2013 in Review

Looking back....it's been a neat year!  Again, very different than I planned or thought might be coming, but pretty wonderful!  I'm grateful for goals and dreaming and purpose and direction and then other wonderful opportunities that come along the way.

Here are some of the highlights of 2013:

Learning

• I read the Doctrine & Covenants, the Book of Mormon and part of the New Testament.  I love the scriptures.  I did learn some about building Zion - some of that from scripture study and some from service and work opportunities.  I'm grateful for chances to learn.  There's much to do!  :)
• I took a Chinese class.  It was a lot of fun.  I learned a lot and would LOVE to learn and practice more, but I might shift to Spanish this year.
• I read A LOT - 67 books.  Some of my favorites (in no particular order):  The Chosen, Still Alice, A Disciple's Life: The Biography of Neal A. Maxwell, Return, Start Something That Matters, The Light Between Oceans, How Will You Measure Your Life?, Daring Greatly, The Rent Collector, The Beginning of Better Days, The Power of Everyday Missionaries, City of Tranquil Light, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, and Glimpses into the Life and Heart of Marjorie Pay Hinckley.

Service

• I was actively involved in family history work - I indexed over 4000 names and went to the temple nearly every week (one new temple - Brigham City Utah, plus Jerusalem - the Temple City).  I still need to take some family names to the temple, so I'm going to try to get serious about that in 2014!
• I learned a lot about communication and organization and leadership and following while helping to organize visiting teaching for over 260 people and enjoyed chances to visit new people in the neighborhood.
• I'm still looking for a consistent place to volunteer.

Travel

• I did use my passport, which was a major HIGHLIGHT of the year!  I LOVED Israel and Italy!  Incredible!  I'm so grateful for time and the ability and freedom to explore.
• I loved my goal of a trip a month - it was a stretch a couple of times, but I helped me think about the importance of traveling and learning (even when it's a small trip to a different neighborhood).  I visited St. George three times (with trips to Zion's and Snow Canyon and a chance for the whole family to be together for Thanksgiving), visited Seattle, visited Palo Alto and San Francisco, quite extensively explored many neighborhoods of Salt Lake City, did some hiking in the Wasatch Mountains, and spent good time with family.  This trip a month things is something I plan to keep up!

Professional

• I became a Certified Travel Counselor and had my paper about the value of travel published in a Travel Institute publication.
• I felt a lot of hope this year.  I still have more to dream, but I feel like I have been blessed this year to see and feel happiness each day.  I don't get stressed much anymore - I try to live more each day by daily bread.  It makes me happy.  :)
• I'm still looking for my purpose and mission in life, but there have been great opportunities that I hope to use to further help me grow to my potential and look for ways to give more in the years ahead.

Physical

• I didn't run a marathon, but tried to stay active....including 80 miles on foot around Europe and 50 miles on a bike through Tuscany.  (To make up for 2013, I've committed run the 2014 Utah Valley Marathon.)

Home / Family

• I enjoyed lots of time with family - grandparents, parents, siblings and their spouses and spouses-to-be, nephews and nieceS (welcome Hailey!), and cousins.  I'm grateful to be close to a lot of family.
• I've really started to create a home....and as for creating a career - I've been blessed and directed and for now I'm happy where I am and look forward to seeing where current opportunities lead.  :)
• I've done pretty well at getting to bed by 11:00 - probably one of the best goals I set last year and I hope to keep it up.
• I didn't do too well at keeping a journal, but I've been a little bit more focused blogger and hope to do better with both in 2014.  
• I'm still working on being me and living purposefully each day.

2013 was a great year and I'm looking forward to an even better 2014!