2021: A Year in Review

Every time I look back on my year, I’m always amazed by how much I have accomplished. However, this year was particularly impressive. It’s like I took the idea of “why not?” and turned it into my driving force for the year. I won’t bore you with details, so here is my list of highlights. (However, if you do want details on something, feel free to email me and I’ll post a more detailed response here – sammi@dairyfreestate.com): 

We bought a house!

Oddly enough, this was the second time I bought the first house I saw. I know what I like, I guess.  With the home purchase, we also moved to the other side of the state. Don’t worry, it’s still the Dairy State, so the name still stands. 

I’m a certified yoga teacher 

I started yoga teacher training in 2021, and finished my YTT 200hr, currently wrapping up my 300hr. My plan is to share more about that as the year goes on. It’s been hard adjusting to Monday nights without class, but I will still keep the practice going in many ways in my day-to-day life. 

I started grad school…again!

This time, I’m pursuing an MS in Nutrition. My next term starts in 2 days and I’m nervous/excited to keep going. If all goes well, I should be closing on the schoolwork by the end of Summer 2023 and finish clinic hours and the exam to become a certified nutrition specialist (CNS) after that. My plan is to share a retrospective after each term as I go along, plus other updates as time allows. 

2022 is the year I go full freelance 

By the end of 2021, I decided to take the leap, leave my 9-5, and take on solely freelance work. The move will be complete by the end of this month. I may share more about clients or projects in the future, but for more details on that, you can check out my website about all the things I do at hisammi.com and some examples of what I write at sammi.contently.com. 

I read, I walked, I made, I waited 

My total book count was 51 by the end of the year, and before you ask, yes, graphic novels and short stories count. We’re all having a hard year and I binged some shorter selections to reach my goal. No guilt here! 

So far, I’ve waited 4 months for a couch to arrive. As of this writing, I have about 3 days to go. Hopefully I like it! 

The past year was filled with making as well. I started doing more cross-stitch commissions for friends in 2020 and 2021. I also got a loom for Christmas, so I’m excited to see where those projects go. 

2021 was the 6th time I participated in the MS Challenge Walk, where I walk 50 miles in 3 days. It was the first year that I ended first on every day of the walk. Not sure if I’ll ever do it again, but it felt great to do it once. 

Some other highlights 

• As soon as we moved, I got active in my new community. I ran for an appointed seat on the city council. While I didn’t make it, I did get appointed to a committee and made some great connections. It won’t be the last thing I do for my community by any means. It was a great experience and way to get my feet wet. 
• I healed. A lot. My chronic pain is under control for the first time in 6 years. I will probably share more about what I did throughout the year as well. 

In retrospect, a lot of good things happened this year. I experienced a lot of growth. I grew closer to some dear friends. I also learned more about my own boundaries and standards. Especially with yoga teacher training, I did a lot of inner work that I’m sure will continue into 2022. 

Although I mostly go nowhere and do nothing (hashtag pandemic life), I do have a vibrant life online. Twitch has been a great source of socialization and entertainment, plus I passed 200 followers recently! I have a weekly call with friends that has been going strong since March 2020. Between having weekly class, virtual school, and online events, I’ve adapted to the new way of socializing. In fact, I’ve learned that I’m much more introverted than I first thought. 

Some of the things I miss the most are things I loved doing solo – shopping at bookstores, going to the movies, browsing teas or hanging out at craft stores. I have felt pretty well-charged being able to work and operate from home most of the time, closely regulating what I’m putting out as far as energy goes. 

2021 Word: Focus 

My word of 2021 was Focus (stay tuned in the next few days when I share my word of 2022). I would say my results with that word were…mixed. The focus came in areas I didn’t expect, and I think I was trying to force focus where I didn’t need it. For example – with school, I don’t have a specific goal or aim coming out. But forging a path to independence in my career, that’s something that required focus. Walking a sustainable, yet brisk, pace to place 1st in a 50-mile walk required focus. Finding the right house for us required focus. Healing required focus. But too much focus can be rigid. That will lead into the word of 2022, so stay tuned! 

How did your 2021 go? Share your highlight reel in the comments!