New Year, New Changes

2014 has been amazing. Incredible. Once-in-a-lifetime.

We pronounced it 'Our year' in January, to remind us that it was time to focus on US and put us first in this very exciting time in our lives. And we did that - we have made so many memories together, through two weddings, exploring our new home city, time with loved ones, and endless commutes. We have indulged, and spent energy just being happy, and being us - our relationship is better because of it, and we are individually happier.

So now it's time to look ahead.

In the six months since our wedding, we've spent too much time in the car, on the train, stressing about being late in our 4-5 hours per day journeys to and from work. We've had little time for cooking, date nights, blogging, thinking - anything, really (thank goodness Sarah's mum let us revert to teenager-dom while we were staying with her and cooked, cleaned and helped us keep everything straight!). It seems we have replaced all the activities we used to enjoy with two - cuddling and junk food.

And we love it. But having no energy for anything else has meant we feel like we aren't our best - we have put on the post-wedding-fifteen (is that a thing?), our under-eye circles are dark as night, we feel sluggish and stressed. I think we've aged five years in the last year of commuting - and we want to get it all back.

So 2015 is going to be the year of our health.

Mental health. Emotional health. Physical health.

Laura has put in her notice at her job in London. She LOVES Threshold, which is really the whole reason we did this commuting business for so long, but with the new puppy coming and the plan to move up to Birmingham permanently (coupled with the realisation that taking the train daily from there would end up costing £1000 per month on travel!!! (!!!)), we knew it wasn't feasible to continue.

This is a HUGE change in our lives - as of the end of January, we are finally getting to live in the city we love so much! As she works out her notice she will be looking for a new role in Brum, and we are looking forward to not getting up at 5:30am every morning. To getting home in time for Laura to make a healthy, delicious dinner. To after supper walks with our little Bee. To gaining back interests, hobbies, everything we didn't have time for when getting home at 8:00pm each evening.

The job change will allow us to take time, and have energy, to be US again. This means time together that isn't trying to keep Sarah awake on a drive, which will improve our emotional health. A work/life balance which will improve our mental health.

And finally, the time for cooking and exercise, which will improve our physical health. Motivated by Julia who got Laura into it and has seen success for a full year, Laura is picking keto up again in January. Sarah will be cutting down and eating healthier. The new puppy will make us get outside anyway, but on top of that we plan on finding activities that will be FUN for us and get our blood pumping. We hear there's a recreational softball league in Birmingham...

2014 would be a tough year to beat, but with 2015 being our first as a family of three and with all these positive changes, we bet it'll be pretty great.

What are your plans for next year?