Jenn's “Not So” Quick Year-in-Review 2019

Where do I even begin? I started last year with so much hope. I was in a new job, and I was starting to finally feel a little bit more settled in our new home – New York City. I tell Joel this all the time, but living here is like living in a dream. Sometimes I feel like I’m living in a snow globe, and someone else is watching me live this extraordinary and imaginary life. It makes me so much more cognizant of how precious and fleeting life truly is.  

I found myself in January being flown out to my work’s Amsterdam office via business class. It was a career dream of mine that I never thought I would achieve, and there it was. I did everything I could to take it all in. God has blessed us so much that Joel was also able to accompany me via business class and spend a few days with me while I was there. If you had told me this two or three years ago – I would never have believed you. I can still feel myself drinking Bailey’s in the business class lounge, walking the streets with Joel and getting lost in the Red-Light District with him. I remember having fondue with him at dinner and wishing that moment would never end. I wanted to freeze time. I also remember coming back from that trip and meeting up with Joel’s siblings who I adore, and having the best time with them showing them around our newly beloved city. I remember having breakfast at Tiffany’s with my Pookie (Amy) and being so proud to finally get that blue bag. I’m so glad it was with her, I wouldn’t have wanted to have had that moment with anyone else.

Come February my prayers were answered and we got our first real snow in the city. I took it all in. I would run through Central Park every chance I got like a kid in a candy store. My body and soul were filled with inexplainable joy. I have never experienced anything so magical. The beauty, the soft sound of falling snow, the ability to make snow angels in my favorite place in the world was almost too much for me to grasp. I did everything I could to capture thousands of photographs in my mind.

By the first weekend in March I was able to drag Joel out and get into an epic snowball fight with me in Central Park. I also got him to build a snowman with me. I will never forget that day for as long as I live. You couldn’t wipe the huge grins off our faces – even if I got pegged in the head a few times by Joel’s snowballs. Let’s just say I can’t wait for my revenge in 2020.

In April spring was finally upon us and the flowers were starting to bloom in a bright hue of pink. It was also time for our now annual visit to California to visit Joel’s family for Passover and my dad for his birthday. These trips are amazing, but honestly hard, for multiple reasons. Physically it’s taxing, but more so it’s emotionally taxing. While Joel and I love living out here, we miss our families so much. We miss spending time with them, and building memories with them throughout the year. It’s hard to try and cram everything into those few moments during our visit. Nevertheless, we did, and we loved every second with them.

May came around and Joel and I were getting the bug to go outdoors. In California we used to love to go hiking at Crystal Cove, a beautiful trail along the Pacific Ocean. We missed this, so we sought out beautiful trails here on the east coast. Through some research and asking our work colleagues we landed on a hike at Storm King. Let me start by saying hiking in the east coast is actually hiking and makes west coast hiking look like child’s play. We were practically rock-climbing during portions of it, it was no joke. But it also was so worth it. We had a blast, and I have no doubt we will look to do it again in 2020.

When June peered its hot head, I decided it would be the perfect time to take Joel up on his recommendation to play tennis at nearby clay courts along the Hudson. We had a blast, and then I almost died from heat exhaustion. Not literally, but Joel and I joke about it all the time. It was an awesome memory, and I’m so glad we did it. If I have one regret from 2019, it’s that I wish I played more of it with Joel. Actually, I wish I did more things that Joel loves because he is so good to me and deserves it. Speaking of, during this month Joel also surprised us and got us into a secret restaurant that required a password to get in. When I think about New York, this is one of those experiences I always think of and will never forget. I felt like I “made it” and was finally apart of “that world.” Joel and I both took it all in. The food was amazing, and the inside of the restaurant is something I can still picture in my mind with explicit detail to this day.

July was a big month for two reasons. First, it was time for our annual “big trip.” Jake, Joel’s brother, accompanied us and we traveled the world, literally. We started in Cairo where Joel and I were able to see the pyramids for the second time in our lives. To see them once is a once in a lifetime experience, so to see them twice is nothing short of a miracle. The first time we visited them with my parents who I credit for instilling the fire in my heart to travel the world. They are the reason Joel and I travel as far and wide as we do every year, and I couldn’t be more eternally grateful to both of them for that. Going back to Cairo was hard because it’s literally one of my favorite memories of my mom (who has since passed).  I didn’t want to erase those memories, but going back enabled me to almost walk with her again, even if it was just for that day. While in Egypt we also explored Luxor, where I was magically cured by our tour lady from traveler’s diarrhea – the first case I have ever gotten in our decade of travel. 

We then visited the UAE, specifically Abu Dhabi and Dubai and had an epic time. After that we visited Mumbai. I knew we would go back to India after visiting New Delhi in 2017, but I never thought it would be that quick. India is not for the faint of heart, but if you can get past all of the poverty and pollution, it’s the best place in the world you can visit. All I can say is I will never – ever – for as long as I live forget walking through the slums. It was the most humbling experience of my life. From there we jetted off to Singapore, a place I would visit again, and would even live at. We also fit in some time while we there to do a trip to Kuala Lumpur, a city that surprised me with how urban and beautiful it was. This trip also marked off a very special goal of mine – to fly business class both ways – with tickets purchased from our money. Joel and I had done it one way as last-minute upgrades, and through work, but we really wanted to do it both ways on our own, so doing it this trip made it extra special. My hat goes off to Turkish Airlines for providing us with such a great experience and making me feel like that goal was so worth it.

The middle of July marked one of the happiest days of my life: getting our adorable Australian Labradoodle, Frasier. Every Friday since February of this year, which Joel and I aptly named “Frasier Friday’s” we would get updates (emails, videos, and pictures) of our little guy and how he was doing in his training program. As I mentioned in my favorite memories post, getting Frasier was a lifelong dream of mine, and I was so terrified, as I wanted it all to work out so badly because of our history. I prayed so hard leading up to us getting him that he would be a huge blessing for our family. Looking back now, I think blessing is too light of a word. He is everything to our family. He brings me more joy and purpose than I can fathom. I genuinely look forward to every day with him and what cute or interesting thing he will do next. Joel and I both knew right when we got him that he was a keeper and that we would be his forever family. I’ll never forget walking him around our complex and our apartment, I wanted someone to pinch me, I didn’t believe he was real, and he instantly became my little bear. Over the next few weeks (and months), it was really about Joel and I reinforcing his training, getting our little guy into his routines, and figuring out ours.

In August Joel and I celebrated our birthdays and took Frasier with us on his first adventure. For the first time in his life, we took him in a New York yellow taxi and drove him to the Brooklyn Bridge. This bridge is a go-to for us to take visitors to and is one of my favorite in-city walks. Frasier was beaming. You could see from the huge grin on his face he was loving every second, sniffing all the new smells and seeing all the new sights. Joel and I couldn’t stop smiling either. After walking the bridge up and back, we walked him to check out Joel’s work and the nearby Hudson River Park. The rest of August consisted of us spending every second we could with our little bear.

September brought us some very special moments. My dad came out to spend time with me (Joel went home to visit his siblings), which meant my dad and I could get some really nice father-daughter bonding time. We used the time really well and created some of my favorite moments together. We went to the US Open for a day and night session and gorged on their Honey Deuce drink (it’s quite good). We literally ran to see our off-Broadway show “The Play That Goes Wrong” (one of my favorite shows in the city). I didn’t think we were honestly going to make it on time, but we scored front row seats, and we laughed about the whole experience throughout the trip. We were able to walk through Central Park arm in arm and watch street performers, who actually picked Dad to be a part of their act! Daddy also got to meet and walk our little Frasier, which was a true highlight for me. Our time together was so nice that it felt too short. Luckily, I got to see him a week later for a work trip to Long Beach. But, it was definitely a moment in time with him that I will always cherish. And is something I hope he and I can continue to replicate in 2020 and the decade to follow.

The month of September also brought a huge milestone for Joel and me – our ten-year wedding anniversary. I never doubted Joel and I would make it to ten years. In fact, I fully expect us to have a lifetime together of love and happiness. But to actually be able to celebrate it was really special. I wonder to this day why God blessed me with such an amazing man and husband. I literally think the world of him, and truly God only knows what I would be without him. He makes me so happy and I cherish every single second we share together. He is my very best friend. I’m never bored or tired of him. He is the first person I want to talk to in the morning and the last person I want to see at night. I love him certainly more than he or anyone will ever truly know.  For our ten-year anniversary, we celebrated at Eleven Madison Park. It’s a three-star Michelin restaurant, and it lived up to the hype and then some. And per usual, Joel made it even more special by surprising me with a love note at our table and a tour of the kitchen after our dinner. Everything about the evening was magical. But more importantly – everything about our marriage and life together these past ten years has been nothing short of a fairy tale. Through our good – and yes even bad – times our love and fight for our marriage and each other never failed. If there is something I am truly confident about and proud of in my life – it’s that – our marriage, and the deep and forever love he and I share for each other.

My favorite time of year in the city shortly followed – Fall. If you have never been to New York in the fall, then you simply haven’t lived. It’s one of the most beautiful things I have seen. The foliage and the way the city feels and looks, it’s straight out of a movie. It’s also that perfect time when you start wearing your coat to keep you warm but can also wear them in a fashionable way, before the winter hits and they are purely on you for utility. October also brought us a mini trip to Tucson to celebrate Joel’s Grandma’s birthday. It was a great mini getaway, especially because it was a time when we could hang out with his siblings like old times. It was also nice to celebrate his Grandma who has been a great cheerleader for Joel and I over the past decade.

By the time November rolled around you could feel the holidays swiftly approaching. Joel and I had planned to do another mini getaway to Rhode Island, but decided against it in favor of spending time with each other and our little guy. With that time, we took off work and pretended like we were staying in New York for vacation and hit all the bars and restaurants we have been dying to go to, but just hadn’t because of work and other responsibilities. So, we went to the St. Regis Bar at 11 AM on a weekday for a couple of drinks, dined at Gramercy Tavern, a place I have wanted to visit since we moved here, toured museums like the Whitney, and had lunch like socialites at Restoration Hardware. We also ate at some famous bagel and sandwich shops where we laughed and laughed and enjoyed each other’s company. Everything about it was perfect. It’s one of the many things I love about Joel and our marriage. Any moment I have with him is special. Just being with him makes me so happy, and to have that dedicated time to have “dates” like when we were younger was everything I could have hoped for and more. 

And then just like that, December came. One of the highlights of the year, and really a time I will never forget with Joel, is when he scored us tickets to a gala at the Met. A night of drinks and a private showing of one of their exhibits. We were elated. That night is what dreams are made of. He and I drank (and drank some more), listened to live music, talked, laughed, and walked around the Met like we had won the lottery. I truly wondered if this was real life. Everything about it was perfect. It’s something I never imagined we would be at (like it was something that only happened in movies), and there we were, having the time of our lives. I praise God for that night. At this time in our life, it meant everything to Joel and I. I think for both of us, at least for me, it perfectly encapsulated why we took that leap of faith to move to this city. It was in a way the best way we could celebrate the pain, stress and unbelievable amount of hard work Joel and I have put in these past two years to get to where we are today. It felt like in that moment we had finally made it.

Later in the month we flew back to California to spend time with our families for Christmas. While I missed leaving our little bear behind, it was so amazing to spend that time with our family who we so miss. I got to treat my dad to a couple of days in Downtown San Diego where we drank our way through the city, saw a terrible movie (which was fun to laugh about later), and have a wonderful dinner together chatting about life. While I don’t get to see my Dad as often, I have to say it’s in those moments that I recognize how much I need to cherish each and every second with him, and during that time, that’s exactly what I did. It was such a special time, and I look forward to building many more of those memories with him in 2020. We also used the time to hang out with Joel’s siblings, see friends, and hang out with Holly and Max for an epic night of Mysterium. The whole time we spent in California was amazing (albeit exhausting). It makes both of us so grateful for the relationship we have with our families and reminds us how much we love and miss them. We left California sad to say goodbye to them, but excited to see our little dood. Let’s just say when the three of us (Joel, Frasier and I) were reunited, we all couldn’t stop smiling for a couple days. We closed out the year seeing Jake (who won a trip here through work to see the ball drop), and then Joel and I played Pandemic with each other, ate at one of our favorite Michelin restaurants, Musket Room, watched our favorite movie “About Time”, and sang, danced and kissed our way into the new year. I couldn’t think of a better way to say farewell to what was a great 2019.

As I look to the beginning of 2020 – and beyond, I can’t help but be in prayer. Don’t misjudge this as negative by any means. I hope from everything above, it’s obvious I feel so extremely blessed for my life. I praise God every day for his insurmountable blessings… I constantly feel like I am underserving. 

I say I’m in prayer because like any adventure – while the start of it is always filled with adrenaline and surprise, there comes a time where decisions have to be made and new paths have to be forged. And that’s terrifying. It’s terrifically terrifying because as I look back on my life I realize how blessed I am to have already reached so many of the dreams I had laid out for myself as a young girl. And now I’m asking myself, what’s next? What new dreams should I create? What do I want for my future, my life? And more importantly, what does God want for me? That’s where I’m at today.

What lies next is an unpaved road, and I know I have to build it. I question whether I have the energy or courage to do it. I question whether I should build the familiar, the popular, or the unknown. I genuinely have no idea. All I know, today, in this very moment, is life truly couldn’t get any better. I praise God for that – and I know He (and my Mom) are watching over me guiding me towards that right path. So, this year, in 2020, I pray I see His path clearly, that I confidently walk in that direction ---- and that I take in all the beautiful scenery along the way.