Yes, I somehow failed to write anything between November and now, despite the fact that I can list off a good number of ‘happenings’! While I’d like to sit back and reflect on those events and also on the year as a whole, I think that summarizing might actually be more helpful to me and less drawn-out in terms of blog content.
Overall, I’d probably look back at 2018 with a slight sense of disappointment. I realize that we aren’t supposed to say that. We’re supposed to bask in a sense of accomplishment and highlight all of the ups and wonderful experiences that we’ve had. I just can’t do that. It wasn’t a bad year by any reckoning, especially when I reflect on other years that really impacted me or us (me and Michael) as a family in a more negative way. But it wasn’t an *awesome* year, if that makes sense. That said, it certainly wasn’t terrible, and I don’t mean to complain – but I’m also not going to present the previous 12 months with rose-colored glasses.
I feel that I did accomplish a few ‘intentions’ and even out-right goals: (a) I transitioned from working at a school where I didn’t feel totally supported in many ways and where I was pretty unhappy. That was a tough choice because working there was certainly a safe and stable option, but it just felt so wrong. (b) I *did* tackle the 140.6 distance again! While it wasn’t an “amazing” experience, I stayed healthy in training and kept a pretty positive frame of mind during the race. (c) I was lucky enough to return to Switzerland for what is probably a final “hoorah” – I’m so glad that I gave the program another go, but it also feels that I’ve closed the figurative book on that chapter of my life.
In terms of experiences… Some of them weren’t new as I focused on that swim/bike/run and consistency was key. But the Breithorn Ridge Traverse was probably one of the scariest and also exhilarating experiences of the year – and somewhat unexpected too! I totally hadn’t planned on listing that as one of my preferences (as faculty in Switzerland, we were able to list trips/excursions that appealed to us), but when I was assigned to be the faculty accompanying the students on the climb, I couldn’t really back out. I was pretty nervous leading up to the climb, but the experience ended up being quite awesome!
Most of our travels took us to familiar places and often close to home: Salida, Breckenridge, Steamboat, Leadville – favorite stomping grounds for us! We also returned to California, which still feels a bit like home, and Seattle to visit friends and family along with a quick wedding weekend in Rhode Island. I also checked off two new places: Costa Rica (¡Pura vida!) and Squamish, BC! My Swiss adventure took me back to Annecy and Venice, but Bern was a new-to-me and far too quick of an experience. I can include it in the list of “places where I’d like to return and explore more”.
So, for the year in photos:
January: We returned to the ski slopes! It wasn’t a great season, but we enjoyed the time that we spent.
February: It’s the annual Stout Month celebration at the Mountain Sun, which is always something to celebrate! We took a weekend trip to Steamboat, still one of our favorite places to visit!
March: I had a very quick trip to Texas to visit family, but other than that, not TOO much excitement. A trip to Texas is never complete without a margarita or two and time with my parents’ pups!
April: I panic-trained for Wildflower Triathlon and squeezed in a few final days of skiing!
May: Life was BUSY with a trip to California for Wildflower (so hard!) and then a trip to Costa Rica which was an amazing way to end my brief stint at this particular school.
June: Summer arrived! We spent some time in the mountains, and it was a lot of swim, bike, run for me.
July: Time with the family in Gold Hill, Colorado marked the July 4th weekend, and then the end of the month, I spent time on the road with my parents to arrive in Whistler for Ironman Canada! We also stopped in Leavenworth and Bellingham, WA to see friends and family. IMCanada certainly served as a final exclamation point for the month.
August: Post-Ironman bliss! I know that some people get the “blues” after a big event, but I don’t seem to! We explored Squamish, BC for a few days and then headed south to Seattle. We also settled back in at home – briefly, as I began to prepare for my Swiss adventure.
September: Switzerland! I still can’t believe that I lived with these views and that I experienced the mountains and their beauty day in and day out.
October: Travels took me to Annecy and Bern, and I enjoyed a few solo miles (hiking without kids felt like a luxury!).
November: With the hiking season officially over, we skied! We also visited Italy – Venice, which did not disappoint the second time around. It is an amazing city! I also skied from Switzerland to Italy for a day and visited my first Christmas market in Montreux.
December: Just a few final days in Switzerland, and then home sweet home for the holidays! It was a bittersweet departure in many ways, but I was ready to return to my own routine – even if it meant swapping out skiing in the Alps for the local slopes!
I’m looking forward to a new year, new experiences and a shift in focus and goals.
Elevated tales and trails 