While we’re 14 days into 2017, I couldn’t look back on 2016 more fondly as a year that I considered ‘the best year yet.’
Until this year….. more to come on that so read on!
I made a commitment last year to make 2016 ‘different’ in everything I did – personal, professional, my business, my hobbies AND my attitude. One of those differences that inevitably fell into my lap was embracing firsts, something I may not have been so open too in the past.
Embracing ‘firsts’ teaches you so much about yourself – what your capcity is for courage, strength, spontaneity, adventure, experiencing news things that you’re not use too or comfortable with and just how open you (and your attitude) are to welcoming firsts, in the first place!
I really tried to continue living by the motto I shared back in my 2015 Year in Review, “Life Begins at the End of Your Comfort Zone.” Some firsts last year weren’t easy, but man did they feel good after they were done, knowing I had set my mind to doing them!
To reflect on what some of those ‘firsts’ were for me and others close to me, I thought I would highlight some of the memorable ‘firsts’ from last year (there were surely more but not enough time to capture everything!):
- Travelling with my family on our first out-of-province trip to receive our second Holstein Canada Master Breeder award in Banff, Alberta
- Horeseback riding in the Alberta mountains
- Hiked a mountain (Tunnel Mountain in Banff)
- Explored many new towns, cities and destinations in our very own Ontario including the Muskokas, Bayfield, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Lake of the Woods/Kenora and Bobcaygeon (home to the infamous Tragically Hip song!)
- Worked with new clients both in and outside of agriculture – learning about new industries is fascinating (and what agriculture can learn from these industries is invaluable!)
- My family started building their first robotic dairy barn, which will be completed this winter
- Andrew and I took our boat through the Trent Severn Waterway liftlocks in my hometown of Hastings
- I visited my first-ever cranberry and shrimp farms
- Met so many new, amazing #girlbosses including Canada’s own Conquer Kit writer & speaker, Natalie MacNeil
- Flew in a helicopter, experiencing the beautiful fall scenery of the Muskokas
- Saw my mom featured on the cover of a national dairy magazine, The Progressive Dairyman (way to go, mom!)
- Experienced many amazing new firsts at work as a Press Secretary, I feel so fortunate to do what I do in the industry I love
- Saw the Northern Lights for the first time while visiting Manitoba last summer
- ….. and the best “first” of 2016… Andrew and I found out we’re expecting a baby in 2017!
What I thought was the best year yet in 2016 is certainly going to be topped this year with the incredible gift that Andrew and I have been blessed with.
To be given the the gift of parenthood is going to be by far the greatest thing we’ve ever done come May, 2017 and we couldn’t be more ready (despite doing this ‘thing’ called parenthood for the first time!).
Let the countdown begin for the BEST ‘FIRST’ EVER coming up in 2017! 🙂