In February of 2017. Yes, yes, I know I’m late.

All the noise of 2017 is making it hard to remember 2016, but that’s what I get for procrastinating. Here’s a consolidated reflection on 2016, and a glimpse of what 2017 may (or may not) look like for us. The adventure continues!

This time last year, I was launching Venue at Postcard from Paris while Adam decided his startup T.I.E., (Time Is Everything), is not in fact, how he wanted to spend his time.

The irony.

This epiphany sent us spiraling into a year of self-discovery, and honestly, it was hard. Getting a job was Adam’s full time job, and my day to day routine often left me wanting. But over and over again, we were incredibly blessed by family and friends, and we have a solid highlight reel to show for it. 

In April, I joined Kelly, her parents, Anna and Bradley in The Exumas where I ate conch salad and fed stingrays au natural in the clearest water in the world, according to Neil Armstrong. We went island hopping, free diving, and cave exploring. Never mind the time we ran over the dinghy, Kelly Beasley can fix all things. It was a complete dream.

In June, the women in my family met for our first annual girls weekend – an extended-stay therapy session where we spent copious amounts of time in matching robes and monogrammed wine glasses, as we do. Our Moms wrote us beautiful and touching letters. At the end of the trip Mom had to get it off her chest and confided to me, “It is possible that I don’t love you as much as Elizabethann and Ellen love their girls.” LOL. Canda, a thinker, not a feeler, pulls no punches, and for that I love her and her realness so.

In August, I went to Paris, my favorite city on the planet. Anna Marie was finishing her summer abroad, and we spent four blissful days strolling the Seine, pausing for picnics, wandering the towers of Notre Dame, and musing like Rodin. Yes, it was as dreamy as all that, but the real gift was being with Anna Marie, just the two of us, as sisters and adults, for the first time.

Adam joined us for a few days before jetting over to La Spezia, Italy to visit the Reardons. I have new respect for Aperol and trofie pasta, and my old obsession with the Reardon children was reborn.

In September, I spent my birthday week with my Mom in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, of all places. Kristen said, “I didn’t know people lived in Idaho”. I think the people of Idaho (Idahoans?) would like to keep it that way. It’s their best kept secret.

In November, Grandma Betty took what will most likely be her last trip to San Diego where we spent Thanksgiving on the beach and celebrated my cousin Michelle getting married to Jack. Adam was really aggressive on the dance floor.

But most significantly, drumroll please….

In October, I fulfilled a longtime dream, and Adam and I moved to New York City.

Looking back at the year, I laugh. We started 2016 in Selma, South Carolina at an Air BnB to unplug and re-focus on our goals. We ended 2016 in a sublet in the Upper East Side, and have since ‘lived’ in Airbnbs in the Financial District and West Village. I feel like it counts as an official move when you have no other place you call home. Last week, we moved into our first lease after 2+ years of marriage. Adam’s retort? “This is what makes me unique.” Now we both laugh.

Adam is particularly focused on his personal uniqueness these days as he wrote and rewrote graduate school essays. Here’s a little peak and what I believe is a great consolidation of our married life so far, as well as the latest on Adam.

Since leaving the Navy, instead of seeking conventional jobs that would provide predictable paychecks, I have pursued opportunities that have piqued personal and professional interests. While exploring some of these experiences has come at personal sacrifice, they have collectively expanded my intellectual diversity and professional skills. My career is at a natural inflection point where I am prepared to learn management and business skills as part of a formal education.

So there. We left Greenville for the big city in October. Adam took an opportunity for an 8 week internship at a world-class financial firm and has leveraged that into a 9 month position.  This fall, he’ll attend business school, unless of course, he doesn’t. We like to keep our options open.

People often ask, “How is he?”, and I am reminded of a quote from the broadway production, Holiday Inn that I had the pleasure of seeing with Erika and Emily in December.

“Now and then it’s good to pause our pursuit of happiness,

and just be happy.”

The pursuit of happiness in New York City is a grind. Adam works a lot, (like everyone else here) and while the city is not an easy place to live, it’s where we believe we can best pursue our happiness while also finding a million ways to just be happy.

Since arriving in New York, I began working on Your Sequel, a non-profit founded by a recent veteran, new friend, and current luminary, Brooke. Last month we rolled out our mentorship platform where we’re connecting female veterans to female rockstars in every industry. The goal is to help women make informed decisions about their transition, resulting in happier veterans and longer lasting company hires.  I wrote about it more here but in sum, I feel connected to our mission and passionate about our project. A total win.

Adam started a new position at his firm this week, where he will work with excel less and people more. Don’t you know – he’s thrilled about that. I am pursuing full-time (aka paid) opportunities in both international relations and consulting, and as per usual, we’re accepting all prayers on our behalf as we head into the New Year – can you still say ‘New Year’ in February?

Photo: Chris Isham 

 

Regardless, 2017 is another where we have no idea where we will be when it ends, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. We feel at peace where we are now, as we continue our pursuit of happiness, stopping often to just be happy.

Happy New, February!