2023 was interesting: a year of chaos, yeah I think that’s a good word for it, Chaos. I began the year first week of January with covid for the first time, had moved into my own apartment for the first time the previous month (December) . I began a relationship in February. In March, I went full time at my job then two weeks later, in April, I suddenly became sick which within a month of the onset of more severe symptoms resulted in an emergency surgery, thankfully minimally invasive and all went perfectly, but a whirlwind of a couple days to then dealing with the physical and emotional toll that was left. I was still dealing with on and off symptoms for about 4 months before I was finally free from the symptoms! I began running, winning my age group (basically by default but still counts!!) for a trail run series I really enjoyed, cheered my boyfriend on as he ran 5ks, half marathons, marathons+ and everything in between. I helped my best friend move closer back to Buffalo (Maine to horseheads NY), and found out I will be an aunt again in the New Year! I traveled 8 hours to see my favorite singer Brandon Lake, the artist whose music really carried me through the year. I started about half of my intentions, gave up on some due to no longer wanting to complete them, and finished a couple! Now let’s see how I did…

Key:

🚫: I did not do

⚠️: I began or did not finish, work in progress

✅: Finished!

Organizational:

1. Transfer iPhone notes into notebooks and then transfer to a google doc ⚠️

2. Organize photos into albums on phone/put all the quotes I’ve saved into one of those photo books. 🚫

3. Get caught up on nieces’ scrapbooks 🚫

Adventure:

4. Go to a Bill’s game 🚫

5. Go to three concerts ✅: The Lumineers, Brandon Lake, Brothers McClurg

6. Take a picture in front of the “Buffalo, an All-America city “ sign 🚫

7. Host 5 fun nights at my apartment ⚠️ I think I’ve done 3 plus a surprise party

8. Try goat yoga 🚫

9. Travel outside NY to 4 new states (not counting layovers): ⚠️ Just Maine

10. Find a boyfriend ✅

Give Back

11. Volunteer in at least 2 new organizations 🚫  

Personal Growth/Life Skills

12. Learn more about my hair type and how to sustain more of a curl in my hair naturally ⚠️

13. Finally stop biting my nails, 3rd year being on my intention list, like 20th year since I first made this a resolution ⚠️

14. Get caught up with the podcast, The Ugly Truth About the Girl Next Door, by March ⚠️

15. Get caught up with the podcast, The Connected Life, by end of the year ⚠️

16. Write a research paper: I already know what I want to research: impact of OT and its benefits with survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence 🚫

17. Try a new recipe each month  🚫

18. Write 5 blog posts, I really want to get back to sharing more via this platform ⚠️ Shared 1

19. Share my testimony and story more often in both public settings and in more personal settings ✅

20. Become certified in something related to my career (whether it be in something trauma related or peds related or both!) 🚫

21. Go to at least three Christian conferences ⚠️ I went to 1

22. Read at least 5 books  ⚠️ I think I read 2 total and in the middle of 2 others

23. Attend at least 3 local conferences/webinars/seminars on occupational therapy and/or mental health ⚠️

24. Adopt a cat 🚫

Physical

25. Get up the kids warped wall (8 foot) at the ninja gym 🚫

26. Get up the 10 foot warped wall at the ninja gym 🚫

27. Lache across 4 bars at the ninja gym ⚠️ I lached across 2 plus the initial bar

28. Take another round of SPAR’s (krav maga) women’s self defense course 🚫