Year End Review

2016 was the year that I finally felt comfortable with who I am, where my life is currently at, and even where my life is going. In past years I always felt behind my peers or felt as though I was not doing enough. Sometimes I even felt like I was doing way too much, but this year everything seems to have perfectly aligned.

The year started out the same way every single year does, ball drops, happy new year, and by January 10th or so I, just like most people, forget the resolutions I was going to work on and basically forget that a new year just happened. I do not dwell on the things that I did not accomplish in the previous year, instead I just take life day by day.

Jon and I knew very early on in the year that we would be able to buy a house, so that was something very exciting that we had to look forward to. We started our search in early spring, but did not end up moving into our house until almost fall. We ended up putting offers in on 3 different houses, but now I am thankful the first two did not work out. The entire experience was very frustrating and nothing like I had imagined it would be.

By May we had learned my dad had stage 4 lung cancer. It was the most devastating news I have received in my entire life, to be honest. Knowing that one of your parents has a limited amount of time left with you is a hard to cope with. I have now watched my dad fight for months and months and he still remains hopeful and in good spirits.

Learning this terrible news about my dad is what pushed me into quitting smoking though. The day his cancer was staged was the last day that I was a smoker. I am now so thankful that I quit when I did.

Around this time is also when I created my own site just for writing. I no longer write on host sites like hubpages or blogspot like I had in the past. This site is 100% mine, therefore I can post whatever I want without any guidelines or restrictions.

My next venture was starting my own Etsy shop! This is the first time in my life that I have ever earned money while actually enjoying what I was doing so I already consider the company a success. My Etsy shop can be found at CreationsByNad for anyone who is wondering. I sell custom party decorations and invitations and home decor.

The next major change to occur this year was getting engaged. Jon and I had been together for a while and always had a good relationship, so I knew that eventually it would happen, but was not sure when. Knowing that in 2017 we will be officially married is something that I am looking forward to.

The last major change that occurred this year was the way I choose to take care of my body. I have never watched what I eat, exercised, or put any real thought into nourishing my body. This year, after quitting smoking, I decided it was time to take care of myself.

I started by obtaining a new hobby, running. Then I slowly cut out almost all junk food and eating out. Then I began doing real workouts to tone and build muscle. I even cut way down on how much coffee I drink every day. So far, these changes have done amazing things for me! Not just in my body's appearance, but in the way that I feel. I have so much more energy throughout the day.

When this year started I was renting a crappy house, with my boyfriend, working at a dead end job, unsure of where I was going. I was a smoker, I did not care for my body the way one should, and I did not have a clue what I was going to do next.

I do not have it all together or figured out, but I am finishing this year as a changed person. I am finishing this year in a position that I did not think I would be in last year at this time. I had several positive experiences and was actually able to build for myself. Overall, I am thankful for all the experiences and life lessons 2016 had to offer and I am excited to see what will happen in 2017.