Well, it's been a few weeks! We ended the year with a last minute project that I'm super excited to share once it's done. And then Christmas was here and I looked back and realized I hadn't managed to blog for a minute. Oops. And now I'll make up for my lack of blogging with one super long post as I'm reflecting on the year and thinking forward to 2017.
January: Snowed in in Richmond on the M&RL tour.
I just read my post of 2016 goals, I couldn't have been more right on when I wrote about how I thought the theme for 2016 was going to be making plans for one thing and then doing something else entirely. That pretty much sums up the year. I never would have guessed all that we managed to pack into this year and how many things happened spur of the moment. And as I go into another year where I'm not entirely sure what it holds for us, I need to continue to trust that when one thing doesn't work out, it wasn't meant to be and that's ok.
February: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. I heart sunshine. This was a work trip, to shoot a beautiful beach wedding, but thankfully there was a day or two of relaxing in there as well.
One big project fell through for the spring and I was super bummed about it for approximately 10 minutes, then I realized it meant I was free for my sister's birthday and a week later I was on a plane to surprise her in Korea. It couldn't have been more perfect.
March: Jeju Island, Korea for Stephanie's Birthday!
At the beginning of 2016, we didn't have a ton of things planned, but somehow we've done more than I ever could have imagined being packed into 1 year. I went to Korea, India, Nepal and Ireland, New York, Hawaii, North Carolina, spent a month on a tour bus roaming around the U.S. Worked on a variety of commercial projects and music videos and so many other random things. I'm tired just thinking back on it all. Because, the reality of it is, it sounds super exciting when I write it now, but most of it was exhausting and super stressful. I can't even count the number of hours and sleepless nights I put in on projects that never came to fruition.
April: India, and then we went to Nepal in a whirlwind two weeks.
May: Shower for T & Baby Fiona!
As we move more and more into the world of commercials, music video and film, I'm continually reminded NOTHING is a sure thing until it's happening and even then things still might not go the way you want. I'm getting used do disappointment, and realizing, most of the time things don't work out, something better comes along anyway and then I'm thankful that first thing didn't happen, because if it had, we wouldn't have been available for the second thing! I refer you back to the afore mentioned quote from The Sound of Music. Really, I'm writing all of this down so I can reread this post half way through 2017 when I'm panicked that things aren't going the way I expected and remember this very valuable lesson.
June: The type of picture I usually don't share...here I am posing for Jason for photos for a pitch deck for a commercial job we didn't end up getting. So many hours went into this!!! Arg.
July: I could post a cute photo from our 10 year anniversary shoot, but this one is more real. Here we are in a small town in Ireland after being awake for 24 hours getting there. We'd just rented a car and had spent the last couple of hours being passed by giant trucks on tiny country roads, arguing over which of us sucked less at driving on the other side of the road. Because this is my blog, I get to say that I was the best. HA!
August: Music Video shoot in Hawaii. Super fun, super stressful, no sleep.
I did pretty well with my actual list of goals, minus the flossing. Looking back on what I wrote, it was almost prophetic in the parts about self-care. I guess even back then, I knew I needed to make changes, I had no idea it would actually take being diagnosed w/food allergies and having a doctor tell me my stress level was through the roof and I needed to make changes for my own health. But I'm thankful all of that happened and forced me to actually get serious and start to see the benefits of regularly getting enough sleep, going to yoga and eating healthy. It's insane how much better I feel when I'm doing those things. But it's crazy how hard it is to keep up good habits in the chaos that is my normal life.
November: The first month of 2016 in which I did not get on an airplane! But then we all voted and realized the country wasn't the place we thought it was. Overall, it was a good month to stay home and be cozy.
I'm thankful that for me, despite the usual ups and downs, 2016 was a good year. I know it hasn't been for a lot of people. I feel like I'm leaving this year very aware of my privilege. I come out of 2016 inspired to do more, to love others better, to help more people, to learn more about the world and what's really going on. And you can read all about that later this week in my goals for 2017 post.
December: Christmas on Hood Canal. I feel like an entirely different person than January 2016 Jenny, and I kind of like that thanks to changing up my hair, I look like an entirely different version of me too :)
I just read my post of 2016 goals, I couldn't have been more right on when I wrote about how I thought the theme for 2016 was going to be making plans for one thing and then doing something else entirely. That pretty much sums up the year. I never would have guessed all that we managed to pack into this year and how many things happened spur of the moment. And as I go into another year where I'm not entirely sure what it holds for us, I need to continue to trust that when one thing doesn't work out, it wasn't meant to be and that's ok.
One way to put it, thanks to my continual watching of The Sound of Music as a child, "When the Lord closes a door, somewhere he opens a window." Thanks Julie Andrews.
One big project fell through for the spring and I was super bummed about it for approximately 10 minutes, then I realized it meant I was free for my sister's birthday and a week later I was on a plane to surprise her in Korea. It couldn't have been more perfect.
At the beginning of 2016, we didn't have a ton of things planned, but somehow we've done more than I ever could have imagined being packed into 1 year. I went to Korea, India, Nepal and Ireland, New York, Hawaii, North Carolina, spent a month on a tour bus roaming around the U.S. Worked on a variety of commercial projects and music videos and so many other random things. I'm tired just thinking back on it all. Because, the reality of it is, it sounds super exciting when I write it now, but most of it was exhausting and super stressful. I can't even count the number of hours and sleepless nights I put in on projects that never came to fruition.
As we move more and more into the world of commercials, music video and film, I'm continually reminded NOTHING is a sure thing until it's happening and even then things still might not go the way you want. I'm getting used do disappointment, and realizing, most of the time things don't work out, something better comes along anyway and then I'm thankful that first thing didn't happen, because if it had, we wouldn't have been available for the second thing! I refer you back to the afore mentioned quote from The Sound of Music. Really, I'm writing all of this down so I can reread this post half way through 2017 when I'm panicked that things aren't going the way I expected and remember this very valuable lesson.
I did pretty well with my actual list of goals, minus the flossing. Looking back on what I wrote, it was almost prophetic in the parts about self-care. I guess even back then, I knew I needed to make changes, I had no idea it would actually take being diagnosed w/food allergies and having a doctor tell me my stress level was through the roof and I needed to make changes for my own health. But I'm thankful all of that happened and forced me to actually get serious and start to see the benefits of regularly getting enough sleep, going to yoga and eating healthy. It's insane how much better I feel when I'm doing those things. But it's crazy how hard it is to keep up good habits in the chaos that is my normal life.
September: Malibu, Canada with friends! FINALLY taking a weekend away from work and craziness. The best and totally needed. Days earlier I was half way up Mt. Rainier producing this.
My other goals included writing more, which I have been doing more of on projects we've been working on, even on the ones that nothing comes of them, if nothing else, I'm getting better and faster at writing up ideas and treatments for music videos and commercials and I JUST started working on a new project which I'm really excited about!!!
October: Like so much of the rest of the year, we were in LA. But this is the point in the year in which I actually started carving out time for fun things instead of just constantly working. This was Disneyland with Gracie, who was too busy admiring the carousel to pose in my selfie.
I'm thankful that for me, despite the usual ups and downs, 2016 was a good year. I know it hasn't been for a lot of people. I feel like I'm leaving this year very aware of my privilege. I come out of 2016 inspired to do more, to love others better, to help more people, to learn more about the world and what's really going on. And you can read all about that later this week in my goals for 2017 post.
