1 00:00:09,560 --> 00:00:09,720 Speaker 1: Hi. 2 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 2: I'm Laura Vanderkamp. I'm a mother of five, an author, journalist, 3 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:14,440 Speaker 2: and speaker. 4 00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:18,560 Speaker 3: And I'm Sarah hart Hunger, a mother of three, practicing physician, 5 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:22,040 Speaker 3: writer and course creator. We are two working parents who 6 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:24,000 Speaker 3: love our careers and our families. 7 00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:27,360 Speaker 2: Welcome to best of both worlds. Here we talk about 8 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 2: how real women manage work, family, and time for fun. 9 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 2: From figuring out childcare to mapping out long. 10 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:34,200 Speaker 1: Term career goals. 11 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:39,320 Speaker 2: We want you to get the most out of life. 12 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:43,520 Speaker 1: Welcome to best of both worlds. This is Laura. 13 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:47,040 Speaker 2: This episode is airing toward the end of December twenty 14 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:49,599 Speaker 2: twenty four. This is going to be our annual year 15 00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 2: and review episode. Sarah and I are going to be 16 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:57,080 Speaker 2: reviewing twenty twenty four. It's been quite a year, of course, Sarah. 17 00:00:57,520 --> 00:00:59,480 Speaker 2: Where do you as. 18 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 1: Your review all this? 19 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:04,360 Speaker 2: Like, what were you looking back on to think about 20 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:06,360 Speaker 2: how twenty twenty four went for you? 21 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:08,920 Speaker 3: Yeah? So, Actually, I mean the thing that helped me 22 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:10,880 Speaker 3: the most was looking at our show notes from last 23 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:13,319 Speaker 3: year as well as listening to our episode, which I 24 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:16,920 Speaker 3: did on my run this morning. So that helped me 25 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 3: to kind of know what I set out to do 26 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:22,720 Speaker 3: in terms of goals, and then I also went ahead 27 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:25,560 Speaker 3: and went to my photos on my phone and scrolled 28 00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:29,400 Speaker 3: through to see the various travel and kind of highlights. Interestingly, 29 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:33,200 Speaker 3: the Apple Photos app now pulls up trips and like 30 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 3: gives you these cute little vignette photos and like shows 31 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 3: where you've been. It's not perfect, like it did not 32 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:40,399 Speaker 3: somehow know that I went to Philadelphia and that that 33 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 3: was a trip. I mean, that was like, that was legit. 34 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 1: It was a trip. 35 00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:46,200 Speaker 3: Just because I saw Laura and had to record an 36 00:01:46,240 --> 00:01:48,320 Speaker 3: episode doesn't mean that it was you know, work or 37 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 3: something anyway. So it's not one hundred percent, but that 38 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:52,640 Speaker 3: was a fun way to just kind of scroll through. 39 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:55,280 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, that was really awesome in twenty twenty four. 40 00:01:55,840 --> 00:02:01,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, certainly looking through photo highlights people put on Instagram obviously, 41 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 2: and look back through your recent posts there, just sort 42 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:09,000 Speaker 2: of thinking back, looking at the calendar. I listen to 43 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:11,880 Speaker 2: old episodes as well, look through our show notes for that. 44 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:17,400 Speaker 2: But it's good to spend a little bit of time reflecting. 45 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:18,360 Speaker 1: On the end of the year, right. 46 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:20,960 Speaker 2: I Mean we can sometimes we obviously get excited about 47 00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:23,560 Speaker 2: setting our goals for the new year, but you know, 48 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 2: we want to take a little bit of time to 49 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:30,000 Speaker 2: pause and reflect on what happened, what didn't happen, or 50 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:33,239 Speaker 2: what went right what went wrong. I mean, that's the 51 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:34,639 Speaker 2: whole thing with reflection. 52 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:36,919 Speaker 3: Season, right, And when do you do that, Laura. 53 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:39,079 Speaker 1: I mean basically to do this episode. 54 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:41,920 Speaker 2: Although you know, in the course of the year, I've 55 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 2: certainly as I had set goals and then check them 56 00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:49,120 Speaker 2: off or otherwise dealt with them, it was certainly in 57 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:50,639 Speaker 2: the back of my mind that, oh, yes, this is 58 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:53,320 Speaker 2: something I'm doing, And you know, you try to savor 59 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:54,960 Speaker 2: things as they're happening too. I mean, some things that 60 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:56,560 Speaker 2: happen in the course of the year aren't things that 61 00:02:56,600 --> 00:02:58,680 Speaker 2: are planned ahead of time, and they aren't goals that 62 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:00,360 Speaker 2: you set for the year, and you want to enjoy 63 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:03,800 Speaker 2: those as well as they're happening and leave space in 64 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:06,040 Speaker 2: the course of the year for good things to happen. 65 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:10,160 Speaker 3: Absolutely, I will say during Best Laid Plans Live was 66 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 3: the first time I formalized like kind of thinking through 67 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:14,080 Speaker 3: the year and what had gone well and what had 68 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:17,320 Speaker 3: gone poorly. The only difficulty is that it's in early November, 69 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 3: so the year just doesn't quite feel like finished yet. 70 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:22,640 Speaker 3: But at the same time, I do think, just some 71 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:26,520 Speaker 3: sort of formalized ritual where you're really either journaling or 72 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:29,639 Speaker 3: thinking through it is just so helpful to me well. 73 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:32,440 Speaker 2: And the upside though of doing it in early November 74 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:34,320 Speaker 2: as you reflect back on the year, is if there's 75 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:38,960 Speaker 2: something you do still want to do, you have seven 76 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:42,600 Speaker 2: weeks to do it. And a great many things can 77 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:46,400 Speaker 2: in fact be accomplished in seven weeks, particularly if they 78 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:50,000 Speaker 2: are or specific goals of like something you needed to 79 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 2: obtain or a short project you needed to do, or 80 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:54,520 Speaker 2: anything like that. I mean, you know, it would be 81 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:58,000 Speaker 2: quite doable to do many of those things before the 82 00:03:58,080 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 2: end of the year if it still mattered to you. 83 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:02,000 Speaker 3: Yes, and we won't give any spoilers, but some of 84 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:04,200 Speaker 3: us did complete things towards the end of the year. 85 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:08,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly exactly. But that's we'll get there. We will 86 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:11,960 Speaker 2: get there. So highlights, let's start with our highlights of 87 00:04:12,600 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 2: twenty twenty four. I mean, Sarah, what would you put 88 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:17,279 Speaker 2: on a highlight reel of the year? 89 00:04:17,920 --> 00:04:20,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, there were a lot of highlights, and a lot 90 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:22,839 Speaker 3: of them do kind of fit into the goals category 91 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:26,200 Speaker 3: we're going to talk about. I mean, getting a little deep. 92 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 3: It can be really deeply satisfying to meet goals that 93 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:30,800 Speaker 3: you've had for a long time, and thus I think 94 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 3: it makes sense that those would end up as highlights, 95 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:35,960 Speaker 3: but kind of steering away from like the running and 96 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:38,360 Speaker 3: the career accomplishment type stuff. I mean, we just had 97 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:42,880 Speaker 3: some really wonderful, like family experiences, concerts. It was a 98 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:45,719 Speaker 3: most amazing concert year with the kids as well. So 99 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 3: all of us went to Olivia Rodrigo together in August, 100 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:52,359 Speaker 3: which was definitely a highlight and extremely memorable. Annabelle and 101 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:55,920 Speaker 3: I saw Taylor Swift in October which was a highlight. 102 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:58,359 Speaker 3: My husband and I saw Mitzki and Ben Fold. So 103 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:01,279 Speaker 3: like just going to shows and like having that be 104 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:06,440 Speaker 3: a regular, like fairly regular thing was awesome. Also just 105 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:09,680 Speaker 3: celebrating things, so my parents had their fiftieth anniversary, my 106 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 3: husband had his fiftieth birthday. I felt like we did 107 00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:17,200 Speaker 3: our celebrations justice in twenty twenty four and that was wonderful. 108 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:21,839 Speaker 3: We had one fantastic family trip and one okay family trip. 109 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:25,560 Speaker 3: The wonderful one was in Montana going skiing, which I 110 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:27,720 Speaker 3: mentioned on the last episode. That's one of our favorite 111 00:05:27,720 --> 00:05:30,440 Speaker 3: favorite things to do, so that was great. And then 112 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:33,680 Speaker 3: the Seattle trip. The Olivia part was great, so that 113 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:35,839 Speaker 3: was sort of a highlight. Lauren and I had a 114 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:39,000 Speaker 3: lovely trip to Naples working and reflecting and best laid 115 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:41,840 Speaker 3: plans live is always a highlight for me as well, 116 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:44,560 Speaker 3: so that was tons of fun. And then I'll throw 117 00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:48,040 Speaker 3: in a random serendipitous one, which was that like three 118 00:05:48,120 --> 00:05:51,040 Speaker 3: hours before the event was scheduled to happen, I was like, 119 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:53,480 Speaker 3: Simone Biles is here and we're gonna go see her, 120 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:55,840 Speaker 3: and I took both girls like there was a surprise, 121 00:05:55,880 --> 00:05:58,360 Speaker 3: like they didn't really know we were going until right 122 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:00,840 Speaker 3: before I took both girls and we we saw the 123 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:04,640 Speaker 3: Goat Tour and it was super awesome. And just after 124 00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:07,360 Speaker 3: enjoying the Olympics, getting to see those gymnasts like actually 125 00:06:07,480 --> 00:06:10,719 Speaker 3: perform on a stage was it was awesome. So I 126 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:12,159 Speaker 3: would say it belonged to my highlight reel. 127 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:16,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, well certainly if I'm thinking of experiences in 128 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:20,160 Speaker 2: the course of the year, I mean going to Spain 129 00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:23,480 Speaker 2: over spring break with my two older boys. We had 130 00:06:23,480 --> 00:06:27,200 Speaker 2: a ton of fun there. I took Ruth to Paris 131 00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:30,520 Speaker 2: in May with a couple of friends of mine and 132 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:32,960 Speaker 2: their daughters and we all saw Taylor Swift there, which 133 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:35,919 Speaker 2: was I love Paris in springtime. I was standing to 134 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:38,680 Speaker 2: watch the Taylor Swift concert was maybe less of a 135 00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:43,000 Speaker 2: highlight for reasons we can discuss later. But I saw 136 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:46,080 Speaker 2: Olivia Rodrigo with Ruth as well, and that was excellent. 137 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:49,840 Speaker 2: We had seats for that, So being able to sit 138 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:53,560 Speaker 2: at age forty five is a bonus for a concert, 139 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:54,520 Speaker 2: you know. 140 00:06:54,640 --> 00:06:56,760 Speaker 1: I had one like really good. 141 00:06:56,560 --> 00:06:58,840 Speaker 2: Nine mile run on the boardwalk this summer that I 142 00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:01,920 Speaker 2: would probably put on my highlight reel. I saw the 143 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:04,520 Speaker 2: Northern Lights in Portland, Maine when I was there for 144 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:06,360 Speaker 2: you know what was a work trip but was also 145 00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:08,520 Speaker 2: a fun trip as well, kind of like BLP Live. 146 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:11,560 Speaker 1: It's a combination of work and fun. 147 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:15,600 Speaker 2: Just you know, like seeing some of the kid victories 148 00:07:15,680 --> 00:07:17,920 Speaker 2: over the course of the year and celebrating that with them. 149 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:20,880 Speaker 2: I mean, in particular, we just had a really good 150 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:23,400 Speaker 2: be vague here, but I have five children. I had 151 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:26,280 Speaker 2: a really good parent teacher conference for one of my kids. 152 00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:30,400 Speaker 2: That has not always been our historic experience, but the 153 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:33,320 Speaker 2: teacher was saying how wonderful this child was, and I 154 00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:37,720 Speaker 2: was excited about that. So yeah, there's been some real 155 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:42,160 Speaker 2: wins in terms of that, there's also been some low lights. 156 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:45,560 Speaker 2: I mean, Sarah, we don't want to be our all 157 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:48,960 Speaker 2: social media polished up fague here. We like to keep 158 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:52,640 Speaker 2: it at least somewhat real. What were some low lights 159 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:53,520 Speaker 2: of the year for you? 160 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:54,080 Speaker 1: Yeah? 161 00:07:54,080 --> 00:07:56,160 Speaker 3: I added this category because I don't think we included 162 00:07:56,200 --> 00:07:58,160 Speaker 3: it last year. But it's not really fair to be 163 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:00,320 Speaker 3: like I won this and this was awesome and like 164 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:03,679 Speaker 3: nothing bad ever happens, because it does. That said, of course, 165 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:05,640 Speaker 3: low lights have to be more vague because often they 166 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:07,560 Speaker 3: involve other people, and no one wants their low lights 167 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:10,720 Speaker 3: broadcast on a podcast, So we're gonna vague pod. But 168 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:12,920 Speaker 3: just bear with us a little bit because I still 169 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:16,920 Speaker 3: think it's important to include. So, first of all, multiple 170 00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:20,720 Speaker 3: people that are close to me are going through really crappy, 171 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:25,680 Speaker 3: hard things, different things, and that's hard. It's hard to 172 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:29,320 Speaker 3: know how to support people. It's just sad and things 173 00:08:29,320 --> 00:08:34,560 Speaker 3: are ongoing. So that's no Number one. Number two was 174 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:37,719 Speaker 3: a low light slash maybe turned into a brighter kind 175 00:08:37,720 --> 00:08:39,640 Speaker 3: of silver lining, which is that we just had some 176 00:08:39,800 --> 00:08:44,360 Speaker 3: kid challenges. I will say, though, those we seem to 177 00:08:44,360 --> 00:08:46,240 Speaker 3: have got, like the humps were in twenty twenty four, 178 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:49,040 Speaker 3: and they were real, and I think we're like making 179 00:08:49,280 --> 00:08:51,960 Speaker 3: a lot of headway on them. So in many ways, 180 00:08:51,960 --> 00:08:56,040 Speaker 3: I feel really good about having navigated that. And then finally, 181 00:08:56,080 --> 00:08:58,880 Speaker 3: you guys know, I you know, I still will never 182 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:01,520 Speaker 3: really be able to give us specifics, but August and 183 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:07,120 Speaker 3: September ward bad bad, bad bad, and just low point 184 00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:11,200 Speaker 3: mood wise, stress stuff going on. Didn't really get much 185 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:13,040 Speaker 3: done during that time period, and then I felt like 186 00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:15,080 Speaker 3: it took me like a month to like recover from that. 187 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:18,880 Speaker 3: And so yeah, this year was like kind of a 188 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:21,520 Speaker 3: bit of a roller coaster where I feel like it 189 00:09:21,559 --> 00:09:24,400 Speaker 3: started hard, got better, then like a really low point, 190 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:27,480 Speaker 3: and then like like ended on a high note for 191 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:28,080 Speaker 3: the most part. 192 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:31,200 Speaker 1: For the most part. Yeah, yeah, well, I mean my 193 00:09:31,320 --> 00:09:32,920 Speaker 1: sort of low lights. 194 00:09:32,960 --> 00:09:34,640 Speaker 2: I mean, it was kind of my year of chronic 195 00:09:34,760 --> 00:09:39,240 Speaker 2: pain that longtime listeners know. I had this back and 196 00:09:39,400 --> 00:09:44,720 Speaker 2: leg nerve pain episode in January that was really zero 197 00:09:44,960 --> 00:09:49,040 Speaker 2: fun whatsoever. I could not walk for about a week, 198 00:09:49,960 --> 00:09:53,640 Speaker 2: which is really a fun way to go through life. 199 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:56,520 Speaker 2: But then, of course the recovery from that has been 200 00:09:57,440 --> 00:10:04,600 Speaker 2: long and fitfull and not straightforward. That the immediate nerve 201 00:10:04,679 --> 00:10:09,240 Speaker 2: pain stuff was calmed in about two weeks with steroids 202 00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:14,520 Speaker 2: and painkillers and stuff like that. But I was just 203 00:10:15,720 --> 00:10:18,640 Speaker 2: clearly like not in great shape for much of the 204 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:20,959 Speaker 2: year with that, I mean, like unable to empty the 205 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:26,120 Speaker 2: dishwasher without it being excessively painful. So something like going 206 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:28,520 Speaker 2: to see Taylor Swift in Paris. You know, it was 207 00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:32,320 Speaker 2: wonderful to see Paris, but standing at a concert for 208 00:10:32,360 --> 00:10:37,960 Speaker 2: five hours was excruciating. And but you know, it's like 209 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:40,080 Speaker 2: I had to, you know, live my life with that 210 00:10:40,520 --> 00:10:43,760 Speaker 2: because I didn't want to not live my life, or 211 00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:46,640 Speaker 2: something like going to Disney like five weeks after the 212 00:10:46,720 --> 00:10:50,960 Speaker 2: back pain episode. It was really a tough trip, and 213 00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:53,120 Speaker 2: so much about the trip was like could have been great. 214 00:10:53,160 --> 00:10:55,560 Speaker 2: I mean, our travel agent was wonderful. We had everything booked, 215 00:10:55,559 --> 00:10:59,600 Speaker 2: like the rides, the dinners at the places. The kids 216 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:02,440 Speaker 2: were not perfectly well behaved. We'd thought it would be 217 00:11:03,400 --> 00:11:05,800 Speaker 2: great because we'd gone when Alex was the age, Henri 218 00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:08,400 Speaker 2: is and so, and you know, that had been a 219 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:08,760 Speaker 2: great trip. 220 00:11:08,760 --> 00:11:09,959 Speaker 1: But I don't know if it's like having one more 221 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:11,439 Speaker 1: kid or it was like the weather. 222 00:11:11,600 --> 00:11:13,880 Speaker 2: It was rainy a big chunk of the time, so 223 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:17,480 Speaker 2: that was miserable. And then I was in a lot 224 00:11:17,520 --> 00:11:20,640 Speaker 2: of pain walking around the parks for you know, twelve 225 00:11:20,640 --> 00:11:23,560 Speaker 2: hours a day. So that was you know, stuff like 226 00:11:23,559 --> 00:11:28,160 Speaker 2: that was pretty low point, even though we had some 227 00:11:28,280 --> 00:11:32,280 Speaker 2: fun moments on that trip too. But I did manage 228 00:11:32,360 --> 00:11:35,560 Speaker 2: to run a half marathon in October. 229 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:37,079 Speaker 1: I have. 230 00:11:38,600 --> 00:11:41,840 Speaker 2: Like it just is a slow process. I do think 231 00:11:41,880 --> 00:11:45,880 Speaker 2: my back is doing better. I can empty the dishwasher now, 232 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:48,000 Speaker 2: which is I don't know that I want to be 233 00:11:48,040 --> 00:11:50,079 Speaker 2: emptying the dishwasher, but I can at least do it, 234 00:11:50,679 --> 00:11:52,640 Speaker 2: and you know. 235 00:11:52,760 --> 00:11:54,520 Speaker 1: So we'll see. Stay tuned on that. 236 00:11:55,120 --> 00:11:59,560 Speaker 2: Cautiously optimistic, but yeah, not a fun experience. Would not 237 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:01,280 Speaker 2: want to wish that on anyone. 238 00:12:01,559 --> 00:12:04,560 Speaker 3: Sounds like you're definitely ending the year in a better 239 00:12:04,600 --> 00:12:06,400 Speaker 3: place with it than you started. 240 00:12:07,160 --> 00:12:12,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I'd like to think so, and not through 241 00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:14,840 Speaker 2: anything that I could pinpoint of what it was. 242 00:12:15,080 --> 00:12:18,760 Speaker 1: So that's I wish I could, because. 243 00:12:18,480 --> 00:12:20,199 Speaker 2: Then I would have done it earlier or would know 244 00:12:20,320 --> 00:12:21,400 Speaker 2: to do it again, you know. 245 00:12:21,520 --> 00:12:25,559 Speaker 1: But well, life sometimes you just have to be patient. 246 00:12:26,000 --> 00:12:29,560 Speaker 3: All right, Well, I'm wishing you the least pain containing 247 00:12:29,640 --> 00:12:31,320 Speaker 3: year possible in twenty twenty five. 248 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:33,920 Speaker 2: All right, We're going to take a quick ad break 249 00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:36,720 Speaker 2: and then we will be back to talk. About how 250 00:12:36,760 --> 00:12:37,920 Speaker 2: some of our goals played out. 251 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:51,320 Speaker 1: Well, we are back. 252 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:54,959 Speaker 2: This is our twenty twenty four year in review episode, 253 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:57,120 Speaker 2: so we talked about some of our highlights and our 254 00:12:57,160 --> 00:12:59,600 Speaker 2: low lights. But one of the things we always do 255 00:12:59,800 --> 00:13:01,880 Speaker 2: is we set our goals for the upcoming year, and 256 00:13:01,920 --> 00:13:04,600 Speaker 2: then we need to report back on how it went. 257 00:13:04,920 --> 00:13:09,000 Speaker 2: So using last year's goals episode as a guide, we're 258 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:10,920 Speaker 2: going to talk through some of the categories. So, Sarah, 259 00:13:10,920 --> 00:13:14,120 Speaker 2: why don't we start with your personal goals and what 260 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:15,760 Speaker 2: you managed to pull off? 261 00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:18,079 Speaker 3: Oh my god, I had a lot of these. I'm 262 00:13:18,080 --> 00:13:21,840 Speaker 3: gonna not delve deeply into all of them, but we 263 00:13:21,880 --> 00:13:23,880 Speaker 3: will start with running. I wanted to make it a 264 00:13:24,200 --> 00:13:27,439 Speaker 3: I wrote train with intent to BQ, continue to work 265 00:13:27,480 --> 00:13:29,880 Speaker 3: with coach, and I'm reading for my actual show notes 266 00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:32,560 Speaker 3: for last year. Would also like a new half marathon 267 00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:36,079 Speaker 3: and five kPr. Well, yay, I did all of that, 268 00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:39,040 Speaker 3: like all of it, five kPr, half marathon PR in 269 00:13:39,080 --> 00:13:41,959 Speaker 3: February of twenty twenty four. I did qualify for the 270 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:45,040 Speaker 3: Boston Marathon running Bay Shore in May of twenty twenty four, 271 00:13:45,679 --> 00:13:47,200 Speaker 3: and I worked with the coach to do that. So 272 00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:51,679 Speaker 3: it was like, honestly, I feel very lucky I mentioned 273 00:13:51,720 --> 00:13:53,360 Speaker 3: last year or something like or I'll get injured and 274 00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:55,200 Speaker 3: none of it will happen, and I have to say, like, 275 00:13:55,280 --> 00:13:58,040 Speaker 3: this is I'm jinxing myself again. But like the longest 276 00:13:58,040 --> 00:14:01,559 Speaker 3: stretch of injury free running I may have had ever 277 00:14:02,200 --> 00:14:05,200 Speaker 3: and I don't know. I can't take any credit. I 278 00:14:05,200 --> 00:14:07,280 Speaker 3: have not been strength training, which I'll get to in 279 00:14:07,320 --> 00:14:09,520 Speaker 3: just a second. But I do think the shoe tech 280 00:14:09,840 --> 00:14:12,280 Speaker 3: is a lot better, and I think I'm better off 281 00:14:12,360 --> 00:14:14,680 Speaker 3: running not on hills, and I live in Florida, so 282 00:14:14,880 --> 00:14:17,480 Speaker 3: it's better than my old North Carolina running that was 283 00:14:17,520 --> 00:14:20,360 Speaker 3: all over the place. So yeah, super super happy with 284 00:14:20,400 --> 00:14:23,160 Speaker 3: my running year. I did have a goal to strength 285 00:14:23,200 --> 00:14:25,640 Speaker 3: train twice a week. I mean I did that for 286 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:30,200 Speaker 3: like probably fifteen weeks out of the fifty two maybe, 287 00:14:30,280 --> 00:14:32,800 Speaker 3: so I would say no. I wanted to go to 288 00:14:32,800 --> 00:14:35,720 Speaker 3: a yoga class in person to try it out, and 289 00:14:35,760 --> 00:14:39,080 Speaker 3: I went once and I recognized it was nice, but 290 00:14:40,040 --> 00:14:42,640 Speaker 3: just like not efficient enough for my lifestyle, so not 291 00:14:42,760 --> 00:14:45,160 Speaker 3: something I wanted to continue. But that's okay, I would 292 00:14:45,160 --> 00:14:46,480 Speaker 3: say check, because my goal was. 293 00:14:46,440 --> 00:14:46,960 Speaker 1: To do it once. 294 00:14:48,080 --> 00:14:51,280 Speaker 3: I wanted to read every day and record the pages 295 00:14:51,320 --> 00:14:55,080 Speaker 3: read and then also challenge myself sometimes with like harder 296 00:14:55,160 --> 00:14:57,800 Speaker 3: nonfiction books. I did not do that at all. I mean, 297 00:14:58,440 --> 00:15:01,480 Speaker 3: I just read what it seemed good. I could read 298 00:15:01,520 --> 00:15:04,720 Speaker 3: some more academic like nonfiction, like there were a couple, 299 00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:09,360 Speaker 3: and I definitely read some literary fiction. I read pretty 300 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:12,760 Speaker 3: steadily until I had all that stress in August and September, 301 00:15:12,760 --> 00:15:16,680 Speaker 3: and then I just fell off a cliff completely and 302 00:15:16,720 --> 00:15:19,680 Speaker 3: then I haven't really gotten back on yet, I guess. 303 00:15:19,880 --> 00:15:21,400 Speaker 3: But I did read forty books, so it's not like 304 00:15:21,440 --> 00:15:24,840 Speaker 3: I didn't read. And I do feel like I found 305 00:15:24,880 --> 00:15:27,560 Speaker 3: a method that I really like for recording the pages 306 00:15:27,600 --> 00:15:29,880 Speaker 3: I read, which is very simple, and I just like 307 00:15:29,880 --> 00:15:32,160 Speaker 3: put it on a monthly calendar, and I did it 308 00:15:32,240 --> 00:15:35,480 Speaker 3: for part of the year, so I wouldn't say I 309 00:15:35,480 --> 00:15:36,760 Speaker 3: met the goal that I did all year, but I 310 00:15:36,800 --> 00:15:38,360 Speaker 3: don't know. I kind of figured out the ritual that 311 00:15:38,440 --> 00:15:41,800 Speaker 3: works for me for that so partial win. I wanted 312 00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:44,520 Speaker 3: to update my wardrobe, did not do that at all. 313 00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:49,600 Speaker 3: Fail I wanted to get a many petty every month, 314 00:15:49,880 --> 00:15:51,840 Speaker 3: but I did note that it might not fit into 315 00:15:51,880 --> 00:15:53,960 Speaker 3: my budget, and same with massages, and that is correct. 316 00:15:53,960 --> 00:15:56,160 Speaker 3: They do not fit into my budget with the amount 317 00:15:56,240 --> 00:15:59,040 Speaker 3: of running shoes and racing shoes that I purchased, so 318 00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:02,880 Speaker 3: you know, I got manny petties, probably more than other years, 319 00:16:02,920 --> 00:16:06,240 Speaker 3: but it wasn't like a regular ritual. Actually, haven't gotten 320 00:16:06,240 --> 00:16:10,560 Speaker 3: a massage in many, many months. And I finally last 321 00:16:10,560 --> 00:16:13,160 Speaker 3: things where I wanted to use screens thoughtfully, way too 322 00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:15,760 Speaker 3: vague of a goal I should know better than that. 323 00:16:16,120 --> 00:16:19,400 Speaker 3: I will say I did okay with this overall. I 324 00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:21,160 Speaker 3: mean there were times of stress when I did kind 325 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:23,080 Speaker 3: of just allow myself to fall into a black hole 326 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:26,160 Speaker 3: specifically of Reddit use, which I've talked about. But I 327 00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:27,840 Speaker 3: was able to climb out of that black hole. And 328 00:16:27,880 --> 00:16:29,960 Speaker 3: I think I spent more of the year like not 329 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:32,000 Speaker 3: doing any scrolling than doing it, so I would call 330 00:16:32,080 --> 00:16:34,760 Speaker 3: that a win. And then finally I wanted to keep 331 00:16:34,760 --> 00:16:37,400 Speaker 3: an experience journal and I did it for five months 332 00:16:37,400 --> 00:16:39,080 Speaker 3: and then was like, this is too repetitive, and I 333 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:41,120 Speaker 3: stopped because I just record so much on my daily 334 00:16:41,160 --> 00:16:42,720 Speaker 3: pages of my home Innichi that I'm like, why am 335 00:16:42,760 --> 00:16:45,240 Speaker 3: I writing the same thing? So I do like journaling, 336 00:16:45,280 --> 00:16:48,000 Speaker 3: but I don't need like two places to put that stuff. 337 00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:51,040 Speaker 3: And I will say my word of the year was experience. 338 00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:53,360 Speaker 3: And even though I couldn't even come up with a word. 339 00:16:53,400 --> 00:16:55,680 Speaker 3: When we were revealing our words of the year at 340 00:16:55,680 --> 00:16:57,520 Speaker 3: Best Laid Plans Live, I was like, what did I pick? 341 00:16:57,800 --> 00:17:01,280 Speaker 3: I do feel like I like went all in on 342 00:17:01,360 --> 00:17:03,920 Speaker 3: experiences in twenty twenty four. There were very few experiences 343 00:17:03,920 --> 00:17:06,159 Speaker 3: that I or at least like things to go to 344 00:17:06,240 --> 00:17:07,919 Speaker 3: that I would have said no to. I pretty much 345 00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:11,199 Speaker 3: said yes to whatever. And I think I look at 346 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:13,080 Speaker 3: my list, because I made a list of like twenty 347 00:17:13,119 --> 00:17:15,119 Speaker 3: four things and it's mostly filled out, Like I went 348 00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:18,000 Speaker 3: to movies, I went to music, I hosted people, I 349 00:17:18,040 --> 00:17:20,960 Speaker 3: tried some recipes. I have a cent. I had a 350 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:23,520 Speaker 3: cent on my list, which is that I identified a 351 00:17:23,520 --> 00:17:25,880 Speaker 3: perfume that I like. So that's kind of fun anyway. Yeah, 352 00:17:25,880 --> 00:17:27,760 Speaker 3: so those were my personal goals. I'm sorry that was 353 00:17:27,800 --> 00:17:29,639 Speaker 3: a lot. I just talked for like four straight minutes. 354 00:17:29,880 --> 00:17:32,000 Speaker 2: Well, I just have a question about the I mean, 355 00:17:32,040 --> 00:17:34,439 Speaker 2: because you know, we do try to be sort of 356 00:17:35,320 --> 00:17:38,960 Speaker 2: careful as we are setting goals, and so you would 357 00:17:38,960 --> 00:17:41,720 Speaker 2: have known that you were spending on things that would 358 00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:45,000 Speaker 2: make the massages less likely with the allowance. 359 00:17:45,160 --> 00:17:47,920 Speaker 1: So I'm curious why you then set that as a goal. 360 00:17:48,760 --> 00:17:50,359 Speaker 3: I mean, I know what my allowance is. And I 361 00:17:50,400 --> 00:17:53,880 Speaker 3: guess I thought it would fit. I think I I mean, 362 00:17:53,880 --> 00:17:56,280 Speaker 3: this is like so ridiculous, but I honestly think my 363 00:17:56,320 --> 00:17:59,080 Speaker 3: biggest line item was I think I about like four 364 00:17:59,119 --> 00:18:01,919 Speaker 3: pairs of like close to three hundred dollars shoes. Oh 365 00:18:01,960 --> 00:18:06,880 Speaker 3: my god, I just like admitted that we're not talking 366 00:18:06,920 --> 00:18:08,840 Speaker 3: about like prod of heels. We're talking about like Nike 367 00:18:08,960 --> 00:18:13,959 Speaker 3: Alpha Fly and A six Meta speeds and yeah, because 368 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:16,480 Speaker 3: they really do help you race faster and train faster, 369 00:18:16,880 --> 00:18:19,800 Speaker 3: and they add up. They added up to like a 370 00:18:19,800 --> 00:18:21,520 Speaker 3: lot of massages. So at the end of the day, 371 00:18:21,760 --> 00:18:25,120 Speaker 3: my budget didn't work, and I didn't We're really good 372 00:18:25,119 --> 00:18:28,240 Speaker 3: about like not overdrawing our allowances, so it just didn't fit. 373 00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:30,840 Speaker 1: Okay, But yeah, it was just curious because. 374 00:18:30,600 --> 00:18:32,639 Speaker 2: I thought you knew you were going to be spending 375 00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:34,880 Speaker 2: money on shoes, so I think I knew how much. 376 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:35,760 Speaker 1: You didn't know how much. 377 00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:40,400 Speaker 3: Okay, But you're right. It actually wouldn't been really smart 378 00:18:41,040 --> 00:18:43,680 Speaker 3: since some of these do involve personal spending. I should 379 00:18:43,680 --> 00:18:46,280 Speaker 3: have like made a little budget in Google sheets or 380 00:18:46,280 --> 00:18:48,480 Speaker 3: Excel or something to be like what actually fits here. 381 00:18:48,560 --> 00:18:49,640 Speaker 3: Maybe I'll do that this year. 382 00:18:49,720 --> 00:18:52,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, Okay, all right, good, Well A lot of experiences 383 00:18:52,200 --> 00:18:53,040 Speaker 2: for twenty twenty four. 384 00:18:53,160 --> 00:18:53,560 Speaker 1: That's good. 385 00:18:54,520 --> 00:18:57,800 Speaker 2: So as my personal goals, I said I wanted to 386 00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:00,840 Speaker 2: listen to all the works of Bach and twenty twenty four, 387 00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:04,920 Speaker 2: and I have indeed done that. I ended the project 388 00:19:05,040 --> 00:19:09,840 Speaker 2: in late November. I listened to all one thousand and 389 00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:14,720 Speaker 2: eighty works in the original BWV category, which I think 390 00:19:14,800 --> 00:19:18,199 Speaker 2: is bach Vik Verschneititis or something. I'm not going to 391 00:19:18,480 --> 00:19:21,720 Speaker 2: ruin the German here, but there were works that are lost, 392 00:19:21,720 --> 00:19:23,160 Speaker 2: so there are more than one thousand and eighty. 393 00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:24,800 Speaker 1: There's some of the thousand and eighty turn out to 394 00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:25,360 Speaker 1: not to be him. 395 00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:28,359 Speaker 2: I mean we're talking sort of like nineteen hundred level 396 00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:30,440 Speaker 2: historical stuff. 397 00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:33,720 Speaker 1: But it is the main catalog of his work. 398 00:19:34,200 --> 00:19:36,640 Speaker 2: And I listened to all of it at a rate 399 00:19:36,680 --> 00:19:39,040 Speaker 2: of about thirty minutes a day over the course of 400 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:42,080 Speaker 2: the year. It was an amazing project. I'm really glad 401 00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:46,600 Speaker 2: I did it. I so enjoyed it becoming more familiar 402 00:19:46,720 --> 00:19:50,760 Speaker 2: with my favorite composer's works. I certainly knew some of 403 00:19:50,800 --> 00:19:53,760 Speaker 2: the big ones, but I got to re listen to those. 404 00:19:53,840 --> 00:19:56,560 Speaker 2: I got to listen to the works that came before 405 00:19:56,600 --> 00:19:59,480 Speaker 2: the big works that I can hear him trying out themes. 406 00:19:59,560 --> 00:20:05,560 Speaker 2: I can picture like this cantata just being composed in 407 00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:10,199 Speaker 2: this church in Leipzig and just being debuted on a 408 00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:12,240 Speaker 2: Sunday morning, and then the next Sunday there's going to 409 00:20:12,280 --> 00:20:13,840 Speaker 2: be a different one. And a lot of this actually 410 00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:16,120 Speaker 2: happened in seventeen twenty four, a lot of the kantatas. 411 00:20:16,119 --> 00:20:17,120 Speaker 1: That was a big Kantata year. 412 00:20:17,160 --> 00:20:19,160 Speaker 2: So it was sort of funny to I wish I 413 00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:20,840 Speaker 2: had known that ahead of time, I would have maybe 414 00:20:20,920 --> 00:20:22,400 Speaker 2: matched up Sundays. 415 00:20:21,960 --> 00:20:27,560 Speaker 1: But oh, well I didn't, And it's I forget now. 416 00:20:27,640 --> 00:20:29,640 Speaker 2: Is the seventeen twenty four was that before they did 417 00:20:29,640 --> 00:20:32,200 Speaker 2: the ten day shift with time? 418 00:20:32,640 --> 00:20:34,840 Speaker 3: Oh gosh, no, that's gonna be at this question, I 419 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:37,639 Speaker 3: feel like, yeah, you're the Well, there was. 420 00:20:37,640 --> 00:20:40,040 Speaker 2: Sometime in the seventeen hundreds where they had like moved 421 00:20:40,119 --> 00:20:44,320 Speaker 2: forward like ten days because or backwards, I forget what 422 00:20:44,359 --> 00:20:48,760 Speaker 2: it was that time had gotten away from the solar. 423 00:20:48,560 --> 00:20:50,640 Speaker 3: Maybe they didn't have leap years, and they got like. 424 00:20:50,960 --> 00:20:53,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, because they weren't doing the right combination of leap years, 425 00:20:53,520 --> 00:20:55,760 Speaker 2: and so it had to be reworked anyway. So it 426 00:20:55,800 --> 00:21:00,240 Speaker 2: probably didn't match up exactly with the Sundays. That but 427 00:21:00,920 --> 00:21:04,000 Speaker 2: that said, that was totally unrelated. 428 00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:06,359 Speaker 1: It was fun. I really enjoyed it. 429 00:21:06,440 --> 00:21:08,920 Speaker 2: I also got to hear a few concerts of box 430 00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:11,400 Speaker 2: work in the course of the year. I am singing 431 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:14,800 Speaker 2: in a box concert coming up later this month, and 432 00:21:14,840 --> 00:21:18,399 Speaker 2: I've been very carefully working through all the choral works 433 00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:20,720 Speaker 2: in that piece and it's been really great. 434 00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:23,760 Speaker 1: So I'm excited about that. Yay hit that one. 435 00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:28,320 Speaker 2: I had another goal of continuing regular strength training plus 436 00:21:28,359 --> 00:21:31,680 Speaker 2: do backstretches and exercises daily. And this is kind of 437 00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:33,720 Speaker 2: the randomness of life because I had been doing back 438 00:21:33,760 --> 00:21:38,160 Speaker 2: exercises and stretches for months before I had my back episode, 439 00:21:38,200 --> 00:21:43,720 Speaker 2: so who knows, Like it doesn't necessarily stop anything, but 440 00:21:43,880 --> 00:21:47,400 Speaker 2: I've continued to do regular strength training for another year. 441 00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:49,600 Speaker 2: I work out with a trainer once a week, and 442 00:21:49,680 --> 00:21:53,200 Speaker 2: I now am generally doing at least one more session 443 00:21:53,280 --> 00:21:56,520 Speaker 2: a week of repeating the exercises my trainer gave me, 444 00:21:57,520 --> 00:21:59,359 Speaker 2: maybe not quite as intense as he would have done, 445 00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:01,120 Speaker 2: but I at least do most of them. 446 00:22:01,240 --> 00:22:03,960 Speaker 1: So yeah, yes, I did both of those. 447 00:22:04,440 --> 00:22:07,720 Speaker 3: Awesome. Well, it's been fun to see how much fun 448 00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:11,119 Speaker 3: that you have had with bach, Like who knew but 449 00:22:11,200 --> 00:22:12,880 Speaker 3: I love it for you. It was great. 450 00:22:13,080 --> 00:22:16,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, it was great. It was a great project, all right. 451 00:22:16,119 --> 00:22:16,760 Speaker 1: So how about work? 452 00:22:16,840 --> 00:22:19,920 Speaker 3: Yeah's work, which, by the way, fun fact, I forgot 453 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:22,320 Speaker 3: that category when I made the notes for last year 454 00:22:22,359 --> 00:22:25,760 Speaker 3: and you were like, what about work anyway? Okay, So 455 00:22:25,920 --> 00:22:29,280 Speaker 3: I wanted to work on office efficiency and like the 456 00:22:29,320 --> 00:22:35,679 Speaker 3: patient checkout for progress process process, thank you, and I 457 00:22:35,800 --> 00:22:39,440 Speaker 3: kind of did in that. I went a step further 458 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:41,840 Speaker 3: worked with my front desk people, and now I don't 459 00:22:41,880 --> 00:22:44,800 Speaker 3: do anything. I just put in my instructions and count 460 00:22:44,840 --> 00:22:47,200 Speaker 3: on them to do everything. And so far there have 461 00:22:47,280 --> 00:22:50,600 Speaker 3: been no catastrophes, so that's it's wonderful. I have streamlined 462 00:22:50,640 --> 00:22:52,439 Speaker 3: the end of my visits quite a bit from the 463 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:54,480 Speaker 3: old days of like printing everything out and running around, 464 00:22:54,520 --> 00:22:57,639 Speaker 3: and that's wonderful. I had Friday lunches on my goals 465 00:22:57,640 --> 00:22:59,639 Speaker 3: list because we were still kind of establishing the habit 466 00:22:59,760 --> 00:23:02,359 Speaker 3: of going out together with work colleagues, not out, but 467 00:23:02,600 --> 00:23:06,240 Speaker 3: to the cafetia in the hospital on Fridays, and definitely 468 00:23:06,320 --> 00:23:08,639 Speaker 3: that was like a regular thing. Wasn't every Friday, but 469 00:23:08,680 --> 00:23:11,800 Speaker 3: it was certainly most Fridays. At least someone sent a 470 00:23:11,880 --> 00:23:14,480 Speaker 3: tax saying lunch and then we would go I did 471 00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:17,080 Speaker 3: not plan any work social events. That was a fun 472 00:23:17,080 --> 00:23:21,439 Speaker 3: idea did not happen. And then for my kind of 473 00:23:21,480 --> 00:23:24,360 Speaker 3: creative work, I wanted to set up a new seasonal 474 00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:26,920 Speaker 3: planning series that I called Planning by Season. And yes, 475 00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:29,680 Speaker 3: I did that in twenty twenty four. It was really 476 00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:32,160 Speaker 3: really fun actually, in some ways like my favorite program 477 00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:34,880 Speaker 3: to do, because I actually get another participants really really 478 00:23:34,960 --> 00:23:37,199 Speaker 3: well because you see them all year long and you 479 00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:39,040 Speaker 3: get to be like, Okay, how is that work goal 480 00:23:39,080 --> 00:23:42,080 Speaker 3: going that you talked about two months ago? So that's 481 00:23:42,119 --> 00:23:43,800 Speaker 3: been a lot of fun and I would call that 482 00:23:43,840 --> 00:23:47,040 Speaker 3: a success. I wanted to reach out to podcasts that 483 00:23:47,080 --> 00:23:49,439 Speaker 3: do interviews where i'd be able to contribute. I may 484 00:23:49,480 --> 00:23:52,160 Speaker 3: have pitched like two podcasts in twenty twenty four. That's 485 00:23:52,600 --> 00:23:57,399 Speaker 3: not nearly enough. But it's hard. And I even mentioned 486 00:23:57,440 --> 00:23:59,480 Speaker 3: it my thing. It's like, h you can get rejected 487 00:23:59,600 --> 00:24:01,960 Speaker 3: or it's not even responded to. That's the most common, 488 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:03,880 Speaker 3: by the way. I'm like, come on, just throw me up. 489 00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:06,639 Speaker 3: Oh we're so busy, thank you so much, blah blah blah. No, 490 00:24:07,760 --> 00:24:09,640 Speaker 3: So maybe I just need to get a thicker skin 491 00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:13,359 Speaker 3: and work on that. And I wanted to ruthlessly block 492 00:24:13,520 --> 00:24:18,080 Speaker 3: some non clinical days to do my own planning. I 493 00:24:18,160 --> 00:24:20,560 Speaker 3: fit in my planning. I did my seasonal planning. I 494 00:24:20,600 --> 00:24:24,520 Speaker 3: really need it, like I but it was more like, Okay, 495 00:24:24,560 --> 00:24:26,680 Speaker 3: I'm going to do it on Thursday on these two hours, 496 00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:30,080 Speaker 3: rather than having like a whole expansive block of time. 497 00:24:30,600 --> 00:24:32,639 Speaker 3: And I just I did a lot of work in 498 00:24:32,680 --> 00:24:35,199 Speaker 3: twenty twenty four, like a lot of creative work, a 499 00:24:35,200 --> 00:24:37,639 Speaker 3: lot of content, a lot of writing, a lot of stuff. 500 00:24:37,680 --> 00:24:41,840 Speaker 3: We'll talk about it and yeah, oh, I guess wait, 501 00:24:41,840 --> 00:24:43,920 Speaker 3: can I are we talking about like what we did? Yeah, 502 00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:44,480 Speaker 3: yess we are. 503 00:24:44,720 --> 00:24:44,920 Speaker 1: Yeah. 504 00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:47,320 Speaker 3: But I didn't set it as a goalar That's why it's. 505 00:24:47,160 --> 00:24:48,240 Speaker 1: Like, oh no, but that's okay. 506 00:24:48,280 --> 00:24:50,959 Speaker 3: I mean it happened, so I ended up I think 507 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:52,520 Speaker 3: I actually did set it as a goal in our 508 00:24:52,560 --> 00:24:54,120 Speaker 3: midyear check in because I was like, I know, I've 509 00:24:54,119 --> 00:24:55,920 Speaker 3: talked about this on the podcast, but I wanted to 510 00:24:55,960 --> 00:24:57,960 Speaker 3: write a book proposal, and I wanted to write a 511 00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:01,480 Speaker 3: best laid plans book essentially, And it did end up happening. 512 00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:04,800 Speaker 3: I wrote my proposal, it got accepted. I am still 513 00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:07,680 Speaker 3: in the process of finalizing my contract, but I mean, 514 00:25:07,720 --> 00:25:10,440 Speaker 3: I'm planning on going forward with it, and I have 515 00:25:10,680 --> 00:25:13,240 Speaker 3: working with an editor already finished two thirds of the book, 516 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:17,200 Speaker 3: I mean draft draft, so we're not like done done here, 517 00:25:18,119 --> 00:25:21,720 Speaker 3: and the tentative plan is it should be released in 518 00:25:21,800 --> 00:25:24,399 Speaker 3: early twenty twenty six and you'll hear more details on that. 519 00:25:24,440 --> 00:25:26,119 Speaker 3: But that is a really really big work thing that 520 00:25:26,160 --> 00:25:28,960 Speaker 3: came up, and therefore my plans to have lots of 521 00:25:28,960 --> 00:25:32,200 Speaker 3: blank space for rumination just didn't work out. 522 00:25:32,240 --> 00:25:33,119 Speaker 1: But it's okay. 523 00:25:33,119 --> 00:25:38,080 Speaker 2: Well, exactly when great opportunities come, it's it's good to 524 00:25:38,119 --> 00:25:40,199 Speaker 2: seize them. So that was a definite highlight for you 525 00:25:40,200 --> 00:25:41,760 Speaker 2: because this is something you'd wanted to do for a 526 00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:42,320 Speaker 2: long time. 527 00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:45,280 Speaker 3: Yes, many many years. It was on my one hundred 528 00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:48,119 Speaker 3: dreams list. It's been kind of percolating around. It's been 529 00:25:48,119 --> 00:25:50,479 Speaker 3: one of those goals that I've wanted to move forward 530 00:25:50,480 --> 00:25:52,480 Speaker 3: but then kind of stalled out on many times. So 531 00:25:52,520 --> 00:25:56,840 Speaker 3: it's been incredibly exciting to see it actually come to fruition. 532 00:25:57,040 --> 00:25:58,840 Speaker 3: So yeah, I guess that was a very low key 533 00:25:58,840 --> 00:26:01,640 Speaker 3: little announcement, but that's not the official announcement because again 534 00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:06,840 Speaker 3: have to finalize some stuff. That's the pre announcement, So yay, yay, No. 535 00:26:06,960 --> 00:26:08,600 Speaker 2: I love that I love. I can't wait to read 536 00:26:08,600 --> 00:26:13,240 Speaker 2: the book. Very excited, very excited about that. Yeah, my well, 537 00:26:13,280 --> 00:26:16,920 Speaker 2: I also had book related goals for my year. I 538 00:26:16,960 --> 00:26:20,760 Speaker 2: said I wanted to finish my proposal, get a contract, 539 00:26:20,840 --> 00:26:21,640 Speaker 2: and mostly write. 540 00:26:21,440 --> 00:26:22,120 Speaker 1: A new book. 541 00:26:22,560 --> 00:26:26,879 Speaker 2: And I did my new agent and I sold, We 542 00:26:26,960 --> 00:26:29,320 Speaker 2: got a it's great to put the announcement as a 543 00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:31,600 Speaker 2: two book deal at auction. 544 00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:33,840 Speaker 1: In April, so that was exciting. 545 00:26:33,880 --> 00:26:37,120 Speaker 2: I've written five out of eight chapters of my book, 546 00:26:37,119 --> 00:26:39,800 Speaker 2: which will also be out in early twenty twenty six, 547 00:26:39,880 --> 00:26:42,200 Speaker 2: so I guess I'll say that I've mostly written at 548 00:26:42,240 --> 00:26:42,800 Speaker 2: this point. 549 00:26:43,560 --> 00:26:46,399 Speaker 1: So yay. I had put that I wanted to speak. 550 00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:51,119 Speaker 2: Somewhere internationally that did not wind up happening, and I, 551 00:26:51,359 --> 00:26:53,840 Speaker 2: you know, put this that I turned down actually a 552 00:26:53,880 --> 00:26:58,119 Speaker 2: few things, because it's not that can I go speak 553 00:26:58,160 --> 00:27:00,919 Speaker 2: to some group somewhere, is that I wanted to do 554 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:05,879 Speaker 2: it as part of my commercial corporate speaking business. I 555 00:27:05,920 --> 00:27:08,800 Speaker 2: still think I will wind up doing this fairly soon, 556 00:27:09,160 --> 00:27:13,879 Speaker 2: but a lot of international speaking is also being done virtually, 557 00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:18,800 Speaker 2: like I will speak to the entire global group of 558 00:27:19,119 --> 00:27:23,000 Speaker 2: corporation because they can do that via zoom or by 559 00:27:23,040 --> 00:27:27,600 Speaker 2: broadcasting from their American headquarters. 560 00:27:27,760 --> 00:27:28,720 Speaker 1: So it's an interesting time. 561 00:27:28,720 --> 00:27:30,760 Speaker 2: I like to travel internationally, and so I thought that, 562 00:27:30,840 --> 00:27:31,919 Speaker 2: you know, this will be a way to do it, 563 00:27:31,960 --> 00:27:35,480 Speaker 2: and I will. But it's interesting to see how the 564 00:27:35,520 --> 00:27:40,560 Speaker 2: speaking business is sort of evolving over time. So we'll 565 00:27:40,600 --> 00:27:44,640 Speaker 2: keep stay tuned on that one. I wanted to keep 566 00:27:44,680 --> 00:27:47,040 Speaker 2: writing my sonnets. I guess I put this in my 567 00:27:47,160 --> 00:27:50,639 Speaker 2: work category, even though nobody is paying me for my poetry, 568 00:27:51,160 --> 00:27:52,879 Speaker 2: so maybe this is more of a personal one. But 569 00:27:52,920 --> 00:27:56,600 Speaker 2: I was writing in twenty twenty three. I also wrote 570 00:27:57,480 --> 00:28:00,280 Speaker 2: a sonnet a week at a pace of two lines 571 00:28:00,320 --> 00:28:02,120 Speaker 2: a day, so that comes out to fourteen lines a week, 572 00:28:02,520 --> 00:28:06,280 Speaker 2: yam pentameter with a certain rhyming scheme. I enjoyed doing 573 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:08,320 Speaker 2: that in twenty twenty three, so I re upped for 574 00:28:08,359 --> 00:28:11,159 Speaker 2: twenty twenty four. I wrote fifty two more sonnets by 575 00:28:11,160 --> 00:28:12,520 Speaker 2: the end of the year. I guess when we're recording this, 576 00:28:12,560 --> 00:28:15,320 Speaker 2: I've probably written forty nine or something. But yeah, it's 577 00:28:15,359 --> 00:28:18,240 Speaker 2: been a lot of fun, and some are terrible, the 578 00:28:18,320 --> 00:28:21,920 Speaker 2: vast majority are middling, And then in the course of 579 00:28:22,200 --> 00:28:25,000 Speaker 2: a year of writing them, I get somewhere between five 580 00:28:25,040 --> 00:28:27,280 Speaker 2: and ten that I really like. But if you keep 581 00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:30,400 Speaker 2: cranking out five to ten poems you really like every year. 582 00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:31,960 Speaker 2: In a couple of years you will have a full 583 00:28:31,960 --> 00:28:35,520 Speaker 2: collection of poems that you really like. So hopefully I'll 584 00:28:35,520 --> 00:28:36,960 Speaker 2: do something with that eventually. 585 00:28:37,280 --> 00:28:39,200 Speaker 3: Oh, another book of poetry. 586 00:28:39,360 --> 00:28:42,160 Speaker 1: Another Well again, I doubt anyone's going. 587 00:28:41,960 --> 00:28:47,680 Speaker 2: To commercially publish my experimental poetry. But the good news 588 00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:51,080 Speaker 2: of having built my platform writing about other things is 589 00:28:51,120 --> 00:28:54,080 Speaker 2: I can simply distribute it to a large variety of people, 590 00:28:55,040 --> 00:28:59,040 Speaker 2: possibly get more readers for my poetry than the vast 591 00:28:59,080 --> 00:29:04,040 Speaker 2: majority poetry books. But anyway, so the last one was 592 00:29:04,320 --> 00:29:08,120 Speaker 2: vander Hacks that I was saying, I wanted to start 593 00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:11,880 Speaker 2: my newsletter through substack. This was the cool thing all 594 00:29:11,920 --> 00:29:14,400 Speaker 2: the kids were doing in twenty twenty three is starting 595 00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:18,479 Speaker 2: a substack newsletter, And I figure, what why not? So 596 00:29:18,880 --> 00:29:23,600 Speaker 2: I started a daily short tip. It's come to a 597 00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:27,320 Speaker 2: system where I have three free posts a week and 598 00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:31,560 Speaker 2: two behind the paywall. I have about four hundred paying 599 00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:37,120 Speaker 2: subscribers right now, a little over four thousand total subscribers now. 600 00:29:37,200 --> 00:29:39,800 Speaker 2: So I've built that up and posted every day, and 601 00:29:40,360 --> 00:29:42,480 Speaker 2: you probably we will keep doing that over the course 602 00:29:42,480 --> 00:29:43,480 Speaker 2: of the ear It's been a lot of fun. 603 00:29:43,560 --> 00:29:46,320 Speaker 3: I have enjoyed lots of them. I'm a paying subscriber. 604 00:29:46,520 --> 00:29:50,440 Speaker 3: I just renewed, by the way, excellent. They're great. I 605 00:29:50,440 --> 00:29:52,520 Speaker 3: mean I get inspiration from them, and I know you 606 00:29:52,600 --> 00:29:56,080 Speaker 3: really well, so I highly recommend vander Hacks excellent. 607 00:29:56,280 --> 00:29:57,960 Speaker 2: Well, we're going to take one more quick ad break 608 00:29:57,960 --> 00:29:59,720 Speaker 2: and then we'll be back with the last part of 609 00:29:59,760 --> 00:30:14,880 Speaker 2: our year in review. Well, we are back with our 610 00:30:15,080 --> 00:30:18,400 Speaker 2: twenty twenty four year interview episode. Something of an annual 611 00:30:18,400 --> 00:30:20,920 Speaker 2: tradition around here. In seven years of podcasting, you wind 612 00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:23,880 Speaker 2: up with a fair number of annual traditions, kind of 613 00:30:23,920 --> 00:30:27,120 Speaker 2: like going to see the Nutcracker or something like that. So, Sarah, 614 00:30:27,240 --> 00:30:30,040 Speaker 2: let's talk about your relationship goals and what happened there. 615 00:30:30,840 --> 00:30:33,320 Speaker 3: I think I met a lot of them, but I 616 00:30:33,560 --> 00:30:36,840 Speaker 3: was not terribly specific about the amount of time I 617 00:30:36,880 --> 00:30:38,640 Speaker 3: wanted to spend, so it's a little bit hard to 618 00:30:39,120 --> 00:30:41,560 Speaker 3: gauge success. But I did want to carve out more 619 00:30:41,640 --> 00:30:43,880 Speaker 3: one and one time with each family member, and I 620 00:30:43,920 --> 00:30:48,040 Speaker 3: feel like I did with Annabelle, I think I did 621 00:30:48,040 --> 00:30:52,840 Speaker 3: with Genevieve Cameron somewhat. I mean, the kids' activities sometimes 622 00:30:52,880 --> 00:30:55,000 Speaker 3: do lend themselves to having one on one time because 623 00:30:55,040 --> 00:30:56,320 Speaker 3: as we split them up and two of them go 624 00:30:56,360 --> 00:30:58,520 Speaker 3: to gymnastics and one of them goes to soccer. Somebody's 625 00:30:58,560 --> 00:31:00,880 Speaker 3: getting to spend that time without one kid. So I 626 00:31:00,920 --> 00:31:03,760 Speaker 3: feel like maybe more last year than prior years, but 627 00:31:03,920 --> 00:31:05,880 Speaker 3: still could be a little bit more. I wanted to 628 00:31:05,920 --> 00:31:07,760 Speaker 3: do at least one date night a month with Josh. 629 00:31:07,760 --> 00:31:10,560 Speaker 3: I think we did hit that milestone. I wanted to 630 00:31:10,560 --> 00:31:13,440 Speaker 3: do two couples trips with him, and I did admit 631 00:31:13,480 --> 00:31:16,960 Speaker 3: they might both be marathons, and that did end up happening, 632 00:31:17,520 --> 00:31:19,440 Speaker 3: but turns out you can have lots of quality time 633 00:31:19,520 --> 00:31:21,840 Speaker 3: even when you're preparing to run a lot of miles. 634 00:31:22,320 --> 00:31:25,560 Speaker 3: And then I wanted to see my family in Philadelphia 635 00:31:25,600 --> 00:31:29,120 Speaker 3: at least three times, but after the episode aired, I 636 00:31:29,120 --> 00:31:31,640 Speaker 3: remember taking a last minute pivot and instead of going 637 00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:33,840 Speaker 3: to visit them in January because our January was getting 638 00:31:33,920 --> 00:31:36,320 Speaker 3: very full, I ended up going in late December. So 639 00:31:36,400 --> 00:31:38,440 Speaker 3: that was kind of like my I only visited in 640 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:41,360 Speaker 3: the two times in twenty twenty four, but that last 641 00:31:41,360 --> 00:31:43,600 Speaker 3: trip was supposed to be January, so kind of counts. 642 00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:46,760 Speaker 3: Came in November, came in July, and then had come 643 00:31:46,800 --> 00:31:50,200 Speaker 3: at the end of twenty twenty three. Yeah, that was it. 644 00:31:50,240 --> 00:31:52,920 Speaker 3: From my relationship goals, they were kind of minimal compared 645 00:31:52,920 --> 00:31:55,520 Speaker 3: to the others, but I think I did pretty well. 646 00:31:56,600 --> 00:31:58,360 Speaker 3: Would give myself a B plus on the one on 647 00:31:58,360 --> 00:31:58,800 Speaker 3: one time. 648 00:31:59,320 --> 00:32:01,280 Speaker 2: Well, I'm always glad that you are resolving to come 649 00:32:01,320 --> 00:32:04,040 Speaker 2: to Philadelphia because that means I get to see So 650 00:32:04,080 --> 00:32:06,640 Speaker 2: we definitely saw Sarah several times in the course of 651 00:32:06,680 --> 00:32:10,560 Speaker 2: her coming to Philadelphia, which is always great. Yeah, So 652 00:32:10,600 --> 00:32:13,440 Speaker 2: my relationship goals for the years, I wanted to prioritize 653 00:32:13,680 --> 00:32:17,280 Speaker 2: teen time, I mean in older kids in general, and 654 00:32:17,360 --> 00:32:20,680 Speaker 2: putting that into my schedule. And I'd say that, yes, 655 00:32:20,920 --> 00:32:23,600 Speaker 2: I got a lot of good time with my older kids. 656 00:32:23,800 --> 00:32:24,240 Speaker 1: Obviously. 657 00:32:24,240 --> 00:32:26,200 Speaker 2: I took the older two boys to Spain, as mentioned 658 00:32:26,240 --> 00:32:28,760 Speaker 2: in a highlight in Paris with Ruth also a highlight. 659 00:32:29,520 --> 00:32:31,640 Speaker 2: Great to do those things. I took Jasper to New 660 00:32:31,720 --> 00:32:34,800 Speaker 2: York City in June. That was one of his Christmas presents. 661 00:32:35,160 --> 00:32:39,440 Speaker 2: Michael took Sam diving on a trip that they went 662 00:32:39,480 --> 00:32:41,239 Speaker 2: for a couple of days in the spring, so they 663 00:32:41,280 --> 00:32:44,280 Speaker 2: got some time together. We did a lot of Starbucks runs, 664 00:32:44,680 --> 00:32:47,080 Speaker 2: a lot of driving kids around. I mean, I do 665 00:32:47,160 --> 00:32:50,479 Speaker 2: look for opportunities to sort of linger over dinner when 666 00:32:50,520 --> 00:32:53,800 Speaker 2: we are having family dinner or something close to family dinner. 667 00:32:54,480 --> 00:32:57,520 Speaker 2: Often the little boys run off at some point. They 668 00:32:57,520 --> 00:33:00,480 Speaker 2: are very difficult to get to stay and the older 669 00:33:00,560 --> 00:33:03,360 Speaker 2: kids are pretty good dinner companions at this point, so 670 00:33:03,360 --> 00:33:06,520 Speaker 2: we often sit around and chatting, and I enjoy that. 671 00:33:06,640 --> 00:33:11,040 Speaker 2: I like to think my relationships with them are reasonably strong, 672 00:33:11,080 --> 00:33:11,960 Speaker 2: and I do not take that. 673 00:33:11,880 --> 00:33:15,000 Speaker 1: For granted at all. I'm very glad for that. 674 00:33:15,960 --> 00:33:20,160 Speaker 2: Another goal was to celebrate my twentieth anniversary with Michael. 675 00:33:20,200 --> 00:33:24,200 Speaker 2: We celebrated our twentieth wedding anniversary in September, so what 676 00:33:24,240 --> 00:33:26,600 Speaker 2: we actually did is we took a trip together to 677 00:33:27,440 --> 00:33:31,640 Speaker 2: Bar Harbor, Maine and Acadia in October, sort of peak 678 00:33:31,760 --> 00:33:35,120 Speaker 2: leaf season. We ran the half marathon together then. It 679 00:33:35,160 --> 00:33:38,280 Speaker 2: was pretty good trip. I mean, the race itself was 680 00:33:39,160 --> 00:33:41,680 Speaker 2: not my favorite. I do not believe I will be 681 00:33:41,680 --> 00:33:45,840 Speaker 2: setting any running goals for twenty twenty five, but we did, 682 00:33:45,880 --> 00:33:49,080 Speaker 2: in fact take that trip to celebrate our anniversary, so 683 00:33:50,080 --> 00:33:53,719 Speaker 2: I guess I would count that as having done that. 684 00:33:53,800 --> 00:33:57,440 Speaker 2: I also wanted to just do more regular friends stuff, 685 00:33:57,440 --> 00:34:00,280 Speaker 2: which I guess is a pretty vague goal. Also that 686 00:34:00,320 --> 00:34:03,080 Speaker 2: I could travel to see people, and I think I 687 00:34:03,240 --> 00:34:06,320 Speaker 2: did pretty well on this most weeks I do something 688 00:34:07,280 --> 00:34:10,719 Speaker 2: friend related. I definitely saw some folks in person that 689 00:34:10,800 --> 00:34:13,920 Speaker 2: I enjoyed that I don't live near. I was glad 690 00:34:13,920 --> 00:34:16,440 Speaker 2: to see a handful of folks in the course of 691 00:34:16,480 --> 00:34:19,239 Speaker 2: the year and various trips. So yeah, I would say 692 00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:22,560 Speaker 2: that was a positive. I'd give myself a fairly good 693 00:34:23,200 --> 00:34:26,680 Speaker 2: grade on that one. And some of that was just 694 00:34:26,920 --> 00:34:30,000 Speaker 2: like things come up, like other people suggest trips, and 695 00:34:30,040 --> 00:34:32,160 Speaker 2: it was one reason to leave some space as you're 696 00:34:32,200 --> 00:34:35,360 Speaker 2: planning the year. Like a friend from college suggested the 697 00:34:35,400 --> 00:34:37,200 Speaker 2: Paris trip, and you know, then I got to spend 698 00:34:37,239 --> 00:34:40,600 Speaker 2: time with her, and you know, also spend time with 699 00:34:40,719 --> 00:34:41,600 Speaker 2: Ruth while I was there. 700 00:34:42,760 --> 00:34:43,560 Speaker 1: Some of our. 701 00:34:43,880 --> 00:34:47,919 Speaker 2: Listeners had to get together in New York City in 702 00:34:48,000 --> 00:34:51,600 Speaker 2: April that I went to and really enjoyed seeing them 703 00:34:51,640 --> 00:34:53,759 Speaker 2: and going to the Botanical Garden there and going out 704 00:34:53,760 --> 00:34:55,040 Speaker 2: to eat and all that good stuff. 705 00:34:56,160 --> 00:34:56,319 Speaker 1: You know. 706 00:34:56,360 --> 00:34:59,440 Speaker 2: I got together with some friends and work friends in Portland, 707 00:34:59,520 --> 00:35:01,600 Speaker 2: Maine and October and enjoyed that, you know. 708 00:35:01,680 --> 00:35:03,480 Speaker 1: So yeah, it was a good year. 709 00:35:04,120 --> 00:35:06,399 Speaker 3: We did our Philadelphia meetup that year. This year, didn't 710 00:35:06,400 --> 00:35:10,239 Speaker 3: we In July twenty twenty three, Oh no, we just 711 00:35:10,280 --> 00:35:11,160 Speaker 3: went on a date together. 712 00:35:11,520 --> 00:35:13,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, yes, okay, we enjoyed that as well. We went 713 00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:15,239 Speaker 1: to a relationships one. 714 00:35:15,360 --> 00:35:17,080 Speaker 3: No. I had a flashback to the photo that we 715 00:35:17,120 --> 00:35:18,759 Speaker 3: took all together, and I'm like, wasn't that from a 716 00:35:18,760 --> 00:35:20,400 Speaker 3: big party? You know, the party was a year before, 717 00:35:20,440 --> 00:35:24,360 Speaker 3: but that was the same restaurant. Yes, I like relationship highlight. 718 00:35:24,680 --> 00:35:28,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, we go to this Mexican place. And I'm always 719 00:35:28,040 --> 00:35:30,360 Speaker 2: up for going to this Mexican place with friends. So 720 00:35:30,480 --> 00:35:32,160 Speaker 2: glad we were able to do that too. That was 721 00:35:32,160 --> 00:35:34,600 Speaker 2: a definite highlight this summer of seeing you and Josh 722 00:35:34,640 --> 00:35:38,720 Speaker 2: and getting to do that. All right, Sarah, household goals. 723 00:35:39,160 --> 00:35:40,239 Speaker 2: Let's hear what you have there. 724 00:35:40,360 --> 00:35:43,880 Speaker 3: I forced in there against your will, but that's okay, 725 00:35:44,160 --> 00:35:48,320 Speaker 3: all right. I wanted to establish a family reading routine. Nope, 726 00:35:48,480 --> 00:35:51,960 Speaker 3: didn't at all. I'm sad about that. Actually, that was 727 00:35:51,960 --> 00:35:54,360 Speaker 3: such a great goal. I may have to try it again. 728 00:35:55,080 --> 00:35:57,800 Speaker 3: I wanted to do more formal family meetings, and I 729 00:35:57,800 --> 00:35:59,920 Speaker 3: would say we did get like into a better root 730 00:36:00,360 --> 00:36:02,759 Speaker 3: of really reviewing what's coming in the week most Sundays 731 00:36:03,239 --> 00:36:06,000 Speaker 3: because I'd complete the board, the board on our the 732 00:36:06,040 --> 00:36:08,200 Speaker 3: bullet the like white board in our hallway and it's 733 00:36:08,280 --> 00:36:10,080 Speaker 3: right near the dinner table, and it's just like it 734 00:36:10,120 --> 00:36:12,600 Speaker 3: was a natural thing. So it kind of evolved that 735 00:36:12,640 --> 00:36:14,319 Speaker 3: we would talk about what was coming. And I feel 736 00:36:14,320 --> 00:36:16,400 Speaker 3: like we got it to a functional place, so that's great. 737 00:36:17,280 --> 00:36:20,560 Speaker 3: I wanted to complete our estate planning, and I had 738 00:36:20,560 --> 00:36:22,839 Speaker 3: that on my list for a million years and we 739 00:36:23,040 --> 00:36:26,600 Speaker 3: did finish it. Yay, okay, to be fair, like, I 740 00:36:26,600 --> 00:36:29,600 Speaker 3: think there's some other like to do items associated with 741 00:36:29,640 --> 00:36:31,840 Speaker 3: the planning, but I was reassured by our lawyer. He 742 00:36:31,920 --> 00:36:34,040 Speaker 3: said if we did nothing else from here on out, 743 00:36:34,320 --> 00:36:37,000 Speaker 3: we would still have our kids dealt with. We would 744 00:36:37,040 --> 00:36:40,320 Speaker 3: have avoid probate. Like everything's good, Like everything else is bonus. 745 00:36:40,360 --> 00:36:42,719 Speaker 3: So I will call it a check, a big win, 746 00:36:43,760 --> 00:36:46,319 Speaker 3: a struggle. This was really on my list for a 747 00:36:46,320 --> 00:36:48,920 Speaker 3: lot of years, but I found it emotionally fraught. I 748 00:36:48,920 --> 00:36:50,960 Speaker 3: found it really vague, and I'm just glad we were 749 00:36:50,960 --> 00:36:54,239 Speaker 3: able to make it happen. And you know, I thought 750 00:36:54,239 --> 00:36:56,279 Speaker 3: I had resolved to organize my home, but that's just 751 00:36:56,320 --> 00:36:58,560 Speaker 3: every single other year. I must have given myself a 752 00:36:58,560 --> 00:37:00,400 Speaker 3: break in twenty twenty four from that. 753 00:37:01,040 --> 00:37:06,600 Speaker 2: So good because it's not yeah, that's I mean, not 754 00:37:06,680 --> 00:37:09,480 Speaker 2: setting goals is one way to achieve them, and I 755 00:37:09,560 --> 00:37:12,080 Speaker 2: set no household goals, and no goals are easy to hit. 756 00:37:12,120 --> 00:37:16,480 Speaker 2: Although I will say I've been enjoying my house this year. 757 00:37:16,520 --> 00:37:18,120 Speaker 2: You know, a lot of the projects we did over 758 00:37:18,120 --> 00:37:21,839 Speaker 2: the past few years have finished come to fruition. It's 759 00:37:21,840 --> 00:37:25,440 Speaker 2: been fun to see, like the yard, you know, we 760 00:37:26,320 --> 00:37:30,480 Speaker 2: decorated for Christmas this year. We got professional decorating with 761 00:37:30,520 --> 00:37:33,400 Speaker 2: the lights out in the yard. It has been enjoyable 762 00:37:33,480 --> 00:37:37,240 Speaker 2: seeing that I now have five Christmas trees in the house, 763 00:37:37,520 --> 00:37:40,400 Speaker 2: only two big ones. The others are smaller, but they 764 00:37:40,440 --> 00:37:43,680 Speaker 2: are all decorated, so I get into things like that. 765 00:37:43,719 --> 00:37:46,640 Speaker 2: It wasn't a goal, but it's been a highlight of 766 00:37:46,680 --> 00:37:50,520 Speaker 2: the year real quickly. Another highlight for us has been 767 00:37:50,600 --> 00:37:55,080 Speaker 2: our Patreon community. We have really enjoyed getting to know 768 00:37:55,320 --> 00:37:57,400 Speaker 2: the people who are part of that. We have great 769 00:37:57,480 --> 00:38:01,839 Speaker 2: discussions over on our site. If you're looking for sort 770 00:38:01,880 --> 00:38:05,040 Speaker 2: of an alternative to social media. We often have long 771 00:38:05,080 --> 00:38:10,000 Speaker 2: discussion threads there. We have monthly meetups, our annual goal setting, 772 00:38:10,520 --> 00:38:14,040 Speaker 2: our goal setting workshops. We've had a book club this year. 773 00:38:14,600 --> 00:38:16,680 Speaker 2: We've done a lot of things talking about like meal 774 00:38:16,719 --> 00:38:21,719 Speaker 2: planning or organization. Really enjoyed that. We will be posting 775 00:38:21,880 --> 00:38:26,520 Speaker 2: our curriculum for the upcoming year soon. But two things 776 00:38:26,560 --> 00:38:30,520 Speaker 2: that Sarah's indulging me that we will be doing is 777 00:38:30,560 --> 00:38:31,279 Speaker 2: in lieu. 778 00:38:31,040 --> 00:38:32,920 Speaker 1: Of sort of a regular book club. 779 00:38:32,960 --> 00:38:35,920 Speaker 2: We were going to do a book club discussion of 780 00:38:36,040 --> 00:38:39,440 Speaker 2: one hundred and sixty eight Hours in May because that 781 00:38:39,480 --> 00:38:42,160 Speaker 2: will be the fifteen year anniversary of one hundred and 782 00:38:42,200 --> 00:38:44,480 Speaker 2: sixty eight Hours coming out. And we'll also do a 783 00:38:44,480 --> 00:38:46,759 Speaker 2: book club discussion of I Know How She Does It 784 00:38:47,719 --> 00:38:50,640 Speaker 2: in June because that will be the tenth anniversary of 785 00:38:50,800 --> 00:38:51,799 Speaker 2: that book coming out. 786 00:38:51,960 --> 00:38:53,200 Speaker 1: So if you. 787 00:38:53,920 --> 00:38:56,120 Speaker 2: Happen to have read either of those books or we'd 788 00:38:56,200 --> 00:38:58,319 Speaker 2: like to and want to discuss that with me and Sarah, 789 00:38:58,480 --> 00:39:00,520 Speaker 2: we would welcome that. And of course, you know, our 790 00:39:00,560 --> 00:39:03,840 Speaker 2: December Annual Goals Workshop is a great way to test 791 00:39:03,840 --> 00:39:05,640 Speaker 2: out Sarah's course offerings. 792 00:39:05,920 --> 00:39:08,319 Speaker 3: Yes, it's been really fun. I do feel like our 793 00:39:08,360 --> 00:39:11,080 Speaker 3: Patreon has like gelled a lot this year. Like a 794 00:39:11,080 --> 00:39:14,440 Speaker 3: lot of people, I've just seen them frequently comment. I'm 795 00:39:14,440 --> 00:39:16,319 Speaker 3: sure there's some people who comment less, but then they 796 00:39:16,400 --> 00:39:18,759 Speaker 3: join in the conversation when they feel like it. Our 797 00:39:18,840 --> 00:39:21,520 Speaker 3: threads have been a lot of times instigated by people 798 00:39:21,960 --> 00:39:25,080 Speaker 3: being like, hey can you crowdsource I need gift ideas 799 00:39:25,080 --> 00:39:27,359 Speaker 3: for an eight year old boy, and then we put 800 00:39:27,360 --> 00:39:29,480 Speaker 3: it up there and we get so many awesome ideas 801 00:39:29,520 --> 00:39:32,000 Speaker 3: in this group, and yet it really does lack the 802 00:39:32,520 --> 00:39:35,879 Speaker 3: addictive qualities of social media, at least for me. So 803 00:39:36,200 --> 00:39:38,600 Speaker 3: if that is something you're thinking about, like, I don't 804 00:39:38,600 --> 00:39:40,279 Speaker 3: want to be doing as much of that. What could 805 00:39:40,360 --> 00:39:44,120 Speaker 3: I do instead? That feels more enriching, feels positive. This 806 00:39:44,280 --> 00:39:46,440 Speaker 3: is a great place, So we would love to have you. Yeah, 807 00:39:46,440 --> 00:39:48,320 Speaker 3: and I'm very excited to finalize our curriculum. 808 00:39:48,520 --> 00:39:51,080 Speaker 1: I love the word parculum. All right. 809 00:39:51,200 --> 00:39:55,680 Speaker 3: The question the question all right, we and this one 810 00:39:55,719 --> 00:39:58,080 Speaker 3: I think does come from someone who was in Patreon 811 00:39:58,160 --> 00:40:01,720 Speaker 3: so amazing. This person asked, what exactly is a house 812 00:40:01,960 --> 00:40:05,040 Speaker 3: manager and what's the difference between that and a nanny? 813 00:40:05,080 --> 00:40:06,560 Speaker 3: How would you go about finding one? 814 00:40:07,320 --> 00:40:07,920 Speaker 1: Yeah? 815 00:40:08,160 --> 00:40:12,120 Speaker 2: Well, so this is if you think about what is 816 00:40:12,200 --> 00:40:17,359 Speaker 2: required to run a household, there are often a lot 817 00:40:17,400 --> 00:40:26,000 Speaker 2: of things like grocery shopping or organizing or taking returns back, 818 00:40:26,400 --> 00:40:31,880 Speaker 2: or meeting contractors, getting bids on things like especially if 819 00:40:31,880 --> 00:40:35,080 Speaker 2: you're doing any sort of home renovation projects, or you 820 00:40:35,200 --> 00:40:38,879 Speaker 2: have appliances that break, or you know, anything along those lines. 821 00:40:38,880 --> 00:40:40,120 Speaker 1: Are just general. 822 00:40:40,880 --> 00:40:44,680 Speaker 2: Upkeep of a space, and it takes a lot of time. 823 00:40:44,840 --> 00:40:46,960 Speaker 2: It takes a lot of work. And when people have 824 00:40:47,800 --> 00:40:53,120 Speaker 2: full time childcare, sometimes because that person is home during 825 00:40:53,160 --> 00:40:55,200 Speaker 2: the day, they may be able to handle some of it, 826 00:40:56,320 --> 00:40:58,880 Speaker 2: especially if you have kids who are in school for 827 00:40:58,920 --> 00:41:00,440 Speaker 2: any amount of hours. So a lot of times what 828 00:41:00,560 --> 00:41:05,000 Speaker 2: happens is like your youngest kid goes to preschool for 829 00:41:06,320 --> 00:41:08,640 Speaker 2: three days a week for four hours a day, and 830 00:41:08,880 --> 00:41:10,919 Speaker 2: so it's like you still need full time childcare because 831 00:41:10,960 --> 00:41:14,880 Speaker 2: that does not cover your work hours. But the person 832 00:41:15,239 --> 00:41:17,680 Speaker 2: has some time then that they could do various things, 833 00:41:17,719 --> 00:41:20,360 Speaker 2: and so often what people wind up doing is having 834 00:41:20,480 --> 00:41:23,960 Speaker 2: their nanny take on more of this house manager type role. 835 00:41:24,040 --> 00:41:27,000 Speaker 2: But if you are aging out of the time when 836 00:41:27,040 --> 00:41:31,840 Speaker 2: you even need childcare, along those lines, you could consider 837 00:41:31,960 --> 00:41:34,120 Speaker 2: hiring someone for a certain number of hours a week 838 00:41:34,160 --> 00:41:36,400 Speaker 2: to deal with these sorts of things. So maybe the 839 00:41:36,440 --> 00:41:39,440 Speaker 2: person works let's say Wednesdays and Fridays, and so you 840 00:41:39,560 --> 00:41:43,520 Speaker 2: always have them arranged to have contractors or deliveries or 841 00:41:43,560 --> 00:41:46,240 Speaker 2: anything like that happen on Wednesdays and Fridays, and then 842 00:41:46,680 --> 00:41:49,640 Speaker 2: they can do various things like resetting the house or 843 00:41:49,680 --> 00:41:52,520 Speaker 2: you know, noticing what you're out of and say, oh, 844 00:41:52,600 --> 00:41:55,040 Speaker 2: well the light bulb up there is out, I will 845 00:41:55,080 --> 00:41:58,640 Speaker 2: go fix it. Things like that that you would do 846 00:41:59,080 --> 00:42:01,080 Speaker 2: if you were focused on your home full time, but 847 00:42:01,160 --> 00:42:03,640 Speaker 2: because you are not focused on your home full time. 848 00:42:03,640 --> 00:42:04,040 Speaker 1: You won't. 849 00:42:04,040 --> 00:42:05,480 Speaker 2: And I mean this is the sort of thing that like, 850 00:42:06,239 --> 00:42:08,120 Speaker 2: I mean, people who are like stay at home moms 851 00:42:08,160 --> 00:42:10,399 Speaker 2: wind up doing and then when they feel that they 852 00:42:10,440 --> 00:42:14,080 Speaker 2: are not, like people like, well, your kids are in school, 853 00:42:14,080 --> 00:42:15,440 Speaker 2: like what are you actually doing? Like, there's still a 854 00:42:15,480 --> 00:42:17,480 Speaker 2: lot of work to be done, especially you know, for 855 00:42:17,480 --> 00:42:20,960 Speaker 2: people who have bigger families or bigger houses even you know, 856 00:42:21,080 --> 00:42:22,000 Speaker 2: or things like that. 857 00:42:22,120 --> 00:42:24,160 Speaker 1: So yeah, that's what they would do. I would. 858 00:42:24,480 --> 00:42:27,120 Speaker 2: As for finding people, I mean, I think it's just 859 00:42:27,200 --> 00:42:30,680 Speaker 2: a lot of networking, like anything else, asking other people. 860 00:42:30,719 --> 00:42:32,680 Speaker 2: You know, maybe somebody else has somebody who's working two 861 00:42:32,760 --> 00:42:34,560 Speaker 2: days a week and they'd like to work more, and 862 00:42:34,680 --> 00:42:36,200 Speaker 2: you know, then you could have them for two days 863 00:42:36,200 --> 00:42:38,640 Speaker 2: a week as well, or you know, you could post 864 00:42:38,680 --> 00:42:40,920 Speaker 2: on the various places like care dot com or anything 865 00:42:40,920 --> 00:42:41,680 Speaker 2: along those lines. 866 00:42:41,719 --> 00:42:45,120 Speaker 3: Probably a regular job board too, maybe like indeed or yeah. 867 00:42:44,920 --> 00:42:48,120 Speaker 2: Oh yeah cool, certainly. Or there are agencies, I mean, 868 00:42:48,120 --> 00:42:50,600 Speaker 2: there's household staffing agencies. If you wanted to go that 869 00:42:50,719 --> 00:42:52,879 Speaker 2: route as well, same as you know with finding a nanny. 870 00:42:52,920 --> 00:42:55,120 Speaker 2: Obviously you can post somewhere like care dot com. You 871 00:42:55,160 --> 00:42:58,239 Speaker 2: can go through a large number of agencies that will 872 00:42:58,239 --> 00:43:00,440 Speaker 2: help you find people, and so it'd be very similar. 873 00:43:01,120 --> 00:43:03,439 Speaker 3: I think one thing you mentioned that I didn't really 874 00:43:03,520 --> 00:43:05,239 Speaker 3: know about house managers with that you could have a 875 00:43:05,280 --> 00:43:08,200 Speaker 3: part time one. So that's really interesting, like the idea 876 00:43:08,239 --> 00:43:10,120 Speaker 3: that like, you know, you don't eat childcare anymore, but 877 00:43:10,160 --> 00:43:12,000 Speaker 3: you do, you have enough of those loose ends things 878 00:43:12,040 --> 00:43:14,160 Speaker 3: and maybe they just always do your grocery shopping as 879 00:43:14,200 --> 00:43:16,960 Speaker 3: well or something like that. But two days a week 880 00:43:17,080 --> 00:43:19,239 Speaker 3: or ten hours a week or something like that might 881 00:43:19,280 --> 00:43:20,760 Speaker 3: be achievable for a lot of people. 882 00:43:21,440 --> 00:43:23,839 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, and can certainly make life a little bit 883 00:43:23,840 --> 00:43:31,040 Speaker 2: more calm when your light bulbs aren't all out so well, 884 00:43:31,080 --> 00:43:33,120 Speaker 2: I guess this is we're even thinking Love of the Week, 885 00:43:33,120 --> 00:43:34,920 Speaker 2: but kind of a lot. This has been all Love 886 00:43:34,960 --> 00:43:36,880 Speaker 2: of the Week again, our year and their VEO home. 887 00:43:37,000 --> 00:43:39,399 Speaker 2: We love twenty twenty four mostly. 888 00:43:40,280 --> 00:43:43,120 Speaker 3: Yes, we love twenty twenty four. We love our Patreon members, 889 00:43:43,160 --> 00:43:45,720 Speaker 3: we love our listeners. Thank you so much for anyone 890 00:43:45,760 --> 00:43:49,200 Speaker 3: who's followed our journey from the twenty seventeen beginning of 891 00:43:49,200 --> 00:43:51,719 Speaker 3: this podcast, but also welcome anyone who joined us new 892 00:43:51,719 --> 00:43:53,759 Speaker 3: in twenty twenty four. We're grateful for all of you. 893 00:43:54,200 --> 00:43:57,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, we can see that our listenership has gone up 894 00:43:57,120 --> 00:43:59,200 Speaker 2: a bit in twenty twenty four, so we're excited about 895 00:43:59,200 --> 00:44:00,920 Speaker 2: that to welcome new peace people to the community. 896 00:44:01,040 --> 00:44:03,520 Speaker 1: So yeah, you are our love of the week. 897 00:44:04,080 --> 00:44:07,080 Speaker 2: Thanks for joining us, and we will be back next 898 00:44:07,120 --> 00:44:09,400 Speaker 2: week with more on making work and life fit together. 899 00:44:11,480 --> 00:44:14,239 Speaker 3: Thanks for listening. You can find me Sarah at the 900 00:44:14,239 --> 00:44:19,200 Speaker 3: shoebox dot com or at the Underscore Shoebox on Instagram. 901 00:44:19,080 --> 00:44:23,120 Speaker 2: And you can find me Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. 902 00:44:23,480 --> 00:44:26,680 Speaker 2: This has been the best of both worlds podcasts. Please 903 00:44:26,760 --> 00:44:29,360 Speaker 2: join us next time for more on making work and 904 00:44:29,440 --> 00:44:30,560 Speaker 2: life work together.