Aussie Expats – A 2016 Recap and The Year Ahead

HELLO EVERYONE!!

Well, it wouldn’t be the end of the year without an obligatory ‘look at everything we did’ kind of post, so I’m going to do one, mostly because it wouldn’t be an understatement to say that 2016 was a big year. Mammoth actually. Those always seem to happen when you’re getting ready to put up your feet and tell everyone that ‘last year was huge, we’ll take it down a notch for this one’… Actually, as you go along in life (it seems to me), there’s nothing but big years. And they speed up, until they’re flying past and slipping through your outstretched hands. At least that’s how it’s feeling to me right now. We did some amazing stuff this year (both as individuals and together), which I’ve been lucky enough to document much of in this blog. That being said, I’m going to quickly sum some of our big ticket items up below:

January 2016: We spent a freezing cold, shockingly beautiful and very magical ten days in Canada at Big White Ski Resort and had the time of our lives… Then came home, drove 24 hours from Brisbane to Adelaide and spent two straight days moving house. Our library was the real sticking point: no, I won’t be downsizing, but next time I’ll pay someone to move our stuff for us!

February 2016: Travelling all over the country for work and both of us juggling uni at the same time.

March 2016: James’ birthday! He was already in Brisbane for work and spent some time with my family (without me!) before I flew up from Adelaide to eat some amazing pizza, watch a children’s movie and celebrate the birth of the most amazing, handsome, brilliant, kind man in all the world.

April 2016: Found out (unofficially) that we were moving to the USA… And really wished we hadn’t wasted time moving house in January.

May 2016: Found out (officially) that we were posting: and then had to barter for a six-week preparation period rather than three, as well as my discharge from the Australian Army and the end of that chapter of my life.

June 2016: No big deal… But we uprooted our whole lives and moved from Australia to the USA for 30 months.

July 2016: I became a full-time student! And competed in the NYC Midnight Flash Fiction challenge for the first time, which led me to finding some awesome new warrior writers to connect, learn, and grow with.

August 2016: Both of us were neck-deep in study, and James was run off his feet with work as well… But we survived and kicked tertiary study’s ass.

September 2016: Our first camping trip together as a couple to Arkansas, which took our breath away and allowed us to get some fun adventures in… Including gorging on Kilwin’s fudge and ice cream! My 25th birthday (the big quarter of a century), which we celebrated in a stunning and lavish weekend getaway to Dallas with the added bonus of a visit from James’s dad.

October 2016: Our first American Halloween, complete with candy, decorations and an awesome couples costume (PB&J: how could we go wrong?).

November 2016: A trip to Kansas City for James’s work meant finally physically meeting a wonderful writer friend I found on Twitter, as well as some epic meals, especially at 801 Chophouse (I’m still dreaming of their mashed potatoes). We were incredibly fortunate to be included in our friends’ Thanksgiving plans and had a wonderful day with some lovely people and truly delicious food.

December 2016: We farewelled our friends, the Hickeys, and welcomed the new Aussies, the Shanasys, to Fort Sill! Once again, the McRory’s opened their home and dinner table to us for Christmas Day which was loud, exciting, a little boozy (Anne makes a great strawberry daiquiri!) and a lot of fun, despite it being my first ever away from my family. PLUS, I finally finished typing my novel, just in time before NYE!

It’s been a big year, but it would be absolutely remiss of me to let it end without thanking some key people who have made it what it is. My family have been a wonderful and generous support mechanism during a period of significant change; a few close friends who have kept an eye on me while I’ve been half a world away; those wondrous humans who’ve consented to read my work, whether creative pieces or university essays (Dave, Nicole, Nancy, Carrie: you guys rock!); and the kind and generous people in the USA who’ve opened their hearts and homes to us since we moved over here.

And similarly, we all have to accept that the year is done and look forward to what is yet to come and all the brilliance of possibilities it holds. I’m not a big person for New Year’s resolutions: I think I tried it a few years ago, maybe once, but since then I’ve really decided it’s not for me. If you’ve read any of my posts about motivation, you’ll understand that it’s often not a concept I really subscribe to, and for that reason, I tend to put NY Resolutions in the same box. But I do believe, very strongly, in goals, and in pursuing ways to make those goals work.

Goals for 2017

1. Finish the second draft of my novel.
2. Complete an entry for the Mogford short story competition.
3. Complete a submission to a magazine/journal at least once a month.
4. Explore some more of the USA (we have three trips planned for next year already).
5. Start planning my next novel.
6. Read at least 20 books.

And I think I need to stop here, or I’ll be here forever! The more I think about it, the more things there are in the world that I want to achieve, and the more growing, learning and exploring I still have to do. I know that for a great many, in all walks of life and across the globe, 2016 has proved a very challenging and disappointing year. I hope that in 2017, you will hungrily chase your dreams, climb new mountains and find new/maintain old paths to joy, fulfilment and wonder.

Finally, no list of annual adventures, notes of gratitude, or anticipation of the future would be complete without mentioning my James. Since he’s not a big fan of public declarations, I’ll keep it short:

You are my best friend, my sunshine and my soul. With you, all things are possible. Magic exists everywhere. With you, the world is a mystery for us to explore and unravel together. Thank you for believing in me, for accepting me, for pushing me and for always making me laugh. 

Happy (American) New Year!

— Ana.