Best 12 of 2012

Time to focus on the highlights and good moments of 2012 rather than all the doom and gloom :)

So in no particular order, here are some of the best moments/items of 2012:

12) Visiting my gal Christina in San Antonio. The trip was incredibly insightful, I fell in love with the city, and it was great to be back in the south. C and I had a great time exploring San Antonio & Austin together, catching up, and helping to push each other toward better versions of ourselves. The trip also marked the reality for the separation to occur.

11) Tall D's and my two day backpacking trip this summer. Sweat, hard work, togetherness, gentleness, happy dog faces, awesome camp spot, major inclines, sore feet, a stint on the PCT, and testing out my own backpack.

10) Roadtrip to Arizona with Brook to see our other high school best gal Caitlin. Saving gas by driving the Prius, seeing the Vegas strip at night, soaking up the dry southern heat, good quality time with two of my favorite gals, hunting down the vortexes and getting Brook to the Grand Canyon. Definitely good times.

9) Savannah Trip: Surprise brunch for my 30th by my Georgian milspouse gals (Heather, Katie, Deir)---seriously was shocked they had arranged such a feat and it was so nice to have three of my favorite ladies in one spot. Equally wonderful was having Katie there for an extra day to explore, Deir's ongoing hospitality and getting my booty running again, and getting some quality moments with Ms Heather. Having dolphins swimming by less than 50ft away during the trip to the Atlantic at Tybee Island was pretty much a "once in a lifetime" moment as well!

8)  Day trip to Charleston, SC and finally getting to explore so much more of the history of the area.

7) Katie's trip out to Oregon in September. It was so great getting to share so much of this gorgeous state with her and to just spend some extra time catching up with one of my favorite milspouse gals. We also made it to one of the nation's highlights: Crater Lake and stopped by Mt Hood, neither of which I think I'd been to before!

6) Book club and extra moments with the gals. The trip to the beach, brewery nights, Saturday brunches in homes. These gals have gotten me through some rough moments, pushed me on, and created incredibly interesting conversations. Additionally the constant support and availability of T and my cousin A have brought me so much closer to them and have totally gotten me through some of the roughest of spots by helping me create and enjoy the simple moments of life.

5) Running. My number one stress coping strategy...and it proved to me that I can do so much more than I ever thought I'd be able to do. The first 5k race was a blast with Tall D. I enjoyed the 10k I completed with Sheila.....and I am so incredibly glad that I pulled out a 14 miler before the year was over!

4) New Years 2012---complete blast with a mix of both family and great friends. Couldn't have been any better honestly.

3) October trip home to spend time with D & J and to attend the Harvest Party. Had good visits with a host of friends.....and enjoyed the time in the comfort of Mom and Dad's home.

2) Refinding my mojo with teaching---feeling the passion that is present and recognizing how much I both love and am good at what I do.

1) Goal achievements and all the simple moments. Moments to focus on and feel fulfilled. Summiting Kings Mtn with the doggies, trying out kayakying, backpacking with T, relishing doggie faces in the rearview mirror of the Sorento, Sauvie Island beach days, selecting the "perfect" Xmas tree with cousin A, the recent soaking pool outing with T, happy hrs downtown.

The more I think on it, the more I can pinpoint so many special, simple moments. Even in the hardship, I still recognize that this year and my life have been incredibly blessed. And reflecting upon the last year, I re-recognize how much I have...and how many amazing experiences I was able to enjoy.

Interestingly, here's the recap from 2011.

What are some of your best moments from 2012?