…finding it really crazy that I’ve already lived in Pittsburgh for 6 months. I guess pouting for the first 4 months makes it easy to feel like time is flying. Realizing I might only be here for another 16 months means I’ve got no time to waste in doing all the Western PA things on my list!

…drinking kombucha like it’s my job. I blame one of my long distance besties, Nancy, for introducing me to this expensive habit. And while I’m not drinking alcohol for Whole30, kombucha has been my go to ‘fancy drink’.

…crossing off my refrigerator goals! Each month, Alex and I write out 3-4 goals for the month and put it front and center on the fridge to keep ’em top of mind. In January, mine were: read a book (Whole30); exercise 18-20 times (done!); find a place to volunteer (identified and applied); stop work at 7:30p (ha! I tried…some days were more successful than others but many times, the late nights are unavoidable.)

…carting my camera around more often. I’d lusted after a DSLR for years and finally, before we moved, I bought a refurbished Nikon D3200. I used it all summer but, when we got to Pittsburgh and I began working from home, I picked it up less often. I’ve been making it a point to make time to think creatively and notice the beauty around me more often.

…thinking about my impact on the world and the world’s impact on me. It’s funny that it took me moving away from a nature-happy, health-conscious state to really mull this over but I think being away from the go-go-go of an always working or playing schedule has given me time to reflect a lot. I’m trying to be less wasteful in the way I live; I’m spending time thinking about the food I eat and why I eat it; I’m taking care to put good-for-me things on my body and reducing the not-great-for-me ingredients around me. Whole30 has helped me feel less wasteful; I’m buying food that doesn’t come packaged and I’m actually eating all of it before it spoils. Yoga has helped me be more mindful about my connection to myself and the world around me. Lots of hippy-dippy thoughts bouncing around this noodle these days.

…connecting with friends and family, near and far. It’s easy for me to get swept up in my little work-at-home-by-myself routine and feel like I don’t have time to be social. Partly to blame is living in EST but supporting a MST/PST work territory but I also need to do a better job of taking 10 minutes to call my siblings or far-away friends, to send a card, to reach out to Pittsburgh friends to grab coffee or a walk. Over the past 2 weeks, I’ve been making this a priority and I already feel happier. Community and social bonds, FTW.