Happy New Year! I know I’m late, but better late than never, right? I’m just glad I got it in while it’s still January (for two more days!).

My first post of the year is usually about my New Year’s resolution, but I’m going to skip that for now. After all, how many times can I write “Instead of focusing on losing weight, this year I want to learn how to maintain a healthy lifestyle for the rest of my life”? It’s getting old. Instead, I’m going to use this time to reflect on just how drastically my life changed in 2014.

In 2014, I said goodbye to my family, my friends, my job (sorta), and my city, and moved nearly across the country. That is a HUGE f*cking deal! I’m kinda proud of myself for actually having the balls to do it. I’m sure a lot of people, close friends included, thought I was crazy for moving – especially for a guy. But when you’re in love, things that seem crazy to other people seem perfectly rational to you.

It was definitely a gamble to give it all up and move here, but so far it has paid off. I am very happy down here. It’s great to actually BE with Dave and not have to do long distance anymore. And I happen to really like New Orleans. It’s such a cool city. The people are friendly, and I have made a few good friends, which has made being here much easier. The food and nightlife are great, and there is such a diverse culture here that even though it’s a small city (less than 400,000 people!), I definitely do not feel like I’m missing out on things by not being in New York City. On the contrary, I really love the New Orleans vibe.

It hasn’t all been smooth sailing, of course – there are times when I really miss my family and friends and I feel sad that I’m pretty much out of their lives. It isn’t easy. But all in all, I don’t regret moving down here for one second. So that’s good.

Another major thing that happened in 2014? I officially got divorced! If you know me at all, then you know how huge that is. I was separated from my ex for over 5 years! #LongestSeparationEver. There were certain things going on (financial) that made it easier for us to stay married. But once I got with Dave and then especially once I decided to move down to New Orleans to be with him, it became very important for me to get divorced. Obviously. So I took the initiative and found a lawyer and now I am a happily divorced woman. 😀

Then there was the sad part of 2014 – my grandmother passed away in mid November. It wasn’t unexpected (she was 94 and her health had been failing for the six months prior), but it was still devastating. My mom called me at the end of October and told me to come home as soon as possible. I flew up to NY two days later and spent the next two weeks at my grandma’s side, until literally 15 minutes before she died.

My grandma took care of me when I was little, and she supported and encouraged me as an adult. For the past 6 years (since I got separated) up until the week before I moved, I went to visit her at least every other weekend. She was such a huge part of my life. She went through so much in her life and was such a strong woman, and I’m happy and grateful that I was able to be there and be strong for her during the last days and hours of her life.

And on that note I’d like to share of few photos of my grandma. This one is my favorite photo of her – she was so beautiful! I think this was her high school photo, which means it was taken in 1937 (she was born in 1920).

I can really see my mom in this one (around the same time, maybe a few years later):

I didn’t realize how skinny my grandma had been until I started looking through all these photos. At 5’2, she was a tiny little thing!

This next one was in 1971. You can’t see her face, but I just love her outfit!

Mid 1970s:

Me and grandma, 1979:

Me, my mom and my grandma, 1982-ish:

And a more recent picture of me and her, from 2013.

RIP grandma! Love you and miss you.