Can you believe it’s actually the end of 2017?! I feel like I just got used to it not being 2016. And, 2015 feels like it was 5 years ago. Every year, it feels like time moves a little faster and I am not a fan! This has been a big year for us and I think next year will bring even more amazing adventures!

A reflection on last year

Last year, I did a post like this one about my hopes for 2017. Some things were successful, some things fell flat. I had plants going for awhile, but when summer hit in Tucson, it completely roasted them. And, I mean completely roasted them in less than 24 hours! We also did not do much traveling this year between working like crazy, getting pregnant, and moving. However, I will say, something that I (and Josh, too, of course) had on my private list, but not my original post, was to start a family! And, our first will be here in just a few weeks!

Overall, 2017 was an intense year personally. It was our first official year as a married couple and it has been amazing! All the challenges we faced only made us stronger as a couple. We both started tackling careers pretty heavily, which of course included learning curves for both of us. I feel like I’m still on a learning curve with this, to be honest. I’m not sure if I’ll ever not feel that way. And, I think 2017 is also the year that we started to feel a bit more settled and bit less restless.

looking ahead for this year

I always find end of the year reflections and new year goal setting daunting and a bit overwhelming. It’s a lot of pressure to put into 12 months! I also find it important, too, to understand where you are and where you want to go. I think the biggest challenge I face is taking a wholesome inventory of the last 12 months and measuring what worked/what didn’t work.

• Keep moving forward with The Cozie. To be honest, I wasn’t 100% confident in my idea when I started The Cozie and I did not have a clear direction. But, now that it’s been over a year into it, I feel like I’m going somewhere tangible. I’m working on doing a mini-revamp as I feel like the current site theme doesn’t fit where I’m heading. I’m also planning on scheduling out more posts in the future, especially when baby arrives and when we’re getting settled with him. My overall goal is to always being posting something useful for someone. I never want to just “fill up space”. Now that much of nausea has subsided, I would also love to get back to regular book reviews again, too!
• Build up our financial war chest. This year is going to be the year that we grow our savings and portfolio more aggressively. I’m planning on doing an entire financial planning guide for millennials because I find that many of us are floating around the financial scene unsure of what to do or how to do it. I’m a saver and, as such, I’m constantly of the opinion that Josh and I can have more in the background, especially now that we’re going to have some intense medical bills being thrown our way.
• Become parents! Become great parents. I have yet to find a parenting book that feels like it meets my style, which might just be an indicator that I should trust my gut and move along. We’re so excited for our baby boy to get here! Over the holidays, we’ve had moments where we’ve realized that it will be the last time it’s “just us” and it’s mind-boggling to try to wrap our heads around that.
• Get to know Tucson better. We’ve decided to stay in Tucson for at least a couple years. Since that decision, I’ve been wanting to get to know Tucson and the area better. We’ve lived here for several years now, but over half of them were college years, so I don’t truly count them (especially because I was between San Diego and Tucson so frequently during those years). I do have my favorite spots around Tucson, but I’m open to exploring more restaurants, cafes, trails, and little adventure locations.
• Train Kodah more. I call Kodah our “problem child” because it’s pretty accurate! She is the definition of a dog that does not know her size (which is jumbo at 115+ lbs.). With a baby on the way, it’s crucial that I get her training under wraps. It’s not that she’s not trained, it’s that there’s little things she does that would be better if I trained her out of them.

Anyway, those are my main goals that I want to tackle for new year! I know have several more personal goals on my full list that I’ll be working on as well 🙂 What’s on your list?