Farewell to 2013!

 

As many of you know, I'm big into goal-setting. And if you've been reading the blog for a few years now, you know that at the end of each year, I take time out to process my year, digging into what went well, and what went not so well. Essentially tying a ribbon around the year, releasing it, and preparing to move into the new year with a bang. And today, on this eve of our new year, it seemed like the perfect time to reflect on all that transpired in 2013.

Back at the beginning of this year I wrote a post called Ignite, my theme for the year, outlining my big three for the year - getting married and honeymooning in Paris, writing a book, and competing in Belly Dancer USA. So how did it go?

Marriage? Yes, yes, and more yes! I am blessed to have married my best friend and love of my life. Feel free to peruse my wedding pictures and honeymoon pictures. Our wedding was intimate and romantic. I could not have been more pleased with the day. And France was simply divine. My new favorite foreign destination.

I did compete in Belly Dancer USA. I didn't place, and I won't lie; I wish I had.  But I still had a valuable learning experience, which I share all about in this post.

And I did write and publish a book. Not the book I was originally intending to write, but that was the way the creative winds took me. My book, designed to jump start your goal-setting and to be a practice companion and journal can be purchased on Lulu.com.  It will soon also be available on Amazon.com.

A few other highlights of the year that weren't part of my "Big Three", was going to an all-women's weekend surf camp in Oregon. The company I learned with was NW Women's Surf Camp, whom I highly recommend.  I also went to the Washington Midsummer Renaissance Faire for the first time and absolutely loved it. Not a far stretch that a belly dancer loved a festival based on costumes and history sprinkled with a good dose of fantasy, huh? And I also became the newest belly dance instructor through the University of Washington's Experimental College. Shameless self-promotion time: the new series of classes starts February 2nd and registration is now open.

As far as things that didn't go so well. I didn't do nearly as much performing this year as I have in previous years. Between my two major life events (getting married as previously discussed, plus I also changing my day job and leaving the industry I'd been in for eight years), my performance schedule got pushed to the side. Trying to fit in any additional dancing, was starting to feel like major burnout, rather than the joy that sharing a creative passion should be bringing. Thus, I'm hoping with recharged batteries, to pick it back up to full speed in the new year.

And that book I was originally intending to write? Definitely hoping to get it under way in the new year as well. The working title is CPA by Day, Belly Dancer by Night. And with that little reveal, I will say no more. Stay tuned!

How about you? What worked well for you? What are you ready to embrace for next year? And what are you ready to release? Now is the perfect time of year for reflection. So grab a glass of bubbly, a journal, and a pencil and buy out some time for yourself before the countdown to midnight begins.

Have a wonderful, festive, and safe New Year's Eve!  May your 2014 be filled with love, light, and laughter, mixed together with a glittering handful of magic. Blessings to you in the new year.

Photos From My Wedding Day

I know it's been awhile since my last post, but getting hitched and honeymooning is time-consuming business! And before we dive back into belly dancing, I want to share some pictures from my wedding day!

Looking back at these pictures, it really was a fairy-tale of a day, filled with love and laughter, warmth and smiling faces. We elected to have an intimate affair of only close friends and family. We wed in the afternoon, outside under the canopy of Mother Nature, and in the evening wined and dined with the tableau of the setting sun across Elliott Bay as our back drop.

I can without a doubt say I enjoyed every single beautiful and blessed minute of it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are curious about the location of our ceremony, we tied the knot out at Treehouse Point in Issaquah and the pictures were taken by John Crozier.

Ignite

As promised, we are onto part two of the annual goal review and setting process. The last post reviewed my ups and downs of 2012, and now, with last year released, we are moving full-steam ahead into 2013. 

Each year I always set a one-word or short phrase theme for the year. Last year's theme was Thirty and Thriving.  After much debating, pondering, and rolling words around in my head, my theme for 2013 is, drumrolll....IGNITE! After defining my top three goals for the year, I noticed that they were all things that have been on my shiny dream radar for some time now.  I've decided that now is the time to grab those dreams out of fuzzy realm of someday and turn them into realities.  It's time to start the motors, gather the energy, and light the fires of taking action. Thus ignite seemed like the best word to pull them all this action together. This is the word that really describes exactly how I wanted to approach these tasks at hand; how I want to feel this year as I embark on these adventures.  

Which leads me to my actual goals for the year.  There's some smaller items swimming around as well, but I want to highlight just my top big three goals for 2013.

1. Get married to the love of my life. In Paris.
After what will be six and half years together, we are finally tying the knot. And in the city of love nonetheless.  Which will be followed by a two-week honeymoon in France.We have our plane tickets booked, the time off of work, and shortly will begin working out all the details. Do I want that fire element present in my marriage? You better believe it.

2. Write my book already.
Since I was a child I've always known that I have a book in me.  And since I was a child I've been waiting for the right time to materialize to sit down and write it.  Well, we all know the time will never materialize, so this is going to be the year I make time.  I know what I want to write about and I've blocked out a minimum of one-hour per week to put pen to paper.  Get ready for some blazing pages as the creative process starts churning.

3. Compete in the Belly Dancer USA competition in Cayonville, Oregon in June.
Some igniting needed for this one? Oh yes, you better be on fire in a competition! I've mapped out my preparation timeline, have my next private lesson on the calendar, and have coerced my fiance into doing the drive with me (although, I haven't yet made full disclosure of the fact that it's a six hour drive down there, but we'll get to that one later....).

So those are my three main focuses for the year. It's going to take energy, spark, and dedication. There's going to be some hard work involved and hours clocked. But it's going to be big, it's going to be juicy, and it's going to be rewarding at a deep, soul-quenching level when it's all said and done.

And you? Now that you've survived the holidays and the Mayan Apocalypse, have you outlined your 2013 goals?  If not, I strongly encourage you to give yourself the gift of time and space to do some searching and brainstorming so you can really manifest your desires in this new year.

Friendship

Last month I had the privilege of being a bridesmaid in one of best friend's weddings. Between myself living in Seattle, the bride living in Austin, and one of the other bridesmaid's living in London (lucky girl!) it was definitely a full-fledged friendship reunion, complete with catching up, manicures, champagne, and the occasional bout of happy tears.  And it got me thinking about friendship more.

Girlfriends really are a necessity in life: they cheer us up when we are down, tell us we look amazing even with those extra pounds, console us after a breakup, laugh with us over chick flicks, celebrate our achievements, and provide that sympathetic listening ear that frankly, men just can't quite match. I don't know what I've done to deserve it, but I have some pretty great friends.

I've had girlfriends send me flowers at work when they knew my mom was sick and in the hospital for an extended period of time.

I've had girlfriends throw me a surprise birthday party, complete with cake, on a day that wasn't my birthday as a makeup for all the b-day parties I missed as a kid from being raised in a strict religious family.

There have been numerous rides to the airport and assistance with moving; two tasks nobody likes doing.

I've received greeting cards in the mail for no other reason than just to say thinking about you.

I've had a girlfriend come pick me up and take me out to dinner, her treat, so I would stop sitting at home having a pity party by myself.

And I would like to think that hopefully, I am in return a good friend as well. 

As the bride, myself, and the other bridesmaid were leaving Austin the day after the wedding, due to last minute changes in flights and delays at security, we almost didn't missed each other in the airport.  After making it through security, I quickly headed to their gate, hoping they hadn't left yet.  The bride met me halfway, almost in tears at having to say farewell for a year or more, and the thought that they were going to jet off without saying goodbye. And the feelings were mutual. Which made me think – that is true friendship.

So to all my girlfriends, if I haven't told you or shown you lately - you are an amazing person and I'm honored to have you as a friend.