Bonne année et bonne santé!

Wishing you a very happy new year and good health!

I'm not a big believer in resolutions, but there are some things I'd like to tackle in 2014...

Sign up for the French language class on base

Begin my yoga practice daily 

Be kinder to myself...especially moving through times of transition

I'm also going to get to see some exciting places in 2014...

We are (assuredly and tentatively) planning trips to...

Bali

England

Fiji

France

and more awesome places in Canada

It's going to be a year of on the road and getting our adventure on.

I can't wait.

What about you?  Do you believe in resolutions?  What are you planning on doing in 2014?

Dancing into the new year...

Wishing You...

Wishing you joy, love and peace...and crazy smiles...

Today and every day.

Happy Holidays and a very Happy New Year.

The Goodbyes...and Lots of Love

Last week was my final week at work.

Surreal.

And exciting.

Scary.

And hopeful.

There were a lot of fantastic goodbyes and many of my friends went out of their way with cards, gifts and - most of all - these incredibly lovely notes of encouragement and support.  They know this decision was not an easy one for me and all of them were there to help me shut down my laptop and walk out the door for the final time.

It is also liberating.  I am leaving behind a very "known" quantity for something very "unknown."  I am not sure what the future will bring.  I will be obtaining my yoga teacher certification, but am not sure where I will teach.  I will be consulting, but I am not sure where and in what capacities.  Never before have I come to the end of the year with so much awesome possibility sitting in my lap.

Before I have the chance to ponder too hard...there are the holidays to celebrate.  This year, Dave and I are spending time with my family in Georgia before we head off to Oregon to decompress and reconnect.  We've been decorating trees and much baking will happen today.  I already made the vegan lasagna Dave and I will down on Tuesday night before we head off to celebrate a midnight mass with my parents.  Although neither Dave nor I are religious, we love going to celebrate with the family - especially this time of year.

Thanks to all of you out there who have supported us through these past 3.5 years.  You know the story and you have been there all the way.

For that - this holiday season - we are grateful.

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Christmas Goodies and a Party...

On Saturday night, Dave and I went to the Mess for the annual holiday dinner put on by the base.  I wore a dress and he wore a ridiculous Christmas sweater...as is tradition.  We had a great time sitting and talking with friends, drinking wine, participating in the ugly Christmas sweater competition and watching others cut it up (and fall out) on the dance floor.  There was a raffle and we walked away with a lovely new pots and pans set! 

Winners!

Over the weekend, we also dedicated some time to making goodies for our friends.  I was inspired by Nigella Lawson's Christmas Puddini Bon Bons (yes, that is really what they are called).  Dave and I make a few vegan Christmas cakes in the spring - giving them plenty of time for seasoning with rum, allowing the cakes to soak up the mixture and get dense, chewy and dark.  In order to make the bon bons, we used two of the cakes, combining them with dark chocolate and maple syrup to make little round bites of awesome.  I then created a vegan icing with icing sugar, vanilla and water and then cut out little 'holly and berries' out of glacé cherries.

In short, I think they turned out all right and wouldn't pass them off as an Etsy or Pinterest fail!  I am proud of them and they were uber-delicious.  Dark, dense and rich.  The perfect after dinner bite with a glass of spicy and earthy red wine or a cup of espresso.

And, for some inspirational holiday reading...a post from one of Dave's favourite blogs, Raptitude on "What to get Everyone for Christmas."  Check it out!

Holiday Magic...Compliments of Chicago

I loooooove this time of year in the city.

Twinkling lights, holiday music, mulled spiced wine at the Christmas Market....just sayin'.

I was in Chicago this week and had some time to myself to peruse the vendor stalls at the annual Christkindlmarket downtown.  When I arrived, it was -2 degrees Fahrenheit and snow was falling from the sky.  In other words, perfection.

I went into the Kathe Wohlfhart house and looked at smokers and wooden ornaments, glittering tinsel and beautiful woven tabletop linens.  I stood in line for the Candy Shoppe and smiled at memories from high school of German Gummy Bears, Milka Bars and chocolate covered gingerbread.  The smell of spiced almonds wafted through the air and people milled about, sipping hot cocoa and wine while eating potato pancakes, crepes and pretzels.

The market is one of the things Chicago does best.  They have performances, a tree and Santa...all ready for everyone to enjoy.

From there I walked over to Macy's and looked at the windows, checked out the amazing holiday goodies at Anthropolgie and then made my way up Michigan Avenue to look at the lights and check out the amazing holiday displays.  It was an awesome day...one I needed before I visit the city less often...

LimboLand

LimboLand.  

A place.  

The space between the time you announce you are leaving a position and the day you actually walk out the door for the last time.

LimboLand is full of uncertainty, questioning, anticipation and doubt.  Did I make the right decision?  Is this going to make me happy?  Is this really where my path is supposed to lead next?

In short.  The answer to all three of those questions is an emphatic YES.  It's just sometimes harder to feel it when you are saying goodbyes, hearing others question your decision and are wondering if your next step is going to be as truly awesome as you believe it will be.

Don't get me wrong, a BIG part of me is ready to be home, rock out yoga teacher training and start this new chapter of my story.  However, another part of me is mourning the loss of this current position I'm in.  The loss of doing something I truly feel really great at doing and knowing that it won't be the same.  I'm also walking away from an organization that I've been a part of for over six years...that's a long time for someone like me!

I know things will be amazing...I truly believe that.  It's just some days are a little tougher than others to know it in the deep-down recesses of my soul.

But...I just keep on plugging away!

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