2007 Reflections

It's been over a year since my last post. I could come up with a list of reasons for why I've been MIA for the past 12 months: a cross-country move, travel, getting settled in a new life...Instead, I'm going to look back at all of the amazing experiences that have shaped the past year.

A cross-country move: I moved from Portland, Ore., to Charlotte, N.C. The adventure started in February when I packed up the car, picked up RLR and set out on a 10-day road trip. We were denied alcohol in Utah, barked at in Memphis and welcomed into galleries in Santa Fe despite looking road weary and having two dogs in tow.

A solo trip to Europe: I spent 2.5 weeks backpacking through Spain and Portugal in October. I saw some amazing things like the Alhambra and the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos but the most amazing part of the trip was having the time to truly explore, at my own pace. I spent hours sitting in town squares, writing in my journal; I wandered down side streets, took afternoon naps, skipped 'must-see' sights that I didn't want to see.

Travel galore: I traveled a lot in 2007 and one of the biggest things I've realized is that I want to travel LESS. There is still so much to discover in Charlotte: I'm in search of a great Thai restaurant, an independent coffee shop with free WiFi, a yarn shop with a full schedule of classes...In the New Year, my focus will be on exploring North Carolina.

The dog park: One of the first things I did when I moved to Charlotte was purchase a Pooch Pass and for the past 10 months, I've spent almost every afternoon at the dog park. Molly and Milo are played out and well-socialized and I've created my own pack - a rag tag group of people I look forward to seeing all day.

KT & the Dead Flowers: KT is my personal cruise director in CLT. She knows all the best restaurants, is up for dancing until 3 a.m., laughs at my antics and keeps my secrets. The rest of the Dead Flowers are a group of liberal girlies who make the Queen City feel like home.

The Hos: I could not ask for better 'co-workers' than this group of smart, successful and sarcastic group of women who cheered me on through another year of freelancing - my most successful year to date.

This year was filled with a lot of highs and lows and looking back, I can say with absolute certainty that I wouldn't change a single thing.

I have a great life: I can't think of a better phrase to capture the essence of 2007.