2013 goes in the books

2013 was definitely a year. There were fantastic highs and also a few rough patches, but I loved it. I figured I would do a little recap because some of the highlights really show just how bizarre my life can be. So here we go:

• Tried and fell in love with a new sport... roller hockey! This became a huge stress release for me during my final semester in grad school.
  
    This is the one and only time I played goalie. Even got to use my softball glove because there was no lefty goalie equipment.
• Mardi Gras weekend: Ran in an overnight team relay race from Baton Rouge to N'awlins along the Mississippi River (126.2 miles!). Everyone ran about 20 miles and we started at 1 in the afternoon Saturday and finished at 7:30 am on Sunday! After finishing we found out we WON our division by 18 seconds!! Drove back to Hattiesburg after the race and right into a tornado. A huge F4 hit Hattiesburg, the first in 100 years. Thankfully campus was empty because of Mardi Gras weekend and no one was killed. Let's just say it was a very long weekend.
  

  

  

Top pic: The Rouge-Orleans winning relay team! Bottom pic: Hburg tornado. Minor detail I left out, I drove straight at the tornado because I was so close to it I couldn't see around it. After seeing what looked like a menacing cloud on the ground in front of me, I decided it was best to turn around. Quite possibly the best decision of my year!

• My car got totaled!! Yes, that's excitement because it wasn't a great car and I had full intention of buying a new one eventually. The totaling just spurred it to happen earlier than anticipated, so...
  

Introducing Cookie Monster, my brand new 2013 Mazda 3!!!

• One of the greatest people I know, Terrod, is still in recovery after his heart stopped during a run. No matter how he was feeling on any run he would run with me, even the days when I didn't have anything. Continuing to pray for this guy every day, because life just isn't the same without his ridiculous morning running texts, and incredibly slow counting on push-ups!
  

This is the best picture of us before we hit up the tough mudder course! No matter the challenge, he is always up for it!

• Went to a post-season Blackhawks game... in style?!?! 3:00 on Friday I get a call saying I can have a ticket to the game on Saturday at noon, if I can get to Chicago. I got that phone call in Mississippi. Needless to say, I just made the last flight out of Jackson to Chicago and had a blast on an incredibly random weekend trip to Chicago, while putting off dissertation writing! Lesson from this experience: Blackhawks w/ friends > Dissertation writing!! :-)
  

Game 2 vs the Redwings... They may have lost, but they won The Cup!!

• Got a real big kid job with  real big kid paycheck!!! Talk about a weight off my shoulders!! Got hired at Cook Inc. up in Bloomington, IN. Such a good feeling to know that I had a place to go right after finishing up my grad school work. And it was somewhat close to home meaning more family time, Cubs games, and Chicago trips!!
• Defended my disseration and became a doctor (PhD style)!!! Finally!! Got family and friends to come in and watch it and celebrate!! Great way to hang out with everyone that was important and start saying bye to Mississippi!
• Moved across country with the help of some great friends! Found a townhouse with 2 bedrooms and 2.5 baths! So much more spacious than my previous living situation where I was splitting a room! (I love my roommate, but having your own space is pretty fantastic.)
• Adopted 2 cats! Discovered that I am not allergic to cats like I am dogs, so why not get a cat... or two? They are the friendliest cats ever (unless you happen to be a canine, but we're working on that). Love having them around to entertain me.
  
• Stood up in my very first Southern wedding!! I'm talking Sweet Home Alabama setting (note I did not say plot!) style! Tons of fun. Learned I have way more hair than I thought!
• Um... Hit my first homerun ever? Lol. I know it was slow pitch, but I'm taking it. Basically just excited to have a team to play with in Btown. Nothing like softball followed by beers in a parking lot on a Thursday night. If only I could get my teammates to like country...
• Walked for graduation. Basically completely finished off that graduate school chapter of my life. Such a fun experience. Love all the people down in Mississippi and it was great to see them all again. Wish I got to see them all more often, but it sounds like we're going to make it work... Nashville 2014!! :-)
  

Hooded like a boss! With Todd... Started day 1 together and finished together!

So yeah 2013 was a pretty epic year. I can't say I expect to have such insane highlights in 2014, but that's ok. I could use a little calm for awhile... Ha. Let's be serious... I'm not a calm type person. Bring on 2014!! Keep living the dream!!