Saturday, December 31, 2016

Year End Reflection

As this challenging year comes to an end, I find myself reflecting on the last year and the experiences that I have visited. I have checked off a few new items on my Life List (if you have not seen my list you can visit it HERE), and added new accomplishments that I never considered possible. The year of 2016 has been a struggle for many, with myself included; I am drained as I start to build a list of challenges that I faced in this long 365 days. I suddenly remember, that through my short travels, the best cultural understanding that I have discovered is perspective. With this in mind, I compare the list of challenges that I have written to my list of accomplishments,  the list astonishes me as its number appears identical! This is a perfect example of how one can reach the positive enlightened view that we all surely seek. I finish my self-contemplation with this thought, as I wish to take it with me into the beginning of a new year. What perspective will I bring with me on my travels? What perspective will search for at work? What perspective am I considering for this upcoming year?


2016 Accomplishments:


  1. Trained for and completed my first marathon (Atlanta Publix Marathon 4hrs 15mins)
  2. Trained for and completed my first Triathlon (albeit a smaller supersprint version), and won 1st place in  my age group
  3. Gained a new promotion to Manager of Data Specialists (Hodges-Mace LLC; Team Lead to Manager)
  4. Traveled to California and Ashville (visiting over 26 different breweries, hiked with the redwoods, climbed Pacific coast cliffs, etc),
  5. Maintained a full time student status in the first half of the year (GA State)
  6. Endured and survived a craniotomy (tumor removal)
  7. Completed speech therapy and regained all memory (that I know of…!) and reading ability
  8. Was able to train back up to a half marathon in under 1hr 46mins after losing all strength from brain surgery
  9. Visited Belgium and found a new appreciation for the world of beer (visited over 35 different breweries, blending facilities, and historic pubs)
  10. Have studied thoroughly and taken the BJCP exams (passed the written exam and am waiting for results on the tasting exam)
  11. Was published in Brewtopia magazine’s quarterly newsletter
  12. Started my Travel, Culture, and Beer blog
  13. Won homebrewer of the year at my local homebrew club (3-5-4 Brewing)
  14. 4 breweries away from my goal of having visited every brewery in Georgia (42 visited, 4 to go!)
  15. Maintained healthy relationships and gained many new friends

My challenges and accomplishments for 2016 were much greater than I anticipated going into this year. This thought, will drive my positive and enthusiastic perspective going into 2017. What perspective do you plan to bring?