2018: Year in review

Windsor Castle

Why do we care about New Year's? Every single day is one year distant from that day the year before. It's arbitrary.

And yet.

And yet, I find it a helpful time for me to reflect (again?!) on milestones. To celebrate the awesomeness that was. And to consider what kind of awesome I want to ring in for myself in the near future. Apply some intentionality to my actions. Because it can all go by so fast, and suddenly -- ZIP! -- a year has passed since I thought about what I wanted to be doing with my life.

London, Day 2

Today, I took advantage of amazing weather and my proximity to Greenwich, and I took the DLR (docklands light rail) from where I'm staying near Royal Victoria station to Cutty Sark for Maritime Greenwich (that's the full, exhausting name of the stop just on the other side of the Thames). 
I'm quite proud to say that I think I'm getting the hang of the transit system here. But back to the story.

When I arrived, I kind of walked around to get the lay of the land. I decided to step into the National Maritime Museum, not having planned it, but it's free, so I thought I'd just duck in. It was more interesting than I'd thought. Plus, what a gorgeous building!

London, Day 1

Crossrail Place Roof Garden, Canary Wharf


I arrived in London at 10am... or 5am EST, having slept about two seconds on the plane. It took me a million years to get from Gatwick to The Good Hotel in the Docklands/Canning Town because it was my first time using public transit here and I got some bad advice. Whatever, it worked out well enough.

Since check in is at 3pm and I was there at 2pm, I couldn't check in right away. So I went for coffee and a walk along the water, east. It was not awesome, but now i know. The coffee was from the Coffee Station, a little kiosk at Royal Victoria DLR station. It was good. Not great. But good is good for a picky-pants coffee drinker.

By time I'd gotten settled and organized it was 3:30pm. So I set out on a walk to nearby neighbourhoods:

2015: My year in review

Skiing at Lake Louise with my mom: Best. Fun. Ever.

It's April, in case you haven't noticed.

Not the usual time for someone to review their year. Well, guess what? I was busy. Or focussed on other things. Or both, really.

So as I was doing some "brain work" (see below), I decided it was time to put together a wrap-up. Giving myself some credit and celebrating my achievements. Because that's really important for me as an achiever to see, written down, that I actually did stuff.

It's also a chance to set some intentions for next year. So I know what to prioritize.

California dreaming

Yosemite's iconic Half Dome

If you'd asked me when I was making my New Year's list of things I'd like to do this year (2015), while I would have said "travel" (most emphatically), I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have selected California as my destination.

But fate drew us together. The International Association of Business Communications had their annual conference in San Francisco and, since I usually go and had put it in my professional development plan already, I assumed I'd be spending a few extra days in the area as I usually do. But then a friend of my husband's announced that he was getting married a week after that conference in L.A. So there it was, my friends: I was doing the Pacific Coast Highway in June.

Can marketing communications make the world a better place?

iLink therefore iAm? The purpose of work.

I recently told a school principal that I did non-profit marketing communications. He laughed and asked if they pay me. I reminded him that HE works for a non-profit as well. It was clear he thought his position was creating important change. Mine? Not so much.

Some days I wonder if I'm doing the right thing as I use my skills in non-profit MarCom. Is my life having the impact that I wish to make?

What's cooking in my kitchen?

Checking in on my vision for 2015, I'm reminded that I had a health goal that involved cooking. I've recently discovered that I have slightly elevated cholesterol and, honestly, it scared the crap out of me. I always thought I was so healthy. Well, except when I mainlined chocolate, baked goods and ice cream. But I thought I had the balance of it right. Clearly, I'm delusional about my habits.

So it was a good wake-up call when my doctor announced my results but told me that it wasn't serious enough to necessitate medication. She suggested I see dietitian, but actually my mom is a dietitian and has been teaching me about nutrition all my life. I know what the right thing is, I just don't always choose it.

Thus began my efforts to eat more healthfully.