Changes.....

Ha...well complete and total fail on goal #1 for the year, ie regarding blogging 5x a month, but I'm okay with it. Sometimes we give and take in life...and I made great progress on the other goals and experienced so much life in the missing moments.

Between August/September's road trip and now, I've started working both adjunct jobs and am still adjusting to the extra prepping, etc. I like to start the term off solidly prepared with all lectures, exams, assignments pre-created, but this year that hasn't exactly happened. Each week then I am prepping a LOT of the time, grading a LOT of the time, and thinking about work a LOT of the time. I'm teaching my usual four courses at my normal institution, altering and teaching a new-to-me course at the new institution, and mentoring 9 students in their program. I'm also researching and planning the work trip to Argentina in December, creating 2 new courses to run at the new institution next term, and altering an older course into a new hybrid format for my overload term at my normal institution. All in total, I am scheduled to teach 10 classes winter term and still mentor the same students....just call me crazy, but somehow I feel like it's totally going to work out okay. Because by then it truly WILL all be prepped and the pieces ready to roll! (In fact, really most the course prep should be done in the next month or so anyway...)

The house has also had a lot of changes with a lot of overlap that occurred within the same one to two week span. The final summer housemate moved out in the beginning of September and her room was taken by a return gal who will be here for at least six months. Reg D was crashing in the guest room off and on for most of August and half of September...and then I also had another individual who was here for two weeks while he needed a place to stay. In that same period of time, I rearranged the rooms so that the furnished rental room is now the largest room (where L is) and the middle room became my office. Luckily Reg D had a cast away desk and the summer housemate left shelves so my office got outfitted for zero dollars--just the way I like it :) I also redecorated the den, which meant painting, Reg D fixing the futon, a new TV console, rearranging furniture, a slip cover for the Ikea chair, and pictures from my travels hung on the walls. L and I have settled into a sort of routine and it's been nice to just have the two of us in the house actually. I'm attempting to transition to not subletting rooms anymore, so L will probably be the last long-ish renter.

Somewhere in August I started dating again....and a month ago I met someone who might just pan out to be someone. I'm not going to say much more...but I'm actually a little bit hopeful with this one....and luckily he thinks it's great to spend dates in nature, helping me get in some running miles, cooking dinner together, or just having me hang out on the couch grading while he works on projects around his home....

Somewhere in the last week, I feel like I'm slowly creating a routine that is helping...and I'm also working on getting back into the groove with the things that make me feel like me....like ensuring I get regular time in nature, decent sleep, good nutrition, some solo moments, and that the dogs and I get in some regular miles. I'm learning to listen to those moments when I'm just not going to be productive and instead letting myself veg out on the back deck or create time socially. It always works out that the days when the productivity is free flowing, much more gets done than the average day anyway so I've been banking on those moments for surges of work and then granting reprieves for self-care on the days when the brain is just not wanting to go there. Amidst the busyness, I still appreciate the stillness and the awesome simplicity of existence. :)

I also feel incredible grateful in this season. Yes, there's so much I still wish that I had time to do....canning did you say?! :) Yardwork? Day dreaming?! :) But when I compare this life to where it was and how I felt three years ago, I truly am amazed at how it has evolved. That's not to say it's going to stay this awesome and that additional changes might not be on the horizon or things could again fall to pieces, but I also recognize that strength is there, doors always somehow eventually open, and I'm surrounded by a wealth of amazing individuals via family, friends, and acquaintances. I truly couldn't ask for much more.

In terms of other goals, I'm so glad to finally get a real paycheck again soon and am so glad that I budgeted just enough to cover most expenses in the three months of less income...well minus the road trip but.....between the two jobs that credit card (including the awesome road trip), my car, and hopefully a spring time trip to NOLA will all be paid in full late spring of next year all while still making a tiny bit of headway on those student loan payments also. I'm already day dreaming of when I can do the happy dance regarding the credit card and another one with the car :) and then starting to sock away on the student loan payments :) Beyond finances, so far this year, I tried snowboarding lessons and gave hot yoga a go. I traveled/taught/served in Africa and also finally visited Matt & Haley in Canada. I exposed people to new outdoor pursuits and took the dogs on more than two backpacking trips. I've enjoyed & embraced who/what I have, continued to rent rooms, and focused on regaining health/balance. My car loan will be within that $4k range by end of year and the credit card made it to 75% earlier this year (although didn't maintain but SHOULD be paid in full by March). I passed my massage exams, worked part-time as a LMT, and still provide the occasional assistance for family and friends. I'm still working on exploring spiritual community, but I also tackled a few items from the larger three years list like: transitioning into international health (and it does look different than I imagined), exploring other areas of Oregon (Central Oregon trips including the Painted Hills), and figuring out how to truly be open to a different life partner. I also got to include the amazing road trip from this summer, spent time exploring multiple national parks, completed my first solo backpacking trip, figured out how to car camp comfortably, and made great headway on getting my financial independence in order. Altogether...so far it's been a pretty remarkable year!

Hoping that the next few months come together just as nicely and I'm looking forward to all that 2016 could potentially have in store....while absolutely enjoying all the moments inbetween!