Life Lessons Learned from 2017

     As 2017 comes to a close and I try to wrap my mind around the fact that it's about to be 2018, I wanted to look back on the lessons learned over the course of the year. On the whole, 2017 has been a good year to me. I started out the year hanging out at Dunkin' Donuts and drinking coffee...and I'm finishing up the year hanging out at Dunkin' Donuts and drinking coffee. Well, at least I've been consistent. Nonetheless, here are life lessons learned this year:
  • Be prepared to go from 0-100: Just when you think you've got life figured out, everything changes. This happened in January, when I went from binge watching Boy Meets World to accepting a job that would start in about 2 weeks in a city I wasn't familiar with. Suddenly, it truly was "Boy Meets World" (sorry, I couldn't resist). That meant packing everything up, flying out to Houston, apartment hunting, IKEA shopping, etc. A total 180 from what I was doing just 2 weeks earlier.

         In August, I found myself going from "0 to 100" again, this time under a much different set of circumstances. On August 23rd, I got a call from my mom: my grandpa had passed away that morning. Around this same time, Hurricane Harvey was headed towards Texas -- and strengthening. The next day, I flew out to North Carolina. About a day or two after that, Hurricane Harvey officially made landfall in Texas. On the day of the funeral, devastating pictures of Houston started surfacing (more on that later). I didn't know when I'd get back or if my apartment was okay. It was a whirlwind of a week and a half (I wasn't able to get back to Houston until Labor Day weekend). Through it all though, my family was there for me, just as they were when I made the move to Houston.
  • There is more Love than Water in Houston: In late-August this year, Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas and absolutely devastated many communities, including Houston. The damage in the impacted neighborhoods was eye-opening. The way that everyone came together and help one another out post-Harvey was absolutely incredible to witness. People came from all over the state (and country!) to help out. JJ Watt's fundraiser raised over $30 Million. Countless others donated supplies, clothing, etc. to those in need. At church, everything got placed on hold and took a backseat to Harvey relief. I helped out with my class at church in providing Harvey relief. The days were long and the temperatures were hot, but it was absolutely worth it.

          Working in the homes really got me thinking about what it means to serve Jesus. I never want to go through another Harvey again, nor do I ever want to go through another flood. But I never want to lose that feeling of God’s love. That through it all, the love of God overpowers all. Through God, Houston can rebuild and recover. To repeat what was said by others, there truly was more love than water in Houston. Houston Strong, indeed.


  • It's never too late to live out those childhood dreams: Growing up, my favorite show to watch was probably Spongebob Squarepants. As mentioned in a previous entry, I've rooted for the Milwaukee Bucks since 2003-ish. I also watched a lot of college football as a kid/teenager. Over the years, I formed a "bucket list" of teams/venues I wanted to see. One was to go to Boise State and see the famed "Smurf Turf". This year, I got to live out those dreams! 9-year old Will Goodfellow would be proud! I had the privilege of meeting the voice actors of Spongebob, Patrick, and Squidward at Comicpalooza (Houston version of Comic Con). To meet and thank people that brought so much joy and laughter to my childhood was incredible.


         This fall, I took a trip out to Idaho. While it was cool to explore the gem of a city that is Boise (seriously, Idaho is beautiful), it always was about watching a game on "The Blue". Although the game itself was a blowout, it was a neat experience. They even let the fans on the field after the game! Lastly, I went to a Houston Rockets game a two weeks ago when the Bucks were in town. While the Bucks didn't win, it was a good game and awesome to get to see them play in person. When an opportunity arises, go for it! It's never too late to live out those childhood dreams.

     Well, there you have it. I learned a lot this year. And I'll be better off next year because of what I learned this year. There's still a lot for me to learn, but the truth is, we never are done learning. Here's to a great year...and for more to come! Happy New Year!

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