we are into the first month of the new year, and it’s hard to believe it’s two thousand and eighteen. so much happened for us and for me in 2017, and i wanted to take a few minutes to make sure i record what i’m calling the year of big shifts.

we put the idea of leaving our city life into motion halfway through 2016, and fully realized it less than a year later. i am a firm believer in the power of the universe, and in positive intention. i have too many examples in my life of things falling into place after one out loud conversation about a desire or wish. i’m not saying it’s magic, or that it happens every time – but i do think we have the ability to manifest good and not so good in our lives. the phrase “be careful what you wish for” is real, especially if your intention behind your wish is in the right place and you are ready to accept the gift.

okay, on to the year in review….

big shift #1 – new job: this was one of those “fell into place” situations. i am so grateful to the team that provided me the opportunity to stay with the fruit. it was a conversation i had with a VP that started the ball rolling and here we are. working in this org has been vastly different from my previous organization. it’s weird how that can happen within a company – parts operate as their own small companies and while the foundational stuff is the same, the nuances of the day to day are very different. i’m working in a space i’ve always been passionate about and it’s a space i’m proud to still have good examples of my work in action out there in the world. 2018 will be about how to land the next big thing and have my little signature associated to it.

big shift #2 – moving onto the farm was the next big shift. we moved to austin into a brand new house as a rental. we unpacked (a tiny bit), got comfortable and made a home because we had no idea how long the search would take. we had nine months and used six. however we found wallum farm 39 days after arriving in austin.

farm life is obviously opposite of city life. we miss the conveniences of the city, but we are so grateful for the wide open spaces, the fresh air, the peaceful morning and nights and our ability to learn and create this new life.

big shift #3 – depression

where to start… there was a lot of change at the beginning of 2017 and many times where I thought we had made a mistake and we should just pack it up and go back to something that felt more familiar. the fact that work was new, our environment was completely different, the conveniences we were used to were non-existent and we knew very few people put me through a period of loss. we moved for all of the right reasons, but the adjustment was difficult. i’ve read that when you make changes that are big positive pushes forward, there is usually a period of second guessing, or difficultly that causes you to think that maybe you made a mistake. the challenging times didn’t last long, and i can recognize them now for what they were. the lows after the really big change high!

big shift #4 – adding anchors. we jumped right in with wanting animals. with creating spaces for them and serendipitously finding breeders.

animal count: we’ve added 2 labs (gracie and hudson), 10 chickens (apollonia, cocoa chanel, hei hei, phyllis diller, thelma and louise, wilma and betty, bonnie without clyde, and eartha kitt), 3 barn cats, 3 mini donkeys (captain and moe are with us and baby brother hank joins us in the spring), and brooklyn our havanese who has moved from Seattle to SF to Austin. we had some bumps with our anchors. keeping chickens didn’t start out as easily as i had thought it would be. we lost 5 in the first 6 weeks. one to a hawk and 4 to who knows what. our boy lab puppy hudson has been diagnosed with elbow, hip and knee dysplasia, and brooklyn tried to run away on thanksgiving due to the large family gathering we had. too many people, and we think she was headed to the airport for a flight back to SF.

we’ve installed version 1 and 2 of a vegetable garden, versions 1, 2, 3, and 4 of an in ground fire pit, and are working on some small landscaping ideas for around the house.

the farm is in its infancy, but we’ve made solid steps that I’m proud of in our first seven months.

big shift #5 – family

one day maybe i’ll write about this shift….

i am so grateful for all the opportunities and hurdles in 2017, and cheers to 2018!

xoxo – n