This year, I learned that I’m far better at flying a jet than I am at falling through the air, that oranges are pretty great fresh off the tree in your parents’ yard, that tiaras and roller coasters are not necessarily mutually exclusive, and that I’m a far faster runner than I expected; especially when there’s an elephant involved.
2014 started for me with an amazing TheatreSports NYE show, my husband at my side, and an unbidden sense of optimism. I didn’t know how 2014 could possibly compare to 2013, which brought with it my wedding and the weddings of many friends – but it was in fact far grander than I could have anticipated.
My marriage and my theatrical affiliations seemed to be the only constant of the year. While my address remained the same, we came very close to moving to LA. Work was incredibly tumultuous: a project reboot, a project cancellation, transfer to the Cortana team, loss of many great coworkers, two job offers, and the eventual decision to leave for Amazon and say goodbye to Microsoft, my employer these 7 past years. My first full year in a marriage was marked by extreme highs (our two cruises) and very difficult times (2 consecutive months on opposite coasts). The rollercoaster continued with deaths in the family, and difficult diagnoses in my husband’s family. And of course, one mustn’t forget my run for my life from an elephant in the African savannah. It was a year spent almost entirely outside my comfort zone, but it was worth the journey.
For the record, my birthday wish last year was for a year of travel; I think we can all agree that particular wish worked out better than anticipated.
Major Milestones
- First three patent filings (one utility, one design, one provisional)
- New job at Amazon
- First time in a commercial flight simulator (Air Canada’s A330 flight sim)
- First time in Africa, Spain, and Italy
- First time running a 5K (or any race for that matter)
- First full year as a married couple
- Lost my third grandparent
- Parents moved from Philly to LA
- Stood on the same stage as Sting for two minutes (with eye contact!)
By the Numbers
- 68,000 miles flown
- Three continents
- North America, Europe, and Africa
- Two full time jobs: Microsoft and Amazon
- Taught 3 quarters of Improv 100
- Eight countries/city-states
- US, Canada x 3, Kenya, France, Spain, Monaco, Italy, Vatican City
- Two 5K finishes
- 30:35 at the Seahawks Kickoff Run 5K, and 30:42 at the Burbank YMCA Turkey Trot
- Two trips to Disney World (January & December)
- Six theme parks visited (WDW + Universal Orlando + IOA)
- 15 airports visited
- Seattle, Toronto, O’Hare/Chicago, Philadelphia, Orlando, San Diego, JFK, Newark, San Jose, LAX, Burbank, Amsterdam, Jomo Kenyatta/Nairobi, Charles De Gaulle/Paris, Barcelona
- 3 minutes indoor sky diving
- 2 cruise ships (Disney Magic and Disney Wonder)
- 4 railroads
- Amtrak Cascades, Paris > Barcelona TGV, NJ Transit, Paris RER
- 3 subway systems (Barcelona, Paris, New York City)
- Saw my husband perform 9 times
- 2x as Marley in Christmas Carol
- 3x as King Henry VIII in Henry VIII
- 2x in “An Evening of One Acts”
- 2x as Bolingbroke in Richard II
- Performed in 4 mainstage improv shows
- Laurence Welk Valentine Special
- I Saw U
- The Wolf and the Witch
- A(n Improvised Christmas Carol))
- Two convention appearances (Where No Man Has Gone Before and NERDprov at ECCC14)
- And many, many Seattle TheatreSports performances
For all of the mercurial ups and downs, 2014 was an amazing year in total, and I am grateful for the experiences we’ve had along the way. I’m not sure how 2015 could live up to it, to be honest, but not every year can be a banner year, and there’s something to be said for time in pajamas on the couch.
Still, 2015 opens with a bang – my Trek return slated for next weekend; and I do anticipate a fair amount of travel to California. We’re also booked on a cruise to the Panama Canal, to continue our inexorable walk down the travel wishlist. I’d love to run some more 5Ks and perhaps even a 10K later in the year.What else the year holds is a mystery I’m excited to uncover.
