What do you think of when you think of the word change? I think of excitement, anticipation, anxiety and hope. It seems the older that I get, the faster time goes and more and more things change. This year seems like I have lived three years in one. My boyfriend and I bought a fixer-upper. We embarked on a journey that neither one of us thought we would end up doing, we spent 4 months of hard word tearing apart a 100+ year old home down to the studs just to have it re-wired and put back together. After 29 years of living at our parents house, we have now officially moved out and can call ourselves homeowners. The journey has been amazing, however, if I hear one more time "there is always something to work on when you buy a home", I might lose my shit - OF COURSE there will always be something to do here - we literally bought a 100+ year old fixer upper!!! But I am proud of us. And through it all, we have remained strong, both as a couple and individually. While this year has been lacking with running - I have become physically stronger and more ready than ever to start seriously training again. I have learned many things this year, and the most important one is to think before you react/respond. There have been many opinions and directions thrown our way with this house, and it can test your patience. I have learned to take a breath and a step back before responding and it has proved to be immensely helpful. Another thing I have learned is BOUNDARIES. Boundaries are cool, boundaries are sexy and boundaries should always be re-inforced. Boundaries means not going somewhere if you feel uncomfortable, boundaries means cutting those out of your life that no longer serve you. Boundaries give you a peace of mind - I highly recommend you evaluating your life and the boundaries that you set for yourself and those that you surround yourself with.
With all of lifes lessons this year I will leave you with this - Cherish your loved ones and hold them close, tell them you love them. Embrace change and new beginnings, they are fun, scary, and exciting all at once. Let's go into the new year with clear intentions and goals, no matter how small or big they are. After a year of many highs and lows, let's make 2024 a damn good year.
