November Goals + October Recap

The fact that I'm writing this November goals post on the actual first of the month (albeit late in the day) is a small miracle. This past month has challenged me SO much, but there's been a lot of really good things happening. Just like last month, I'm keeping my goal list small for November--depth rather than breadth. For those following along, I'll go over my October goal progress and then share my November goals. If you set monthly goals of your own, I'd love to hear about them!

October goals:

• Start my new job well--yes
• Check a few preliminary things off my wedding planning to-do list--we booked our venue and officially set our wedding date! This is more than I dreamed we would accomplish in just one month of getting engaged, so I'm super happy about this
• Become more involved at St. Aidan's--yes; we volunteered at the annual Harvest of Hope and I also officially got Confirmed as an Episcopal :)
• Make some home/living space changes that I am excited to share more about SOON!--so the cat's already kind of out of the bag through social media, but Grace and I found our first little house together and have been slowly decorating it and getting settled! We are so beyond grateful for our new space and Willie loves it too. I can't wait to share a blog post all about the house and our process of making it our own, but it will probably be awhile until it's photo-ready!

And now, November goals:

• Slowly start being active and incorporating exercise after work on days I'm not working late
• Enjoy a sweet time at home with my family in North Carolina later in the month
• Celebrate Grace's and my mom's birthdays (2 days apart)
• Take photos with my real camera

Super simple goals compared with what I used to try to accomplish back when my life was less hectic, but each one represents something really important to me. 

Wherever you are reading, I hope you have the sweetest November.

xoxo

October Goals + September Recap

These photos are from my law school friend's wedding at the Kohl Mansion that Grace and I went to last weekend. Not sure what is going on with my hand placement in the second photo (hah!) but I think these capture the very happy and silly mood we have been in lately :)

I am a little late on October goals--it actually just occurred to me that it's the beginning of the month! The theme of the past few weeks of my life has been BIG changes. And lots more to come! September was the best month of my life so far, but it was very far from a normal month as I wasn't at home for any of it, didn't have a normal routine, and only saw one person (Grace) basically the whole time. I'm excited to get back into a rhythm of my days and have time for being cozy at home this October.

First, how I did on my September goals:

• Be active as much as possible, especially on long car ride days--not the best to be honest. Road fatigue is something I didn't really account for!
• Find ways to serve Grace throughout the trip--I like to think so :) Because Grace was driving all day, we had a system where I would set up camp when we got to our destination and/or unload bags from the car if we were staying at a hotel. It was really important to me that Grace be able to rest right away, and I think we did a good job of balancing the labor involved in such a big road trip.
• Keep up with journaling, reading, and some blogging from the road--I did this decently well, I think.
• Take in moments with my eyes, not just my camera--yes, and I'm proud of that. There were some of the most special moments on the trip where I DIDN'T reach for a camera or phone, and I think the memories are all the more sweet because of it. That said, I'm excited to soon make a huge book of all the photos I took on the trip!

And now for my October goals:

• Start my new job well
• Check a few preliminary things off my wedding planning to-do list
• Become more involved at St. Aidan's
• Make some home/living space changes that I am excited to share more about SOON!

I have a smaller goal list this month, but each one represents some pretty big changes. I hope October treats you well, and thanks for reading Have Dog, Will Drive!

September Goals + August Recap

If you have spent any amount of time with me in the past year, you know how excited I am for September 2017 to begin. Last year on Labor Day Weekend (for those outside the US, the first couple of days in September), Grace and I went camping near the Sierra Nevada mountains in the Eastern part of California, and we spent the whole time talking about driving to Alaska in exactly one year. Dreaming about where we'd go along the way, how much Casper would love it, and (real talk) how/whether we could afford it. In a lot of ways, that camping trip feels like just a few weeks ago, and I cannot believe that September 2017 is already HERE. But of course, the past year has changed us, too. We have grown and adapted and one member of the Alaska trip dream team is no longer with us. And Mr. Willie has joined us.

A few days ago, less than a week before leaving for Alaska, I bawled my eyes out when it suddenly hit me afresh that Casper isn't coming with us (physically) on this trip. I probably looked incredibly psycho as I cradled his cedar box of ashes and just lost it. Why I am writing this down? Just to try to convey all that this trip means to us. A year ago when we dreamed this trip into existence, I thought, this will be FUN. I will get AWESOME PHOTOS. We will be CAREFREE. Now, I think about it differently. The trip will be meaningful. We will get to know each other more deeply and grow in our relationship and in faith. We will see beautiful places on this earth and stand in awe of it. I want my goals for September (which look very different from my typical monthly goals) to reflect that.

I don't often talk about spiritual beliefs or faith on this blog, but this past Sunday we received a beautiful traditional Celtic blessing at our church that was so perfect for our upcoming journey that I just had to share it.

“Deep peace of the running wave to you.
Deep peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.
Deep peace of the shining stars to you.
Deep peace of the gentle night to you.
Moon and stars pour their healing light on you.
Deep peace of Christ,
of Christ the Light of the World to you.
Deep peace of Christ to you.”

So, how did I do on my August goals?

• Simplify and prepare my work/home/heart for ALASKA! Yes. I feel so ready.

• Match quiet nights to read, journal, and rest with early mornings to exercise (on nights that I stay in, I wake up early the next day!) Not the best. Why is this so hard?

• Leave my job, and my replacement hire, equipped and with a clean slate. Yes! Today is my last day at my current job, and though it's hard to give up the reins, I feel I left everything in a good place.

• Set up my new phone to sync with my car bluetooth, transfer notes and photos, and set up my email (this could probably take some people an afternoon . . . but these things are challenging for me so it has to be a monthly goal, haha!) Amazingly yes.

• Host Grace's sweet parents for a week in LA. Yes. One of my favorite weeks of the summer!

• Spend at least a few minutes of each day in silence (inspired by this article I read recently) Yes.

And now, my September goals!

• Be active as much as possible, especially on long car ride days

• Find ways to serve Grace throughout the trip

• Keep up with journaling, reading, and some blogging from the road

• Take in moments with my eyes, not just my camera

We leave tomorrow morning bright and early! I have never used the Instagram Stories feature before (grandma status), but I am planning to start using it during our trip in case anyone is curious to follow along and see some of the parts of the US and Canada we'll be driving through! You can follow along on my Instagram here :) Happy September!

August Goals + July Recap

AUGUST! That's wild. I kind of dislike the constant "wow time is flying" refrain that it's so easy to have when catching up with a friend or making small talk, but really . . . the summer has blown past me in the blink of an eye.

I feel so much potential in this month. It's my last full month of being in my current job, the last full month of summer, and the last month before our almost 8,000-mile road trip. We leave four weeks from Saturday and I am so. beyond. excited. More than anything else, I want to feel ready for the trip, and that's my biggest goal for this month. When we hit the road on September 2, I want to have gotten to a point where I feel like I can "leave my life behind" for a month and not have to put out any fires or worry about anything going on. My car will be in storage, my work will be on pause, my apartment will be in ship shape, and Grace's and my hearts will be open for the adventure to come. Even though my to-do list for the trip seems to grow daily, I know that the only way to accomplish it all is to simplify and prune the weeds from my days in order to make the things that matter happen. August, I am so excited for all of the preparation you will hold!

First, how I did on my July goals:

• Book accommodations for a friend's wedding we're going to be roadtripping to in the fall -- yes! So excited.
• Make an "essentials" plan and budget for Alaska (water, gasoline, non-perishables, Canadian car insurance, etc.) -- somewhat; not totally. But, that's one of the things Grace and I are going to spend some quiet time doing on our vacation this weekend.
• Enjoy a family vacation that I could NOT be more excited for in my favorite place on earth--my dad's 60th birthday and the Fourth of July are one day apart, so it worked out perfectly for us to all be together and celebrate -- done & done! And I wish I could go back and relive it! Recap here.
• Use early mornings as a time to exercise, and plan it in advance -- not as much as I would have liked, because I ended up getting pretty sick this month, but I kind of got into a rhythm with this
• Plan a day trip somewhere we've never been for one of the weekends when we're both in town (one of my Summer 2017 goals) -- Grace ended up being out of town WAY more than expected this month, so I didn't go anywhere with her. I planned a day trip to Newport Beach with my friend Tina that I ended up having to cancel because I got sick :( So, illness thwarted some of my goals this month, but I am giving myself grace on that!

And now, my August goals:

• Simplify and prepare my work/home/heart for ALASKA!
• Match quiet nights to read, journal, and rest with early mornings to exercise (on nights that I stay in, I wake up early the next day!)
• Leave my job, and my replacement hire, equipped and with a clean slate
• Set up my new phone to sync with my car bluetooth, transfer notes and photos, and set up my email (this could probably take some people an afternoon . . . but these things are challenging for me so it has to be a monthly goal, haha!)
• Host Grace's sweet parents for a week in LA
• Spend at least a few minutes of each day in silence (inspired by this article I read recently)

Happy first day of August, friends! All of my monthly goal blog posts can be found here.

July Goals + June Recap

Looking back at my June goals from the beginning of last month feels pretty strange. Whenever I write monthly goals, I have an awareness that the month might not turn out how I plan, but June 2017 really took me for a ride. I got a few of my goals done (like switching over my health insurance--super necessary and I feel very lucky to have been able to do that so seamlessly, especially these days), but honestly, most of my goals went out the window. I had planned to do a June goal recap and assess my progress, but in the spirit of giving myself grace and still feeling very tender about June and losing Casper, instead I'm going to list my "June Favorites" before moving on to my July 2017 goals.

June 2017 Favorites

• Celebrating West Hollywood Pride for the 4th year with Grace and our amazing friends
• Hosting my rainbow picnic
• Going to a conveyor belt sushi place for the first time (I have always wanted to try one, and I LOVED it)
• Bringing flowers in Casper's memory to the shelter where we adopted him and meeting a couple of volunteers who remembered him
• Meeting our dear friend Sam's new baby Sophie
• Getting my hair cut for the first time in the better part of a year (so ridiculous, I know)

July 2017 Goals

I have a feeling July is going to feel short but so sweet. Grace and I are each going out of town on different weekends, so we only have 2 and a half weekends in the month when we'll both be in town and together. I am going to try to make the most of them!

• Book accommodations for a friend's wedding we're going to be roadtripping to in the fall 
• Make an "essentials" plan and budget for Alaska (water, gasoline, non-perishables, Canadian car insurance, etc.)
• Enjoy a family vacation that I could NOT be more excited for in my favorite place on earth--my dad's 60th birthday and the Fourth of July are one day apart, so it worked out perfectly for us to all be together and celebrate
• Use early mornings as a time to exercise, and plan it in advance
• Plan a day trip somewhere we've never been for one of the weekends when we're both in town (one of my Summer 2017 goals)

If you set July goals, I'd love to hear about them! And happy Independence Day this weekend!

June + Summer Goals

Rabbit Rabbit! Sweet June, my favorite month of the year, has arrived. Goal setting is one of the things I am most passionate about in this life. I set yearly goals/guideposts, monthly goals, and I also have a 2.75 year list of goals (something called 101 in 1001--it's 101 goals you try to complete in 1001 days, roughly 2.75 years. I plan on sharing my whole list, started in fall 2015, soon!). 

All of that to say, I like to set big and small goals, with long and short timelines to complete them. My monthly goals tend to be more bite-sized action items aimed to further my more overarching yearly goals or 101 in 1001 goals. Something I haven't done before is set seasonal goals, which I guess is because I felt a little overexposed when it comes to setting goals. But for summer 2017, I'm going for it.

Why? Because this summer marks the last time for me that a lot of things will feel constant, and after the summer, there will be a lot of change. I'm switching jobs, I'm taking the biggest and wildest trip of my life, and just generally in my mind things will feel different after September. There is a lot I want to get done, take advantage of, and not let pass me by. So I know these aren't the actual precise dates of summer, but I'm setting my goals below for June 1 (today) - September 1 (the last day of my current job). On September 2, Grace and I leave for a 7000+ mile road trip North and across 2 countries and 12 states/provinces. There's a LOT happening, but I know the goals I'm setting will help me feel ready for it!

Summer 2017 Goals

• Take a day trip somewhere we've never been before
• Finally finish a personal writing project I've been working on for the last 2 years
• Reincorporate exercise into my life on a consistent basis
• Take at least one weekend getaway sometime in July or August
• Blog here on Have Dog, Will Drive at least once a week
• Meet all of my pre-Alaska financial goals I set earlier in the year
• Get together with Grace's and my close friends in a fun way before we leave town for a few weeks in September
• Meet all of my work goals and leave my replacement in a great position to start

And my June goals, below, are a combination of action items to meet my summer goals and other things that I know need to happen this month.

June 2017 Goals

• Journal about and intentionally work on becoming a better listener
• Exercise three days a week and put it on my calendar
• Switch over to my own health insurance (hello, 26th birthday)
• Celebrate my 26th birthday
• Take care of some Casper to-do list items, such as scheduling his vet visit for before we leave for Alaska, making an appointment to have some of his teeth removed (he's an old boy and has some dead teeth), researching food options for the road trip since Canada has some rules about what pet food you can bring into the country, and getting him a new warm coat that actually fits

I am planning on writing a goals post on the 1st of every month, so in July, you can look for my new monthly goals as well as a recap of how I did in June. If you set June goals or 2017 goals, I'd love to hear about them!