It has been awhile but as I emptied picture from my phone, I decided to update and keep this blog going even though I am on a different and mostly travel-less life path. I figure it is partly for my aging memory but also, accessibility of notable events.
I am going to jog my memory, round out the end of my year below and then start fresh for 2014. Hope you enjoy!
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As the year rolled to a close, I focused on my paleo diet and expanding my menu. After three years of this lifestyle of eating, recipes are getting easier and are less reliant on recipe books for instruction. However, I was in a bit of a lull and wanted to spice it up by trying something new. My sister's birthday was right around the corner and so I challenged myself to make a paleo friendly birthday cake. I never really made many paleo desserts so this was a bit more challenging than a Betty Crocker out-of-the-box, three-step cake. There was a bit of a tantrum but only one redo on the icing, which when completed was my favorite part of the cake. I was pretty impressed with how it turned out, though it was still not the birthday cake we all know and love. Paleo treats, so far, tend to be more dense and less sweet, so it is an adjustment. Alas, I give you my first paleo bakery challenge:
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| Thankfully, no smoke alarms went off and she was able to blow out ALL of those candles! |
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| My collection is growing! |
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There was also an apple festival and pumpkin patch trip before Halloween. While we were just heading into what we now know was one of the most frigid and miserable winters to date-
...it was still tolerable enough to spend the evening on the porch passing out candy and seeing tons of kids appear in a neighborhood that otherwise has silence and tumbleweeds in the streets.
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| Awwwww! |
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One of my favorite things in life is getting to spend time with Jared. On the weekend before I headed back to work, he visited from Columbus. It was my one last blowout before I had to get back to business as an adult. We had a great time as always: food, wine, laughing and Phase 10. Perfection!
...and then it was time to grow up, again. I went back to my old job in the Neurovascular ICU at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital and it was like I had never left! I got... 2 days of orientation? Ha! While some faces and policies had changed, a lot of the familiar faces and comfort remained. I am finally back in a secure and familiar area of life. Stability for the win! It is what I missed most while I was traveling, such a warm and fuzzy feeling to be back.
I did get floated to the CT ICU shortly after I was "let loose" on my own. It was less intimidating since I spent a year in a cardiac unit while traveling but also, the unfamiliar setting wasn't so scary. Traveling taught me that there is a little bit of every system in every patient, no matter what their admitting problem is, so I really know more than I give myself credit for. Traveling also taught me flexibility and versatility, which is positive growth in this profession. I still got a touch of PTSD when I thought I was going to be admitting a fresh heart (fresh out of open heart surgery) from the OR but it turned out that I was singled by default with a pretty stable patient. I hugged my life-stability extra tight that day.
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On Thanksgiving day, as has been my tradition, I ran in the Turkey Trot. This year, I was able to run 5 miles instead of the 5K, which was the only option in the past, so that was neat. It also felt better knowing that I had run a little farther than usual as I was stuffing my face that night.
In a runners world, even if you enter as a single runner, you are bound to find someone there who is familiar to you. I ran into Sarah, who is a much more disciplined runner than myself. She just finished the NY Marathon with her husband! My knees hurt just typing that...
Then I went home and cooked. Since it was "the in-laws year" for my siblings, I was given free reign over the kitchen. I made a paleo thanksgiving, which is the second time I've tackled this menu. Some favorites came back to the table and some new recipes were tested. My pride was the bacon wrapped turkey! It looked pretty, smelled pretty and tasted.. pretty delicious! There was a paleo stuffing that called for sausage instead of bread, which was pretty fantastic as well.
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| Beautiful! |
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Being home and not traveling means so much when life events happen around me. Not only was I able to be home for the birth of my nephew in August, I was also able to be present for the birth of the first baby in a long time who is not related to me! My best friend's daughter was born in December, just in time for some Christmas spoiling!
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| Welcome Grace Julianne Lazzara! I think she is already waving... |
I rounded out the year with a quiet NYE get together where we dressed up, brought snacks, had some champagne and played Cards Against Humanity - huge recommendation if you have not yet played.
I wont get into the science of it all, you can if you choose to read it. Despite what we have been taught, breads and pastas are not good for your health, especially in your brain - which is my specialty at work. Without preaching, I love this cartoon! It was included in the book and is so true!
This book prepared me for my 21day sugar detox which was a huge challenge in the beginning of 2014, stay tuned for details. As a neuro nurse, I feel like I should practice what I preach and find better ways to wellness, not just health on paper. In the new year, there will be more Paleo exploring, detoxing, running and Jillian Michaels DVDs. Here is to wellness in the new year!
Finally, the highlight video from my year. Looking back I am really grateful for the experiences I've had and the person I've become because of them. What a great year of seeing the US of A and meeting some amazing people. At 33 years old, it's never too late to find yourself...
Hi, self! I can't wait to see what 2014 will bring us!
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