It’s early in the morning January 1, 2015. OK it’s 9:30, but I didn’t get in bed till 1:30 so it seems like 7:30. 🙂 I’m eating codfish and potatoes, traditional New Year’s breakfast in Bermuda (my kids are 1/2 Bermudian). I had a little bowl of black-eyed peas when we got in last night, so I got my Southern tradition in. Since the more black-eyed peas  you eat on New Year’s Day the more luck you will have, you know I’ll be having more during the day today!

I’ve done all my morning routines, and in about an hour we’ll be off to do the Polar Bear Plunge at Barton Springs. Yeah, laugh it up – I’m in Austin how bad can that be? Well it’s 35F and raining right now — so this is going to be interesting. After that I’ll be watching the Rose Bowl and cheering on FSU with the Austin FSU alumni club.

As you can see, my family has lots of traditions to mark the roll over of another calender year. I’ve been reflecting on the year that was, and you know what?  This year was really, really rough for me. I dealt with numerous medical issues, most relating to my accident in November 2013. As hard and expensive as that’s been I am steadily improving, and I am very thankful for that. Work has been….interesting. 🙂 And because it’s been so interesting I feel like I really grew professionally.

This year my dad’s fight with polycythemia vera took a nasty turn, and he transitioned in September. That’s the hardest one, but the  I think the remaining feelings of frustration are over things I could not control…and it has made accepting the fact that he’s gone a little easier.

Like I said – it has been a really rough year. But it doesn’t feel like it was a bad year – and lord knows I’ve had a few of them recently. I don’t feel like I need to run from the old to the new. I feel that this year I’ve learned so much, and I’m ready to take those experiences with me into 2015. What’s lining up for this year so far is pretty scary, but I’m ready to take risks now that I’m armed with all of this hard earned experience!

Here’s to everyone having an empowered 2015!