This past year would be difficult to describe in a few words or even in one blog post. I could spend ages talking about how 2019 affected me. Instead, I’ll just mention some of the highlights of my year in this post. There was plenty more good stuff but these are the things that most easily come to my mind when I think back on my favorite moments of 2019. This was an incredibly meaningful year for me and I hope 2020 will be just as meaningful in its own ways.
- Lollies and Lemonade 2019. I enjoyed this dance workshop more than any other I’ve attended thus far. Getting a break from my usual schedule for a weekend full of Balboa book-ended by a nice road trip with two other Jacksonville dancers was just what I needed. It was a blast from beginning to end and I hope to make it to this workshop in 2020.
- Ichetucknee Springs Day. Fun day in the springs with swimming, tubing, swing dancing, meditating in the cool water, and enjoying the company of some fun people. This was the best trip to Ichetucknee Springs I’ve ever had and it was one of the best day trips I had this year. Easily comes to my mind as one of the highlights of 2019.
- Getting the hang of unicycling. When I got my unicycle for Christmas last year, I decided that I would practice with it a bit every day. That dedication and consistency paid off as I’m now pretty good at unicycling. I went from not being able to go more than a few feet to being able to ride for almost as long as I want and I even managed to juggle on my unicycle one night. I’m glad I stuck with it even on difficult days when I felt like I’d never get the hang of it. I’ve learned some valuable life lessons, greatly improved my balance, and had a lot of fun through unicycling and I’ve only just begun.
- Finding floating. It’s strange to think that I never floated before this year, especially since I now float at least once a week. Floating has done wonders for my mental health and self-improvement; it’s a wonderful way for me to relax, deal with stress, learn more about myself, and see what I can do differently in life. I’m so glad I found it and I plan to keep doing it regularly as long as I can.
- Working through my emotions. The latter half of this year has been tough for me emotionally. I’ve faced many new challenges and dealt with lots of old emotions that haven’t been healed, so it’s been quite a struggle at times. Fortunately I’ve also found many great life hacks for working through those emotions and trying to heal them. Those have helped me a lot and I’m sure they will continue to help me as I keep working through whatever comes up.
- Cultivating genuine friendships. After learning last year that there’s a difference between friends and acquaintances, I’ve spent much of this year focusing on my true friendships. I still spend time with my acquaintances and appreciate their company but I no longer make the mistake of thinking of them as friends. As a result, I feel much better overall when I interact with other people and I now dedicate most of my attention and energy to the friends who are like family to me.