moving forward

Happy New Year’s Eve!!!

As we celebrate the last day of 2017 I have to smile from the inside out.

My family spent the evening at our (my) very first NFL game, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn’t disappoint. They pulled off a win with just seconds to go.

As I look back on this year one word comes to mind. Growth.

I let go of many fair weather friends, I stopped settling for less than what I deserved, andI chased my dreams of living near the beach.

So after surviving hurricane Irma, moving half way across the country, buying a new house, celebrating my 4 year anniversary on WordPress and starting a new career, I say this…Happy New Year!!! May all your dreams come true!!

Cheers,

Michelle

moving forward

2018 goals

It’s been a while since I’ve posted. We’ve been so busy getting acclimated to our new home and I’ve got so much to learn at my new job. I no longer have a computer, either, so posting from my iPad mini can be a challenge.

That being said, I really want to commit to some solid goals this year. Here’s my list, in no particular order:

1. Start writing again…maybe even start the book I’ve been talking about for years. 3 days a week I want to commit to at least 30 minutes of writing, but hopefully more often than that. I also want to post 2x per week on the blog.

2. Run at least 3 races, but more would be great. No time goals, just more running. Lift weights 3x per week.

3. Lose 10 lbs and keep it off. Menopause has reared her ugly head, and my body isn’t responding well at all. Once we get settled I plan on seeking healthcare, but for now its eat less and move more…

4. Get back in the kitchen. Once each week work to create and/or learn a new recipe or technique.

5. Continue to explore Florida and all the beautiful things it has to offer. So far we’ve visited Disney and Epcot several times, attended the food and wine festival, been to Siesta Key beach, St. Pete beach, Clearwater, Tarpon Springs and Anna Maria Island. Anna Maria is by far our favorite but for a quick trip to a more local beach we’ve been going to Pass-a-Grille beach in St. Petersburg. Here’s a few pics from the past year!!

Highlights from 2017 are:

1. Hubby returning from deployment

2. Disney world family vacation

3. Getting a job at the VA in FLORIDA

4. Moving to Florida (obv!!!)

5. Exploring Florida with my family…

6. Being able to go to Florida in December-sure don’t miss the snow!!

How was your 2017? Have you set goals for 2018?

I hope you all had a great year, and are enjoying the holiday season!!

Cheers!!

Michelle

moving forward

Just over a month.

Well it’s been over a month since I’ve moved to Florida. Close to 6 weeks if my memory serves me right. In that time I’ve encountered a new job, dealt with an Air Bnb flood, hurricane Irma and my Jeep having a near death experience.

So today I share the news that we closed on our new home and I couldn’t be happier. We can’t move in until next weekend but will use that time to clean and prep the house. I’ve been working out again and have been enjoying the beach life immensely. While my blogging has new sparse without a computer, I’m excited to check in. I promise to get back to everyone’s blogs soon! Here’s some pics!

How are you? What happened new for you this month?

Cheers!

Michelle

moving forward

Crazy it’s been a week and a half since I arrived in Florida.

It's been a crazy week and a half. Getting acclimated. Fining a house. Starting a new job. It's been hard and exciting and crazy all in one. But I can honestly say having a friend here has made such a difference. Today Kandice took me site seeing to Ybor city, MacDill AFB and we even explored the new area I'll be living. We of course had to visit my new house, too. Look at the gorgeous hibiscus. We ended the day eating dinner near where I'm staying at the Rooster and the Till and it was amazing. With the crazy storms coming it looks like we won't hit the beach this weekend but we made the most of this crazy weather.
My take away from the week is my new job will be challenging but amazing and that I love living in Florida. Lastly I'm in awe of life long friendships. Feeling so blessed.
Here are some pics from the week.

How was your day? Have your explored any new areas where you live lately?
Cheers!!
Michelle

moving forward

Florida bound

Today I drove over 650 miles through five states. Thanks for your support with all my posts. To say this is the hardest thing I've done knowing my fear of driving is an understatement but in my eyes not taking this chance would be even harder. Here's to "onward and upward!!" Y'all rock!! #floridabound

moving forward

My final weekend.

It's my final weekend here in Illinois and my coworker's and friends have sent me off in style. My bags are packed and I'm ready to hit the road on Tuesday. While I'm sad, I can honestly say I'm beyond proud of the fact that I'm taking this leap of faith. Here's some pics that capture my last weekend!

I'll be journaling my journey so stay tuned!! I've even got my running gear packed!

Cheers!
Michelle

moving forward

New adventures!!!

Hey gang, I'm back!!! Big news!! I was offered a job supervising the pathology lab at the VA hospital in Tampa Florida!!! I'm looking forward to sharing this adventure!! Stay tuned!! Here are some pics from our visit to Tampa last month!

Cheers!
Michelle

moving forward

Blogging Hiatus

Hey gang,

In efforts to stick with my mantra of moving forward I’ve realized I also need to recognize toxic situations and when to separate myself from them. Ive learned that not everyone has my best interests at heart, and have decided my personal life needs to be kept a little more private. While I have loved sharing my running and life stories with you, along with some recipes I have created, for now I need to take a little break. I am not canceling or shutting my blog down, just stepping back for a bit to think about where I’d like to see this blog move in the future, if at all.

I shall return, I just am unsure of when or where…

Until then, CHEERS!!

Michelle

moving forward

Happy belated Mother’s Day everyone!!

Here’s some snap shots of my amazing weekend. I hope you all had a great Mother’s Day weekend!

Me and my Mommy

 

My baby girl
Being corny with the hubby!
Truffle risotto from Quartino’s….YUM
Grilled Octopus from Quartino’s
View from our room at the London house in Chicago
Aladdin was amazing!

Gosh they take my breath away!

Obligatory bean photo!

So pretty….


My family spoiled me with my favorite food and places in Chicago. Cheers to my amazing family for making me feel so loved and for always being in my corner.

 

Happy belated Mother’s Day!!

Michelle

Celebrate the good, depression, moving forward

Finding my happiness…

This morning I was reading one of my favorite blogs over at Suzlyfe. I love her blog because its raw, its real, all while being informative and entertaining. I needed a little respite from the funk I’ve been in, so when I opened my email this morning to get my daily dose of Suz, I found myself moved to tears.

See, between not getting promoted and not hearing back on any prospective leads I thought I had, along with dealing with some resentment and anger issues (don’t ask, we can save that for another post, or not…) I’ve found myself in a funk. My mood sucks, my running sucks (if you can call running twice a week actual running) and my cooking has even started to suck. The ONE thing I actually think I am half way decent at has fallen flat and left my family (more so me) less than impressed. This has been ongoing for the last few weeks, and with each dish I prepare, it’s either under/over cooked, over seasoned, or just plain blah. And this is quite unlike me, I’d like to think at least. So last night when my hubby had to take my oldest to the dentist, I thought, HEY, I will make the steak for the tacos we planned on having along with getting the beans and corn ready. Too easy, right? Wrong…I cooked the steak with beautiful grill marks and set aside to rest. I then decided it necessary to mutilate the beans, overcooking them by a good 15 minutes. Just before they got home from the dentist I went to slice in to my beautifully grilled and rested meat to find it was still RAW. And not just slightly raw, I am talking, the cow may have had a MOO or two left in him. Ugh…I threw it back in the pan, and sighed a heavy sigh.  

After dinner we cleared the plates and I told my family I was on a hiatus from cooking. If I can’t joy in cooking, I simply can’t cook. With that, I headed upstairs to take a shower and have a good cry but when I turned around my oldest daughter had decided to come up and comfort me. I don’t hide my emotions very well, and my family knows me better than most. She gave me a huge hug and said, “You ok, Mom?” and I broke in to a sob. “Don’t settle in life honey,” I pleaded with her. “Write your books, chase your dreams, just please don’t get stuck like Mommy is. While I was in the Air Force it was ok to have this job, but now I feel stuck.” And she just hugged me tighter, promising she’d chase her dreams. We even pinky promised which is like a golden seal in our house. Yup, my almost 18 year old still will pinky promise with me. ❤ And suddenly I found my happiness again, right there in the comfort of my first born daughter’s arms. Funny how the tables can turn.  

My takeaway from last night was twofold. Yes, I am feeling stuck, and I think RUT might be my new middle name. BUT…I had a beautiful moment with my daughter that no one can take away, and I need to focus on moments like these vs. feeling a little stuck. Because we can’t be stuck if we are still making the choice to get out of bed every day and do our best.

OX10L

 

My time will come. I just know it. And I am so thankful for the beautiful people in my life that have helped me see the brighter side of things. Thanks Suz, this one is for you!

 

Cheers,

 

Michelle