2019 Quarterly Update #3

  It's a bit hard to believe that we're not only coming to the end of another year, but also the entire decade of the 2010's? Roaring 20's anyone?

  This has not been the most peaceful of Christmas seasons, but 2019 was a pretty good year overall, if not a tad crazy. I'm only a little bit exhausted from it all and that's at least partially because I've been sick this month (huzzah). However, I was really ready for December Christmas break to hit so I could relax a little (lol) and organize myself for a new year and new decade! Here's a recap of my last four months of the 2010's!

WRITING

  This fall season I tackled a lot of writing. Like, a lot. I completely finished the last half of The Wandering sometime in October, the second book in my epic fantasy series. It's sitting pretty at 300,000+ words, much like its predecessor and sending chills down my spine whenever the notion of someday sitting down to edit it crosses my mind. BUT! I've been working on it off and on since the end of 2015 and it's a huge relief to have it finished, even if it's a small disaster. 

  I finished cleaning up Faithless for the ten thousandth time and actually got it sent to my wonderful editor, Trisha, last month. I also got it back and have gone through her edits so now I just need to finalize the cover, format, and about a billion other things to get it on the road for publishing in the New Year! If you would like to be part of that process, whether as an ARC reader or a member of the blog tour, please contact me! I would be thrilled to have you participate. 

  I also managed to get to around 20,000 words written for The Snow Dragon during this NaNo season. I did not win of course, but I feel better for having gotten a good chunk of the story completed. I'm looking forward to taking it up again in 2020, but for now, I'm going to use my December to rest!

  I'm very excited to tackle new projects and head down the path to publishing again once the New Year rolls around, I have lots up my sleeve and hopefully the time to do it. *knock on wood*

  Stay tuned for cool book stuff in 2020!

MEDIA

  I've read a few things this fall, catching up a tiny bit on my Goodreads goal, a tiny bit. But you can read more about my fall books here if you're interested. 

  Aside from reading, Jonathan and I have tackled quite a few TV shows in our evenings. We finished Parks and Rec, started The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, and watched American Gods, The Boys, and Good Omens. I have been watching Full House on my own as well. I enjoyed all these series, but American Gods was quite disappointing as it really goes way off of the book. I'm curious to see what they'll do with the show, but I had higher hopes when I started it. Oh, and I also saw some episodes of The Mandalorian - Baby Yoda anybody??

  I'm looking to start Anne With An E and Amazon Prime's Hanna eventually. Any other good TV show recommendations out there? Or book recs? My TBR is about to murder me, but I'll take 'em anyway. 

LIFE

  This last quarter of 2019 hasn't been any less crazy than the rest, as is usual for me. Though I've mostly been working and haven't done anything particularly special or crazy. 

• WORK. Between acting as Padawan at Bold Equine, helping with the 2019 harvest, putting in many a janitorial hour cleaning at camp, helping feed cows, helping vaccinate and preg-check cows, helping at a breeder's show, doing a few photography sessions, trimming camp horses and my own, helping train horses, and house-sitting a couple of weeks - it's been a lot. And somehow I'm still poor too?? Seems unfair. Luckily, my work schedule is fluid, so I can usually manage to fit this stuff in plus my own projects, but it's still been a little exhausting. Here's to a bit of Christmas break and hopefully a more relaxed 2020!

• HORSES. It's been a busy year with horses, and this fall was no exception. I spent a fair bit of time helping with the camp horses in different capacities, trimming, deworming, training, etc, as well as the horses at work. I also spent a ton of time with my own before the snow fell and began to sap my emotional energy, lol. After her lower leg injury this summer, I was able to get back on my main horse, Two Bits, which was such a blessing. I also worked with a friend's horse, Nibs, over the fall and gave him a soft restart. Indie, who was on pasture for the summer, came home end of October, and Arthur came to stay with him late in November. It's been busy and lots of work but my horses are definitely the highlights of my life, especially this year. I'm very blessed with all the lessons they've been teaching me.

• BACKPACKING. Jonathan and I did get the chance to get out backpacking earlier this fall, and though it was fun, it was a bit more exercise than I'd bargained for. We took a 4 day, 3 night trip up to Egypt Lake in Banff, and hiked a total of 40km there and back. It was a strenuous trip, and quite chilly, but still highly enjoyable. We saw some beautiful, beautiful views and it was nice to get away.

• TRIP TO QUADRA. We headed out to Quadra Island off the coast of Vancouver Island for a week over the New Year, hence why this blog post comes a little late. Aside from wrecking my phone in the wetness of the coast, it was a blast and I so do enjoy seeing the ocean - even when it's winter and rainy. 

• NEW CAR. Thanks to the incredible generosity of dear friends, I was able to replace my garbage old Hyundai with something much safer, newer, and more enjoyable. I've been driving a 2012 Subaru Impreza this fall and it has been SO NICE. I can't even express what a blessing it's been.

  In the spirit of having a decade passed, here are the Top 5 Things That Happened in the 2010's...

• I GOT MARRIED! And engaged, and started dating, all within the last ten years! I've spent over 5 years of my life with Jonathan, and I'm so excited for the next 5 - and beyond. 
• I GRADUATED! I finished school and graduated in 2015. That was a big change and brought about a lot of freedom to do what I loved and focus on that.
• I WORKED AT CAMP! I've been working at my camp since 2012 which has been almost the entirety of the 2010's, that's kinda crazy.
• I TRAVELED! I've taken the most trips of my life in the last decade, multiple trips to BC in the last few years, lots of hikes, one trip to Mexico, an awesome honeymoon roadtrip, and twice to Australia! I'm pretty blessed.
• I PUBLISHED A BOOK! I debuted my very first novel, The Sorceress and the Squid, as well as writing many, many words over the last ten years. I've finished 2 books in a series I started at age 11. That's pretty satisfying.

  I was twelve years old at the beginning of this decade, which is crazy. There is no way to compare myself to that young girl, on the cusp of ten years that would completely change me. I can't imagine what twelve-year-old me would think of twenty-two year old me, she'd probably be intimidated and frightened by all the massive changes coming. But I am unbelievably thankful for them, and even though I'll be in my thirties by the end of the 2020's (big yikes), I'm looking forward to seeing the person I'll become at the other end of it all. 

  Here's to an awesome New Year, and beyond!

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

2019 Quarterly Update #1

2019 Quarterly Update #2

2018 Rewind

LET'S TALK.

  How was your 2019? What was the best thing to happen to you this last decade? Hopefully you had an amazing Christmas/Holiday season with tons of excitement for the New Year! Let me know in the comments below!