The Good List: A week off, white powder on your doorstep & finally finishing that book on your nightstand.

What I’m Here For

Disconnected Holidays: We spent NYE in a remote town in Oklahoma, with no cell service & no overwhelming drunkenness. It was the most serene way to end the year, watching old movies and sipping champagne.

Oh Where is My Luggage: Have you ever done a winter vacation? Last week I wrote all about what I was packing and needing to actually stay warm. Well, that little black suitcase in the photo never made it to my destination. I spent an entire winter holiday with only the clothes I showed up in, and it’s not possible to ski down a mountain in jeans and a paper-thin sweater. Thankfully, Walmart and Target to the rescue, where I was able to buy at least a day of clothes & thankful my brother loaned my shirts and socks. But, unfortunately, when an airline is unwilling to cooperate with you from the start, you just have to bite the bullet and deal with it. It wasn’t exactly the relaxing holiday I was hoping for or needing, but still glad to go.

Bonjour 2019: I said last week that this was the year of resilience. Last year, I came up with a list of resolutions and the thing that was seriously lacking was self-care. This year, I’m doing things way differently. Step One is to read more. I have a stack of four books that have accumulated over the last quarter that need to be read. There’s such a variety and I can’t wait to really dig in. Step Two is to take better care of myself. I’ve started really paying attention to what goes into and onto my body so that means a little less Taco Bell & a little more SPF. Step Three, a luxury I really missed in 2018, is to explore more. It may be more expensive than a Xanax, but being out and about in places that I’ve never been to has done amazing things for my anxiety in 2016 & something I’ve really monitored in the years following.

What are some of your dreams & aspirations for 2019?