2018

“Oh, it was terrible….” Mike said without hesitation, when asked his opinion of 2018.

That’s the difference between the two of us - Mike answered the question externally, in reference to the state of the world, when my question was posed simply in reference to our lives this year.

It was a hard year filled with too much work and stress, but also times of good fun. Our Canadian family members’ visit to LA on 8-18-18 for the 10-year reunion of our 08-08-08 wedding was a highlight, and Justin Ngo’s description of the family crest he had drawn MADE. MY. YEAR.

We were happy that Mike’s Dad and Yuki (finally!) came to spend time with us, as well as his Mom and Ward, who taught us how to play pickle ball. Yuki befriended a neighborhood’s store’s black cat and sent us bags of cat food to bring to him.

Michele turned 50 and her surprise birthday party in Atlanta was totally amazing.

We had a few great vacations and enjoyed spending time with friends, and so far I’m still on track with my 50 by 50 goals.

Being out of the stock market for over 16 months created some FOMO, but in the end it turned out to be the right call and allowed me not to worry about the year-end crash. I expect 2019 to be rocky too.

2018 was a disaster when it came to dieting, but I stuck with my workout goals, and was rewarded with a giant steak dinner at the end of the year with my trainer and his wife.

Part of my birthday was spent fixing toilets at the condo in DTLA, but I was so grateful for Mike’s help. We spent the holidays hibernating at home in California. With amazing weather and a house we love, it wasn’t a hardship at all.

Time to turn the page to 2019 - will it be better or worse than this year?