2014 Recap
12/31/2014 10:08 a.m. | Personal
Another end of the year, and another time to review things. For those keeping score, this is my 7th year of review (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013). It was another big year of change.
We moved to live by the beach
Meg and I moved across the south this summer to a gorgeous beach condo in Navarre, Florida. It's a small community in between Pensacola and Destin, so we get the great white sand and clear water without all of the crowds. We are a short drive to Meg's grandparents, and it has been a joy to spend time with them every week. When you see someone more often then twice a year, you really get to know their habits and personality. Al and Margaretta are more fun than we could have imagined.
We are having a baby!
This news was as exciting as it was surprising, and we are counting the days to the birth. I would have never guessed my first child would be born in Florida.
We spend lots of time together
Meg left her job in the fall so we have had a lot of time to spend with each other which has really strengthened our relationship. We eat most meals together and go for walks along the beach. We've really learned to take care of each other. We've missed having our friends and family from Texas so close, but we've been fortunate to have them visit us at the beach. (For those who haven't visited, please come by this spring/summer!)
I got more exercise and ate better
With the change to working from home, I set the goal last year to get more daily exercise. Compared to 2013, I did a much better job of this in 2014. I began running using the Couch to 5K program in January and continued that until March, when I joined a Crossfit box. Moving in June was the end of Crossfit for me, but I picked up the running and took over 100 runs in the second half of the year, including my first 5k. I don't get out every day, but it's been a marked improvement over the previous years.
My diet has improved somewhat. Meg and I did the Dukan diet for a while, and have slowly mixed carbs back into our daily meals. The biggest improvement has been with alcohol, where I cut back about 95% from where I was. I now have a drink about once a month, only at special occasions. My wallet and waist don't miss it.
Last year I guessed that Meg and I would have a new home, which we do here in Florida. I also guessed we would travel less, which is partially true. The only real traveling we do is across I-10 between Florida and Texas. Our home here is a bit like being on permanent vacation, and we are very thankful we've been able to live this way.