Ringing In The New Year
Happy, Happy Friday. I can't believe it will be January 2011 tomorrow. This year has gone by so fast. This time last year, we were still living in California. Danny was still working at a job he hated. And having just quit my job, I was looking for ways to contribute to our income.
Seeing the effects of our new lifestyle on my husband has perhaps been the most rewarding. This time last year, I was waking up with him at 3:45am to get him off to a job that drained every ounce of happiness out of him. He sat in a minimum of 3 hours of traffic a day. And he was unhealthy. He took up smoking to deal with the stress, gained weight, and seemed tired no matter how much sleep he got.
And now... this is him.
He rock climbed at least 3 times a week during the summer, including the tallest peak in the Tetons. He also rafted, hiked, lost weight, quit smoking- and most importantly, is happiest I've seen him in a long time.
Instead of sitting in traffic to where we want to go, we walk.
We're surrounded by God's natural beauty.
We've gone from having a house and a large yard to a duplex with no yard. So we walk Maverick twice a day around the neighborhood
As often as we can, we buy local
I saw a double rainbow :)
We experienced all 4 seasons for the first time in our lives
And I feel alive.
We are living each day with purpose. Choosing what we do and how we live- instead of feeling "stuck" like we did before. There are definitely challenges and obstacles in choosing to live this lifestyle- Our income is less, and living in a town dependent on tourism means we have our down months with very, very little money. Our friends and family are far away. But we're making new friends, and meeting people with very similar stories to ours.
With how much happened this past year, I'm excited to see what's in store for us. Where will we be a year from today? Will this next year be as radical as this last one? Will we be living somewhere new? Doing something different? I'm not sure. But I'm looking forward to what's in store for us. And I'm excited to see what's in store for you my readers.
Happy New Year's Eve!
And now... what a difference a year makes. Moving to Jackson Hole has more than transformed the geography of where we call home. The quality of our lives has improved. We're both healthier, happier, and motivated. I'm also a year into the best job I've ever had- working with brides and creating hair flowers for their special day. I wake up everyday, and instead of groaning and counting the days to the weekend, I feel refreshed and ready for whatever lies ahead. 
Seeing the effects of our new lifestyle on my husband has perhaps been the most rewarding. This time last year, I was waking up with him at 3:45am to get him off to a job that drained every ounce of happiness out of him. He sat in a minimum of 3 hours of traffic a day. And he was unhealthy. He took up smoking to deal with the stress, gained weight, and seemed tired no matter how much sleep he got.
And now... this is him.
He rock climbed at least 3 times a week during the summer, including the tallest peak in the Tetons. He also rafted, hiked, lost weight, quit smoking- and most importantly, is happiest I've seen him in a long time.
Instead of sitting in traffic to where we want to go, we walk.We've gone from having a house and a large yard to a duplex with no yard. So we walk Maverick twice a day around the neighborhoodAs often as we can, we buy localI saw a double rainbow :)We experienced all 4 seasons for the first time in our livesAnd I feel alive.We are living each day with purpose. Choosing what we do and how we live- instead of feeling "stuck" like we did before. There are definitely challenges and obstacles in choosing to live this lifestyle- Our income is less, and living in a town dependent on tourism means we have our down months with very, very little money. Our friends and family are far away. But we're making new friends, and meeting people with very similar stories to ours.
With how much happened this past year, I'm excited to see what's in store for us. Where will we be a year from today? Will this next year be as radical as this last one? Will we be living somewhere new? Doing something different? I'm not sure. But I'm looking forward to what's in store for us. And I'm excited to see what's in store for you my readers.
Happy New Year's Eve!
What a breathtaking place to live! I love your story. I am so inspired by how you and your husband have both changed your lives. Mental and physical health are SO important!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, Brandi!
So inspiring Brandi. I'm so happy you guys are doing so well here; Jackson is GOOD for the soul. I've been snowshoeing the last two days and it's amazing how much beauty surrounds us. God is good!!!! We should have coffee again soon. Happy New Years to you and your hubs!
ReplyDeleteJessica snowshoeing sounds so much fun! Although it's been pretty cold the last few days!! I'm impressed :) And yes- let's do coffee again soon- I think Danny gets his new schedule soon so I'll let you know which days I'm free
ReplyDeleteThat's wonderful & so awesome! You make it sound so easy, but of course you're young & no kids yet, so that makes it easy for you. I would truly love to move away to a place like that (although I'm intimidated of the idea of dealing with snow!), but with kids (especially stepkids, can't take them away from their mother) it's not so easy. But I also have a hard time being that far from my family. So glad you're having a blast though.
ReplyDeletejust hearing snippets here and there on the blog, it's really nice to know how well you're doing with the mega-life change this past year! I'm really impressed with your decisions to make the life you wanted!
ReplyDeleteFrau- We've definitely had our challenging moments out here- and moving is always VERY expensive... but the good things have far outweighed the bad. :)
ReplyDeleteLL- Thanks! I don't always leave comments but I always like to drift over to your blog and see how you're doing too :)