunately due to Atlanta's ridiculous inability to deal with any sort of weather situations, his flight was delayed and I had a Saturday class and a huge assignment to work on, so we didn't end up seeing each other.

 

However, he & my business school BFF were at the same Super Bowl party and I guess my name came up. Work BFF called me from the airport to talk about life and catch up since we didn't see each other, and he said that when he asked how I was doing, our mutual friend told him that I was really happy - happier than I've been in a long time, and always in such a good mood.

 

I'm not sure why this resonated so strongly with me or touched me as much as it did, but I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. I guess I am surprised. Don't get me wrong, I am over the moon happy with my life, so that's not the surprise. I simply had no idea how vividly noticeable my happiness was in my personal and professional lives. I am beyond pleased that without even trying, without even thinking about it, my natural state of being right now is happy, warm, energetic and fun.

 

That feels pretty darn good to me.

 

 

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#kanda2014 in Croatia

I'm prettttttty sure my mom gave up all hope for me inheriting her love of travel the spring break of my freshman year of high school. We spent 10 days in Italy and I pouted through the Sistine Chapel because I wasn't with my friends in Panama City (in hindsight, what friends?) and she cried over me being an ungrateful brat. Understandably so, and she really ought to have just slapped me.

 

The good news is that 10+ years later we alternate jealousy of the other's wanderlust and upcoming trips. Last year after I up and went to Iceland, I created a travel bucket list. Thus far I'd call it a raving success. I spent 9 days in London and then into Scotland, checking off #7 on a list of 7.

 

 

 

And now, just a few days into 2014, I'm already planning for another check off the old bucket list. My bestie & I have booked a 11 day trip to Croatia, flying from Atlanta to Zagreb, picking up a rental car and spending 2 days making our way to Split, where we will hop on a boat for 7 days to explore a few islands on the Dalmation Coast. The sailing ends in Dubrovnik where we stay overnight and then spend 18 hours traveling back to Atlanta. Maybe this is cheating but it's my bucket list so who cares: I am counting the week on the boat as equivalent to my bucket list goal of spending a week on the beach and giving myself a pat on the back.

 

Even more exciting, Croatia has made several lists for being a top place to visit in 2014. For once, I might be ahead of the curve. Let's not get used to it.

 

Have you already made big travel plans for 2014?

Just like that...

It's nearly the end of the year! As always, I spend the end of the year reflecting on what I did over the last 12 months and what I want to do differently in the upcoming months.

2010 was GROWN UP. 2011 was CONSTANT. 2012 was FUN. 2013 was AMBITIOUS. I spent a lot of time reflecting about 2013. Were things around me changing, or was I changed? In Costa Rica I deemed 2013 the year of transformation, but in hindsight, that's not quite accurate. I think I am still figuring out who I am, and in doing so I took risks and created adventures for myself and challenged myself. I did things that I didn't think I'd ever do, and pushed myself to the limits, quite literally.

When I decided to apply to a top 25 part-time MBA program, everyone around me thought I was setting myself up to fail (although they didn't tell me at the time). Hell, I thought I was setting myself up to fail. And then I got in.

When I booked a trip to Costa Rica 8 days in advance, I thought I was absolutely mad. No one else knew how to deal with me and I was at my wit's end with a lot of things. I didn't know how to deal with everything happening around me. And then I spent 7 days with some of my now-favorite people in the world and it feels like it was the easiest thing I've ever done.

I pushed myself in (and out of) relationships, both personally and professionally. I forced myself out of my comfort zone. I worked harder this year than I ever have in my entire life both at work and at school and I am beyond proud of the things I have done, the people I have met, and the accomplishments under my belt. I was promoted to a new role, I was recognized at work with an award for excellence, I passed all my classes in my first semester of business school, I was elected social chair of my class...these are not easy things, and I certainly don't think I made them look easy (in fact I probably made all of them look infinitely harder), but it's just more examples of how I pushed, pushed, pushed without looking back. Or around, or forward, really.

Seems like 2014 has some big shoes to fill, but that's not the point. Believe it or not, pushing yourself to the limit is exhausting. It can be heartbreaking, disappointing, and plain old hard. It's also invigorating, inspiring, exciting. But it's time to slow down.

I would like 2014 to be INTENTIONAL. I'm not making resolutions, per se, but a few goals.

• Less time and effort into my love life: I will be spending zero time pursuing any dating opportunities between now and the end of March. I'm not going to say no if the opportunity arises, but I'm not going to seek it out.
• More time and effort into my physical well-being: I'm running a 1/2 marathon (!!) on March 23 and would like to finally do that triathlon I spoke of.
• Less time bebopping all over the world just because and more time with people that matter in places that matter: a long weekend in Atlanta with the Costa Rica girls, #kanda2014 in Croatia, debating between a shorter return trip to Iceland and a 2 week trip to China for school in August, at least 1 trip to San Fransisco, and a few stops in Dallas, Chicago, Boston and Miami to round out the year, and of course many a summer weekend at the lake.

It's never the new year without an actual resolution, though, so here it goes. My 2014 New Years Resolution is to make my bed daily. I have one other one, but I'm keeping it to myself for now :)