Highlights of 2021
Nobody, including me, knew what to expect coming into 2021. The world was still partially shut down with some limited re-openings, vaccines were just starting to roll out, and there was only a small hope of normalcy on the horizon. The news seemed mostly negative (well, I guess it still does), traveling was still a question mark, and all of us realized we were in it for the long haul.
As I sit here in the last month of the year, I can truly say that I had no dreams of doing the things I have been able to over the past 12 months. There have been a lot of highs and lows, but in the spirit of celebrating the joy and peace that we want so desperately out of a holiday season, here are my personal and business highlights over the past year. Enjoy reliving the best moments with me!
1) Running
I know it’s not a huge surprise that I’m starting with running, but this has been my saving grace over the past few years especially. My first live race was the Victory at Yorktown 10K. I hoped to set a personal best, and to my surprise I did that easily and broke the 40-minute mark. After that I caught the racing bug, running a 5K the next week (where I broke 19 minutes for the first time!) and rolling right into the summer.
At the beginning of August I finally got to say that I beat everyone - male and female - in a race at the Yorktown Naval 8K hosted by MWR, and while it was a small field I’m still proud of that achievement! I set another PR at the Democracy Dash 10K, and early September brought The Chas Foundation 5K where I set a PR, beat the course record, and won $200 in the process.
I raced four more times this fall: the RDC 10K in Raleigh, Yorktown 10-miler (first female!), Fast Before the Feast (first female as well!), and the absolute highlight: the Richmond Half Marathon. Going into the half I wanted to break 1:30 and hoped I could get close to 1:25. Instead, I slid into finish at 1:24:05 and started dreaming about what could happen next…
All of that came together at the California International Marathon in Sacramento (full recap here). I had dreamed of this race for two years, but never did I think I would be gunning for a sub-3 hour marathon by that time. In fact, until I finished the Richmond Half, that wasn’t even a thought in my mind. I went for it from the beginning, starting with the 3:00 pace group and slowly cutting down the miles until I finished in 2:56:45, which was absolutely mind-blowing for me. I gave everything I had, but as I crossed the finish line I knew I was not done dreaming big yet.
2) Adventure
Travel finally opened up again, at least to a limited extent, and I took advantage of what I could! The first of my adventures was going skydiving, which crossed off a big bucket list item. I also got to watch two professional sports games in person (Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Chargers vs. Washington Football Team), and I went to a live concert in September (AJR!) for the first time in a very long time.
I also got to take a few mini trips to visit family (including a week-long vacation in Smith Mountain Lake), go to Charlottesville, explore Norfolk, visit Raleigh, and a few other adventures in between. This is one of the things I missed most in 2020, and I’m so glad it’s back!
My final trip of the year was to San Diego, with a quick jaunt to Sacramento for the marathon. We ate our way through the best parts of the city, saw some incredible sights, and experienced so much of what California had to offer. As with every trip, I was pretty sad to come back. Maybe there’s no place like home for some people, but the West Coast has always felt more like home to me than Virginia. All I can say is that I’ll be back…
3) Business
What a year it’s been for my business! It’s impossible to highlight everything, but this year has been one for record growth. I’ve started to add more SEO-specific clients (such as The Plush Flush and Dawkins Financial), and I’ve continued on with some of my favorite long-time clients, including Easton Outdoors and Pen & Posh. It’s amazing to watch these small businesses grow as we run ads, publish content, and continue to market in new ways!
Working with my executive assistant, Kate, was both a privilege and a joy and while she is stepping down from that role, I feel extremely lucky to have met and hired her. She’s truly one-of-a-kind.
In addition, I got to add some wonderful new clients, and while there are too many to list, I have to mention Pro Auto Diagnostics and Flat Out Events at the very least. Getting to work for and with people I know from the running community is something I never dreamed of, and to see it come to life is a beautiful thing indeed.
4) Photography
While I scaled back a lot on the wedding and family photography side of my business this year, I still got to pick up the camera as much as I wanted! I did have a few weddings and family sessions, and a huge highlight is getting to take pictures of the same families every year. It feels like getting together with an old friend rather than a client :)
In addition, I got to continue taking headshot photos at Gather where I work, and I have started photographing races for Flat Out Events as well. I’m loving every minute of it!
5) Willow
It’s impossible to mention my year without talking about Willow. Hands down, age 4 has been my favorite age (although I do remember loving 6-9 months!). She is so chatty (sometimes to a fault), and I can often have ‘real’ conversations with her. So much of what she says sounds exactly like me or Nathan, and it trips me out to hear her talking like a grown up.
This year she has learned so incredibly much it’s hard to believe. She surprised me by writing her name out of nowhere a few months ago, and now she is having us spell and sound out words to write. It’s absolutely unbelievable that the tiny baby I held in my arms just a few years ago can actually write simple words. We’ve also gotten to the point of reading longer books together, and I’ve been working on Charlotte’s Web with her, which brings back so many memories of when my mom read to me and my siblings at a young age.
I love her deeply, and I can see our relationship growing by the day. If there is any highlight to my year it’s the little girl who calls me mommy, and I’m so thankful for the life she has.
It feels like I’ve barely scratched the surface of all that happened this year, but those are the biggest highlights I can remember! How about you? What are some of your best moments in 2021?