While it was a big year filled with big things, I never want to remember the smaller things and the life-changing times that occurred during the 365 days that were marked as 2017 C.E.
Let's do a series of short recaps on the year:
*On January 1, I was happy to be with my church friends and family at Ohio Chapel. I made goals with the girls who were in the high school / college Sunday school class that I taught. I made plans to cook regularly (meh), blog monthly (this became consistent after moving), start grad school, and be courageous with my word of the year: #2017courage.
*I went ice skating three times during the 2016-2017 winter. I'm not a particularly athletic person, but ice skating is my jam.
*I worked my last Chrysalis Flight (as a full-time resident of southern Illinois). Very few people knew that it was my last Flight and probably thought I was just feeling my feels. Because I had a lot of feels.
*I traveled to NYC with a few close friends. We went for a long weekend to see Broadway musicals and do touristy things, and I took a day to visit two theological schools which is when I fell in love with Drew University in NJ.
*My sister was the manager of her junior high basketball team, and they won the state championship!
*I went to my last Illinois Senior Beta Club Convention. Again, very few people knew that grad school was coming up, and it has been so hard to walk away from what was a big part of my life for more than a decade. I absolutely miss my former students and all of the things we did; I love getting to see them continue to display their passions as they prepare for this year's convention, led by the wonderful people with whom I was a co-sponsor for years.
*I unexpectedly changed jobs after some transitional elements were out of my control which placed me in a difficult position. I was so grateful that my parents were looking for a full-time employee at the same time and allowed me to rejoin the staff (after working for them right after college).
*I worked an Emmaus Walk for the first time (and probably the last with Little Egypt because of moving). It was different than Chrysalis despite all of the supposed similarities that were shared with me. I loved getting to connect with old and new friends while serving alongside them.
*I rode a horse for the first time. My little cousin is hard core and an animal lover, and she took me - who is not a fan of animals - on a few rides.
*My last activities with Drama Club included a trip to see professional theatre. It has been sad to know that the Drama Club Director position has not been filled upon my vacancy, and I hope the students will have more creative outlets in the future.
*My sister performed in her last junior high musical as a rockin' Mrs. Mayor in Seussical, and she graduated from 8th grade! She's now a super cool big kid living that high school life.
*I attended the high school graduation of the class of 2017. Some of the students who were seniors were in 7th grade when I did one year of volunteering with the Junior Beta Club. I have loved watching them grow up. Some are the #hatersquad and some are the sweetest people, and I love them all.
*I had a yard sale with my friends Sarah, Amy and Melissa! I asked my grandma (yard sale extraordinaire) for advice, compiled all of my junk that I was done with (I strive to eventually be a minimalist), and got my friends together to sell our stuff on my porch (because it rained). We didn't make *a lot* of profit, but I'm glad that I got to spend this time with friends who I have known since we were in the elementary years.
*I traveled with my best friend, Bree, to Chicago to visit her former foreign exchange student from Thailand. Such fun to finally meeting Pim and Ploy and getting to explore the city with this crew!
*My #bookbesties and I traveled to Austin to have a chill little party and a low key weekend...except that none of us can contain our chill and the weekend was packed with the most fun, spiritually-fulfilling adventures. I have known my For the Love crew for nearly three years, but I had only met a handful before 2017. I'm thrilled that our online friendships changed to in real life friendships, and I will forever be thankful to have spent a few days at the #MoxieMagicHouse. We're a bunch of weirdos, but we're weirdos who love each other and love God (and good food and good books and brunch and traveling and important causes and the list continues...).
*I resigned from positions that mean so much to me and announced my intentions to attend Drew University Theological School for the Master of Divinity program. And it was hard. I had thrown my life into my positions with VHS and Little Egypt Chrysalis with extreme dedication and loyalty, and it was a loss of identity to redetermine who I am without these titles. I cried. Often.
*I traveled with my best friend again to Destin to vacation with my family. It was fun to have the extra crew around for the week.
*I hate having the spotlight entirely on me, so I had a few unofficial going away parties with people who love me well and give all the grace.
*And then I moved from Vienna, IL to Madison, NJ. I drove through a few states for the first time and had to talk myself up to be in new territory and engage in unfamiliar conversations. This has also been hard with lots of tears, but it has likely been one of the best decisions of my entire life.
*I relaunched my writing and have changed career goals multiple times. Even if writing never becomes something that I pursue professionally, it certainly helps me process through life.
*I tried two different megachurches upon moving and committed to a year at my current church to serve with the high school students. The girls who I serve remind me of the fun things in life and are always willing to listen to "Mistletoe" by Justin Bieber. Always.
*I met Nadia Bolz-Weber (after arriving late to hear her speak at a church in CT), and I attended a lecture at Drew led by Rev. Dr. William J. Barber and Sister Simone Campbell.
*I made memes of a professor after she used GIFs on a Facebook thread. It became ~a thing~ where I regularly take funny or meaningful quotes from professors and friends and turn them into memes. Gotta use that mass comm undergrad degree somehow!
*I took part in #ForTheLoveOfEveryday with my #bookbesties by sharing what a real day in the life is like!
*I stood for things that I believe in such as supporting Black Lives Matter, being against gun violence, and learning about Moral Mondays and the Poor People's Campaign.
*I visited my favorite city monthly from August to December (sometimes repeatedly in the month) and saw a few Broadway shows! Musical theatre is forever the love of my life.
*I had a three week break between semesters that I filled with meaningful conversations, catching up with people who know me well, seeing former students, laughing with the kids who are important in my life, and remembering who I am.
This year was full. Really full. My short recap turned into 20-something points, and I am sure that I have more that I left off of the list. The year was filled with #2017courage, and more will be coming soon for further recaps of the year!
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