2024 has been a whirlwind year with lots of changes as we left Mexico and moved to Virginia. It has been tough at times, but other times have been great.
Profesional goals
- Complete my TN project.
I worked really hard on this project and got everyone on board that needed to be. We successfully implemented it and truly changed the policy in this area. I was very proud of the work we accomplished. I have since learned that they basically undid everything after I left, but I am choosing to ignore that part.
- Complete my auto hot key project
Similar situation to the TN project, but with perhaps a little more long-lasting impact. My successors made a few changes after I left, but did not destroy the underlying elements of the program.
- Find an interesting bridge assignment in Washington
Yes. I am working on a project that we created with the Harvard program I did the year before.
Exercise goals
- complete two power zone challenges on Peloton
Nope
- bike 5,000 minutes on Peloton
Nope
- keep my weekly Peloton streak going while on home leave
Nope
- find a workable exercise routine when back in DC
Nope
Travel goals
- take an adults only trip
Sara and I took an amazing trip to San Miguel de Allende without the kids and it was awesome.
- visit at least one of the cute central Mexican towns like San Miguel se Allende or Guanajuato
Yes - to SMA
- plan a fun, enjoyable home leave vacation
We had a great home leave in the Midwest with visits in Omaha and Saint Louis, plus time in Texas and Virginia. I got to see lots of family and friends and even sent my kids to the same day camp that I went to as a kid and they LOVED it.
- visit New York City 🏙️
We spent four days in NYC in the beginning of November. About 80% of the trip was 10/10. Highlights include seeing Hadestown on Broadway (which the kids loved), a boat cruise around Manhattan, and going up the Empire State Building. About 20% of the trip was 1/10 as the kids complained about walking or said they were bored or wanted to watch TV in our (tiny) hotel room.
Personal goals
- manage/limit the stress of the transition
The transition was hard. Harder than I expected/hoped, but not necessarily in surprising ways. Its hard to move for anyone and really hard for kids. And while our kids had moved before this was the first time they really understood what was going on.
- honor the end of our time in Mexico 🇲🇽 Give the kids time and space to say goodbye to their friends.
I think we managed this with special events to say goodbye to friends and classmates. It was good to do, but it was also hard as each goodbye was painful and then not always at the end.
- see fall leaves 🍁
Yes
- visit a pumpkin patch 🎃
Yes - went to at least two
- attend at least one football game 🏈
I went to the Nebraska-USC game with my cousin in LA and the Alamo Bowl with the kids this week.
- attend a concert 🎶
Counting Crows in St. Louis with Sara and older boys
Bruce Springsteen in Baltimore with Sara
- see my Dad and Sara’s mom at least three times each
Yes, we met this goal!
- read 20 books
Working from home cut down on my reading a ton because I lost my morning commute audiobook time. Now that I am reading longer books with the kids aloud, I have decided I can count these two. So with that, I read 14 books this year.
Top books were
My Antonia by Willa Cather
The Great Brain series by John D Fitzgerald
