Looking back on 2021 is going to be interesting!

Surprisingly, I’m excited to do this year in review episode and share what’s on the horizon for 2022.

In addition to the world just being a little topsy-turvy, I’ve had some major changes in my life this year. I also decided I may start doing something a little “Pinteresty” for 2022.

You may have seen this before, but you basically take a mason jar (or vase or whatever floats your boat) and each day you write down something good that happened and drop it into the jar.

At the end of the year, you can look back on all the good things that happened.

Of course, you can do this in a journal, or digitally, but I love the idea of seeing this jar fill up as my year progresses.

Even though there isn’t a huge separation of my personal life and business life, I think it’s a little easier to break this year-in-review post into personal & business, then we’ll look at what’s coming in 2022.

My Personal Life

It honestly feels like a lifetime ago when I was living in Boise, Idaho.

Yet a year ago at this time, I wasn’t planning on moving to Costa Rica (never doubt the power of a clear intention and decision).

I went from thinking I was going to stay in Boise for a while longer in February to the decision that now was as good a time as any to pursue a dream of living out of the country. Within a week I had found a place in Costa Rica and gave notice in Boise.

I sold as much as I could, got a U-Haul with a trailer to tow my car and drove down to California for two months to wrap things up there, and made the move to Costa Rica with my dogs on May 31st.

Best decision ever.

This move has without a doubt changed my life (as did Boise, but in a different way).

Moving to Boise was kind of like a test to see if I could move out of California and away from my family. I had already been looking at Idaho before my Mom passed away in July of 2019, but after losing her it really felt like it was time (and truth be told, it was easier because she was gone).

Then we all know what happened in 2020 (I literally moved to Boise in March just as Covid was turning our world upside down).

My year in Boise was all about healing.

My Mom’s death was unbearable at times and to have the space to process that felt like a gift. I did a lot of personal work with my therapist (who happened to be stuck in Costa Rica during 2020) and simply took care of myself in the best way I could.

I rested.

I also “got ready” to make the leap to Costa Rica, even though I didn’t really know that that’s what I was doing at the time.

I will forever be grateful for my time in Boise and I’m proud of myself for making the move.

With the exception of my daughter, all of my family is in the Bay Area (having my kids out on their own and doing their own thing also made it a lot easier to make that move. Someday when grandkids are a part of the picture that may change).

Technology makes it SO much easier to physically be further apart as we can see each other, send quick text messages, etc.

Now as we wind the year down I’ve already been in Costa Rica for seven months!

Time has flown by.

Just a few weeks ago I was pretty certain I wasn’t going to renew my lease when it came up (end of May), but after going back to California for Christmas (which was a great visit with family), that feels too soon to leave Costa Rica.

I’m pretty sure my next place is going to be North Carolina.

And...