Only 6 weeks left in 2014.....

...how did that happen? This year flew by. I was putting together photos for my holiday cards recently and had a hard time deciding which ones to use because I have done so many amazing things this year it's hard to believe.

At the beginning of the year I realized it was the year of the Horse and I was born in 1978, so I kind of knew it would be MY year. It has been a little crazy and full of ups and downs and a total roller coaster of emotions but overall I'd say mostly awesome or amazing with a few hiccups along the way.

The biggest hiccup was getting laid off from my job in the summer. Totally shady deal that happened over a few weeks where company #1 (which would have had to pay a minimum of 26 weeks of severance to employees) sold my division to company #2 (a much smaller company with no products or R&D or plan for the future that was obvious) for pocket change in our industry resulting in a reduction in force (RIF) and only 8 weeks of severance because we were "terminated" from company #1 and had to sign about a hundred documents saying we understood that. So, from what I can tell it was a real estate deal where some execs from company #2 bought the lease of a useful space and then emptied it and company #1 got rid of a division that was not making any money without having to do the dirty work of layoffs themselves.

Bright side of all this, I had the best summer ever! Sure I spent a lot of time worrying about money and searching for a new job and applying and interviewing and going to the lame @ss career center dealing with idiots, BUT I also hiked some of the most amazing areas in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and went up to Portland Maine and spent time with my family and spent a few days relaxing on Lake Winnipesaukee in Wolfeboro, NH with friends. It was like a long vacation, I just wish looking back that I had traveled MORE. I'd like to say I wish a ate and drank less, but I really really enjoyed every lobster roll and glass of wine I consumed so I don't regret it. I mean, it's all fun and games until your jeans don't fit anymore, but I am confident that I can get back to my ideal weight now that I have a routine again.

Six months ago I was miserable at work and completely demotivated and it was impacting my running and life in general. Now, I am beyond excited for what the future holds for me. I am in a great place mentally and I have a new job that I am totally psyched about. I have a few races coming up (Dopey Challenge 2015 in just 50 days) and hopefully some fun holiday parties to go to (or host) to hang out with all the amazing friends that got me through the rough patches of the year. Seriously, I probably haven't said it enough, I try to say it and express it in as many ways as possible, but I'll say it again: I AM GRATEFUL for all of my friends and family and all the time we get to spend together. THANK YOU!

I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be

 

It's been a LONG time since my last update. I've been really busy working on my "To-do" list. I'll try to give the short version of the last few months and sum it up nicely. In the end of May my company was bought/sold and as a result I was laid off in mid-June. I had already begun searching for a new job for a bunch of different reasons and had some leads so it was not that upsetting to be let go. Plus, it gave me some free time to have fun and aggressively search for a new adventure.

First week of freedom I checked off a few items on my list right away -
1. Donated 15" of my hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths
2. Went Shark Cage Diving
3. Went on a Duck Boat Tour

Since then, I kept busy through the summer continuing to search for the right opportunity and training for my fall marathon(s). All the time while running I kept finding dimes. I looked up the significance of it and it is suppose to mean angels are watching over you. When I say I found dimes I don't mean in my pocket or at home, I spotted them every where I went and not few and far between, almost every time I left the house I would find a dime in my path. Although not having a job was stressful, I trusted in my journey and knowing I had angels watching over me I was ok with whatever obstacles I encountered.

Summer turned to fall and I checked a few more items off the list - hiked the tallest waterfall in NH and a few other amazing trails, went zip lining, did the Wineglass marathon (and a few other shorter races), got a new job that I am more than thrilled about, went to the Salem Witch museum, got a psychic reading, joined a CSA, and just this past weekend I completed my 18th marathon - the NYC Marathon. Oh and I found A LOT of coins on that course:

Neither of my most recent marathons was as fast as I'd like them to be, but I made sure to appreciate the journey and take in the amazing accomplishment of covering 26.2 miles again no matter how long it took me. My race mantra in NYC was actually "I'm exactly where I want to be/where I'm supposed to be". As 2014 speeds to an end and 2015 quickly approaches, I will start training for the Dopey Challenge and maybe even check off a few more items. Whatever happens, I could not be happier. Things have worked out very well and as I said to myself all summer, good things happen to good people. And so my journey continues.....