2024: Travel, Dogs, and Pickleball
I’ve spent the last week hanging out with Stephanie and the dogs and generally doing as I please. For the first time ever, I work for a company that shuts down between Christmas and New Years, and it has been amazing! I’m binging shows, playing pickleball on weekday afternoons, practicing guitar, watching movies, and recharging my batteries for 2025! Life is good, and I feel incredibly fortunate.
Sankey diagram of my 2023 job hunt
A little over a year ago, things weren’t as great. My then-employer, which was based in Massachusetts, announced a return-to-office mandate. Aside from leaving behind colleagues I genuinely enjoyed and being forced into a tough job market, I also felt a huge amount of grief losing the role that liberated me from a very difficult and demanding position before that. A lot of hustle, some positive self-talk, an encouraging partner, and a little luck landed me a job offer just before Christmas 2023. I’m happy I’ll be celebrating a year with that company next month!
A Year of Travel
It feels trite to describe a year as busy, but 2024 certainly was. I didn’t quite realize how much travel I really did until I checked the Southwest app, but turns out I took 13 trips in total (12 plane rides and one road trip). I saw both new and familiar places, visited friends and family, met in-person with colleagues, and saw some awesome bands perform live. The gallery below includes a photo from each of places I went this year, and if you follow me on Instagram, I tried to pick different photos.
In a twist of irony, my year of travel began with a frigid solo trip to Oslo where I bought a vintage wool sweater. Now my year is closing out with a tragic end to that very sweater, having accidentally shrunk it in the wash over Christmas. The year’s unlikely bookends!
A Year of Visitors, Too
While I spent a lot of time away from home, we were also lucky enough to host family in St. Louis. First, my mom, sister, and niece in April; then Steph’s dad in June; followed by Steph’s mom in October.
My family’s visit was the kick in the pants we needed to finally assemble the day bed for what we affectionately refer to as “the dog room”; its gigantic box had been haunting us at our front entrance for months. The bed is now yet another soft place for the dogs to nap, but when we have more than one guest or couple visiting, we now have room for two more! Their visit was also my first time playing pickleball. Reader, I was hooked.
Steph’s dad and Cyndi gave our front yard a total makeover while I was sick with covid. We wish they wouldn’t work so hard whenever they visit, but they always leave the place better than when they arrive, and we are grateful!
Last but not least, Steph’s mom is always down for wherever we take her. This time we brought her to Little Lager where she tried their Malört-soaked gummy bears. Cheers to Marti!
Pickleball, Pickleball, Pickleball!
The first time I played pickleball was April. As of today (December 30th), I’ve logged over 115 hours of playing time! No wonder it is the fastest growing sport in America - it’s addicting and I’m addicted indeed!
My predicament, however, was that I had no one to play with after my family went home. I found some friends willing to play here and there, but not enough to whet my appetite, so I resorted to showing up for open play at the local park. It was a bold move for my introverted self, but some very nice people gave me tips and helped me improve. Still, I was getting my butt kicked, so I signed up for a clinic. Then joined a league, then signed up for a tournament, and well, you get the gist.
Aside from being the outlet I didn’t know I needed, pickleball has also been fantastic for my health! My VO2 Max and Strava fitness score are both on the up and up, and I’m more motivated to stretch and work out to keep this aging body strong and limber.
A Full (Dog) House
This year we got into a real rhythm fostering for Pet Rescue Network (PRN) thanks to finding our sweet spot: small senior-ish dogs. Pippa, Minnie, and Nelson are the best pack, and it’s only because they are so welcoming that we’re able to bring all these new dogs into our home without issue.
Snickers (now Cricket), a 6-lb old gal with a body of strange proportions, came to us in late 2023 with rancid breath. 13 teeth removed later, we welcomed her kisses. While she tested our patience with 5am wake up calls and stealthy pees on many a comforter, this tiny girl won our hearts with a spunkiness uncommon for a dog of her age.
Belle (now Bel-Aire) arrived unsure of what the f*ck was going on, obese with a clicking knee. This skeptical girl quickly settled in and began her weight loss journey, dropping 3 lbs and getting more playful as she became more mobile. She was always so hot and would turn belly up to cool off. We hear she is down to 13.6 lbs with her new mom, a 25% reduction from her 18-lb starting weight! Go, Belle!
Cheeto, our most recent foster, is a googly eyed toothless Chihuahua, who joined us in rough shape. He was anemic from fleas and banged up from who-knows-what after being found near a very busy street. With one working eye and one intact testicle, this guy’s sass went well beyond his tiny 5.5-lb body. We sent him off to his new family on December 23rd, and we miss him already!
To 2025
We already have a new foster dog named Dottie, who I’ll introduce some other time (find more frequent updates on Instagram). While she’s petite, she’s outside our typical demographic in that she is young, which comes with its own set of fun and challenges (read: potty training).
Thank you for stopping by to read if you made it this far. I’m so often torn between hiding and sharing, but today is for sharing. Happy New Year to all!