Good riddance, 2017!
Not since 2007 have I disliked a calendar year quite so much. While it was a bruiser, it was also filled with lessons. And plenty of fun, too.
So I got Lyme Disease. It packed a punch but was relatively quick to come and go. In 2018, I vow to reconnect with my body again. To feel strong and fit, to have fun at some new classes, to not feel winded when walking up the subway stairs (WTF!?).
I left one really wonderful job to start somewhere new. All I can say is I forgot how tough it is to start over. The first few months were really painful, but it's forced me to be introspective and really figure out what I want from my career. I've had to confront my own shortcomings and see if I have it in me to rise above them, to change certain behaviors—to be better. I think I know what I need to do, and I'm looking forward to seeing how all the introspection manifests in 2018.
Married life and motherhood have been awesome - the rocks that keep me from getting dragged under sometimes. The peanut is well into her three's: sweet, sassy, silly, curious, stubborn and defiant. She's a force! She is awesome. And so is Andrew. He stands by me steadily, makes me laugh and blush, and fully understands and supports me. We manage to get out to see friends, have romantic dates in the city, and also have a good time, just hanging out at home.
We got around the states pretty well over the course of the year. From Connecticut to California and Colorado. Kansas City and Louisville and Buffalo. The Jersey Shore, Chicago, Los Angeles. I'm psyched for more family time and travel in the upcoming year, and to see if/where the book launch takes me.
Because yes, then there is the book! My lord, after years of writing and waiting, its arrival is imminent. My first event is in just over three weeks, at the BookMark Shoppe in Bay Ridge. I'm simultaneously excited and petrified. When Paris, My Sweet came out, I was writing up a storm, blogging like nobody's business and so connected to the world around me. I was ready to read, to speak, to share. I'm feeling more intimidated this time, but hopefully once the ball is rolling, it will be like riding a bike again.
So, yes, good riddance 2017! Take your drama, trauma and antagonizing ways. Let's let in more light and optimism in 2018. Let's change the world in big and small ways.