2013, Part 2.

Last year was a big learning year for me, and I'm so grateful for the experiences. I left off in June, becoming a nanny and starting yoga teacher training. As I mentioned, I was a wee bit busy.

Mostly, I was go-go-going without breathing. Truthfully, I felt like if I stopped to breathe, I'd have to stop to think. And I didn't want to think about where my life was (or wasn't) going. I was (am still) at the ripe old age of 24, and was (still am) having ever-increasing anxiety about what the heck I was supposed to be doing with myself. Do you guys ever feel this way? Yeah, of course you do, because it's the basic question of humanity. Why are we here and why is being here so hard? ;)

July

The last two weeks of July were a lesson in determination. I had double-booked myself for both teacher training and a three-week trip with my "nanny family" to Crested Butte, CO, and Sonoma, CA. So, this happened:

Teacher training ended Tuesday night at 10 pm. I slept until 2 am, woke up and raced the sunrise 250 miles to Crested Butte, watching Colorado wake up before the kids did at 7:00. 

Then we went hiking!

Then I jumped in that waterfall you can sort of see behind J!

It was bone-numbing!

It was better than caffeine!

Friday night the kids went to bed at 10:00 pm, and I drove back up to Denver. I arrived at 3:00 am and woke up for teacher training Saturday from 8:30 am-4:30pm.

The next day, I went for a hike to "find myself." I'm not sure if I did, but I did find a hitchhiker. Dangerous? Maybe. But he led me to this hike on the Colorado Trail.

So I say let's hear it for risky behavior!

Two days later, I made the same midnight drive back down to CB.

This is the Butte.

This is the cat. He has a snaggletooth & is weird.

This is K. Also weird. Also snaggletooth.

August

That Saturday, we took the family's private jet to Sonoma Valley. Yes. I said it. Private jet. I rode in it. I flew co-pilot. It was AWESOME.

Trying to take covert-ops photos. Trying to act cool.

That week in Cali we had an entire 35-acre vineyard property all to ourselves. The kids and I hung out in the pool, went down the 100-foot rock water slide that led to our lake, played tennis, jumped on the trampoline, jumped on the water trampoline, and jousted on paddle boards. I lost my glasses in the lake and was blind for 24 hours. Whoops!  The adults cooked every night in the full outdoor kitchen and drank a lot of wine. It was the most wonderful, extravagant vacation ever. Well, except I was technically "at work." 

Technicalities.

We flew back to CB the following Saturday, and I hopped in my car and drove 325 miles to Santa Fe, New Mexico, to meet my real family for the Indian Arts festival. Because I apparently didn't drive enough the two weeks before. It was worth it. Everything was gorgeous. The craftsmanship was unbelievable.

Sunday night I drove back to Denver to be at work Monday at 6:30 am.

In those three weeks, I logged 1500 miles on my 1998 Ford Explorer.

I got pretty good at taking pictures out of my car window at 80 mph.

September

The only nannying I had to do was to get the kids ready for school, so I became the mom's full-time personal assistant. I also started the "extensions" program for yoga teacher training.

And I still had a second job. And I was still not sleeping.  

We moved my brother from Alamosa to Basalt. I started training for a marathon. Guess when I did my training? At night.

Well, other than this run. Clearly daytime.

October

Teacher-training ended. I quit my part-time second job. There was light at the end of my worn out tunnel.

I dyed my hair back! I was ready to feel like an asian teddy bear myself again.

I ran a 15K with mah best gal, Annie.

I went on a hike to "find myself" some more. 

And when I got back from that hike, I quit my full-time job.

Wait. What, really? Again?

Yes. Really.

But they had a private jet! And vacations in California! They bought you a season pass to Crested Butte! You were going to Switzerland with them next summer! The kids were so cute!

Yes. I know. I know all of those things.

But I was worn down to the bone. I couldn't see straight. My diet consisted entirely of chocolate, caffeine and protein bars. My stress hormones were so out of control, I had gained 20 pounds, even though my average daily caloric intake after running and yoga was only 1200 net calories. My body was apparently preparing for itself for a slow, painful death.

Beyond how I was feeling, my mom had suggested she could use some help around the house, as my dad's health was in rapid decline. Ultimately, I had started nannying to make a difference in someone's life, so when faced with the choice of helping a family I had adopted and helping my own family, I went with blood.  It runs thicker than money.

November

I moved back into my old bedroom in the basement of my parent's house. I redecorated.

From this (age 13) purple...

...To this.
I did not redecorate the cat.
He stayed just as cute.

Then I took another swing at the trust-fund life and jetted off to visit Andy who had moved to Austin, TX. It was such a fun trip. We went to some really neat bars with some really amazing people. And we spent twelve hours in a book store browsing potential reads, because Andy and I are basically the same person.

My socks matched the decor/Andy's shirt.

Also in November, I met a boy...

Oh my gosh. Did you really just put that in your blog? Like, for all the cyberspaces to see?

Yes. Yes, I did. I am also having a conversation with myself in blog form, for the second time this evening. So I'm not sure which is worse.

I admitted to meeting a cute boy I might like because, if you recall, one of my goals in this blog was being honest. And if I'm being honest, I am trying to accept that having a crush means potentially opening myself up to hurt again. Like 2012-sized hurt. Like my-relationship-falling-apart-25-days-before-my-wedding hurt.

Wait. I didn't tell you that story yet? Hm. Well. It'll come later.

For now, just know that I have a crush on a boy, and I am fuh-reaking out about it.

In a good way. :)

December

I started submitting applications to graduate school. I'm going for it. I believe it's going to happen. 

My OG best friend Kelly asked me to be the Maid of Honor in her wedding. (awwwwww!)

I went snowboarding.

Riding up the T-Bar on a snowboard makes me a giggling mess with burning quads.

And I tried to settle down. I did a lot of moving in 2013.

As the year ended, I started thinking about my goals for the upcoming year.

By the time I rang in 2014 with more of my best lady friends, I was ready to start working on them.

And here I am, blogging away, which is one of my goals.

Next post, I'll tell you about what else I plan to accomplish this year.

It's going to be a good year. I can feel it.

It already is.

:)