I always try to remember to craft a year in review so that one day I can look back and recall the highlights of the year but most importantly the character building transformations that occurred along the way. 2024 was a beautiful year to remember that distance creates resilience, you are much stronger than you think and often times we know where we are supposed to go without even having to think about where it is we are going. A lot to chew on. For seven solid years, this is probably the year I have thought the most about. It was almost like preparing for a test and then finally taking the exam only to realize that even after seven years of mentally preparing yourself for this year, you still didn't feel quite ready yet to fly.  But fly we did. 

2023-2024 was the beginning of stepping away from the classroom and my vocation and life for over a decade and deciding to dedicate full-day time with little Luna, it was the building of a successful literacy clinic and also saying goodbye to over 25 outstanding young educators and 45 students serviced throughout the year. It was feeling absolutely proud of managing all of that and then sometimes feeling like I was not accomplishing enough. An identity crisis? Possibly or possibly not. More on that later. 

2024 was the beginning of a series of goodbyes to just so many people and places. In my Life by the Beatles was absolutely the sountrack of 2024. There were times that I was simultaneously filled with both joy and sorrow so much so that I could not actually figure out which emotion was generating the tears. Watching my mother retire was so very beautiful and also hurt knowing that she would probably hurt eventually when it began to sink in. At the same time, I was filled with hope and joy knowing my parents would be able to feel a bit more free and really take in the beauty around us and sometimes that really does mean taking a different journey in a new direction while also keeping the parts of yourself that you love and that make you feel purpose. The painting of her journey and the writing was a way to heal the hurt of change and the passing of time. All you need sometimes is a splash of art to see things through. 

2024 was saying goodbye to Pittsburgh- a city I loved with all my heart, had been born and raised into and had never left unless for vacation. It was wondering whether or not I would sink or swim and then realizing that I would have to leave the things I built within myself and my connections with others (possibly forever) while Xiao began his job hunt. Leaning into uncertainty was such a test in patience, hope, love and pushing away the doubt that seems to creep in when you least expect it. It was letting go of what I thought should happen and just letting things happen the way they were supposed to happen. Living with what-ifs isn't necessarily fun but sometimes it brings out the best in us. But you know what..we did not only survive LA (half a year) but we absolutely thrived. We are joyous together, and we have lifted eachother up in the ways we needed to connect with our new community. We have adventured, loved, learned and grown so much and met some amazing people that will be lifelong friends. 

For me, 2024 was finally letting my brain flow at normal speed. This was really quite interesting for me. For eight years in the classroom and even during my literacy clinic year, I felt like my thoughts were absolutely endless. I was almost forced to be on a race because I was presented with about 1,000 decisions every second of every day, and I felt like if I stopped thinking even for a second, all would fall into a chaotic mess. LA really forced me to organize my brain. I've never felt this kind of brain silence before. I'm much calmer, much more collected, and I have really learned what it means to be patient with my little one, myself and others. I don't always have time to do the 9,000 things I used to do, but I'm also learning to cut the weeds to realize the DREAM. Nannying two little ones (whom I absolutely love with all my heart-shout out to Luna's little friend who spends ten hours with us a day!), and I still find time to Literacy tutor during the weekdays and weekends as well as review newly released children's books on the side. It's the perfect combination of teaching all day long but also creatively thinking in new ways. 

For me, 2024 was owning the fact that I no longer get those wonderful emails from parents or are given a glowing teacher observation evaluation. For a decade, I was really used to setting goals for myself, creating new programs and working to craft and change and create and alter and design new ways of thinking within my classroom and receiving that gratitude. I was connected to wonderful families and wonderful students and that made my heart burst with great pride.  And when you are "out of the workforce" so to speak, you don't always get that. Often times, recognition is your child giving you a cuddle on the couch or saying "Love you mama" unprompted. When I say I devoted ALL my time to that, I absolutely mean it, and I don't regret it. There are parts of ourselves we can change or we can own and for me, 2024 was the year of owning that whatever I do, I'm going to do 3,000 percent. And it's exhausting sure, but there is absolutely no deleting that part of myself. I can remember to exercise and rest and eat healthy, but that passion is going to flow wherever I go. Right now, I'm able to give 3,000 percent to my daughter and another little one and also give 3,000 percent to small teaching classes here and there while contemplating other life dreams. No passion or dedication has been lost, and I'm truly proud of that. 

2024 was also the most humbling year. Being a parent is just plain hard. It's so magical and so exhausting. It's worrisome and also adventurous, and some days you are left thinking, "What am I doing?" Molding a little human while recognizing their inherent gifts and talents is just remarkable hard but it has humbled me in ways that I needed. And I'm proud to say that even on the hardest days, I love doing it. I always expect myself to give it my best but sometimes whimsy in our house looks really messy but maybe that is really the secret ingredient of childhood anyways. Doing what you believe is right is so important. Own it. Ignore all the noise from the outside. Share your love in a way that it will spread. Live with a patient heart. Don't be afraid to give it your all-all the time because others will always notice how passionate you are. Take risks and trust that it will all be okay. Magic and Messiness go hand in hand. Stripping yourself of comfort allows you to find your spark again. 2025- A year of SPARKS. Thank you 2024 for every lesson you taught me. I appreciate you more than you will ever know. Own your story.