Today is December 29 and odd enough in saying it will be the last blog post of the year. It has been an “abnormal” week to say the least for me. This is mostly due to having 2.5 days off this week, 2 for holidays and the other half for health. Nonetheless still a productive holiday based week.

This week’s work focus:

• Bringing in a new partner.
• Training and getting that partner caught up to speed.
• Scrapping a few items completely (OCI application because it is not a task that can be done in multiple sessions)
• Screening some emails for validity…and by some it ended up being around 5,000.
• Continual edits to the 52K project.
• And a few odd end other quick wins and daily tasks.

It is very strange for me to have such a short work week. A rest is nice, but it also makes me restless. Working provides a good escape for mMandy in a sense, I like keeping busy and am horrible at resting unless im sick.

I am excited to be rested and be fully geared up for tomorrow as a start to a new week and start cracking down on tasks more efficiently again.

Due to being such a short time working this week, I am allotting extra work hours today. Sundays usually serve as my “rest day” and I tend to work 4  hours rather than my typical daily 6-7. In light of that this means this blog post will have more personal items than work.

I have been on the search for a crafty outlet lately. I used to do stained glass work, wood carving, basket weaving, quilting, writing, painting, ceramics and well anything else I deemed crafty and that would hold my attention for a few weeks before I got bored and changed gears.

This week I have been learning felting, been doing a gem by number (think paint by number, but instead they are tiny little gems that are color coordinated on a sticky mat), and taking back up cross stitching.

(Wrangler-my not so bad attempt at a new craft)

I have also been doing alot of reflecting this week. Thinking about different paths I have walked the last few years and how looking back from the time I turned 17 to now at 23.5 has been turbulent and full of adventure. Looking at a few of these :

• From 17 to 20 I went from 257 pounds down to 145 pounds (10 left to go to get back to that low weight post baby)
• From 18 to now I have gotten 15 tattoos and 7 piercings. Although I had to take out my tongue ring and one of my nose rings, I only have 5.
• I changed my major numerous times, Vet Technician to Culinary Arts to Food and Beverage Management to my final Marketing path.
• I hit my top leg-press of 435lb and was set to have an Army career and a week after talking to a recruiter, my spine was fractured.
• I moved 2,300 miles away on a whim for adventure for two years and back again.
• 3 months of that adventure I was homeless and 6 months of it I lived off grid in the mountains.
• I got married when I was 21 and when I was 6 months in with Todd, unfortunately left behind and had to move back to Michigan before I had him.
• I started my grand learning adventure here at Pearl Lemon at 22- after 6 months of job apps and interviews. Which, can’t say it enough, my favorite position I have held, an amazing team to work with and great boss to work under.

• I learned how to be okay alone and in turn also ended up starting a budding relationship in a healthy way and for the first time can be me and have no worry about being abused.

I look forward to this upcoming year though. Milestones aplenty and I am full of excitement and promise.

• I get my 16th tattoo.
• I hit my 1 year mark with Pearl Lemon just before Todd turns 2.
• If all goes according to plan I will have my bachelor’s and in turn have the last stepping stone set to start my master’s.
• Bachelor’s means I can gear up to be back on my feet to move out.
• Fully geared up to hit my weight marker goal by my 24th birthday- 8 months, 10 pounds; piece of cake.
• Aim to get my Acorns account up to $500 each by the end of year. Until I am full-time, my active investing is much less than what will be a few years from now.