2013 Recap

When I went to write this post, I reread my 2012 recap and thought "holy crap, I can't believe we did all of that in 1 year!" Then, I started reviewing each month in 2013 and realized it was equally crazy! Another international move, another wedding, more travels, and countless memories made. I plan on writing individual posts on the following (not to mention, I still have a few posts to finish from 2012!), but here is a quick recap of last year...

January: 1 year ago, we rang in the New Year in Dublin with friends. Less than a week later, I received my work permit from the notorious DJEI and started my job in Ireland. After just having been home for the holidays, we kept the trips to minimum and took a day trip to Kilkenny.

Kilkenny Castle

February: As we settled into a daily work routine, we relaxed a bit more. We took a weekend trip to Cork with our friends, Michelle & Brian, and visited Kinsale, the Rock of Cashel, and a Winter Brew fest. 

Winter Brew Fest - Franciscan Well, Cork

March: When it rains, it pours! We had B's sister and cousin come visit us, immediately followed by my brother and sister-in-law. We celebrated our 1 year Anniversary, Paddy's Day in Ireland, and spent Easter in Copenhagen.

St. Patrick's Day - Temple Bar

April: The month of trips! B and I took back-to-back weekend trips to Berlin and Prague. Then, he took a boys' trip to Istanbul (still a tad jealous!) and I spent a long weekend in Holland, staying with a friend and her parents in Nijmegen, visiting tulip fields and enjoying the nation's largest party, Queen's Day, in Amsterdam.

Old Town Prague

May: Our last full month in Ireland. We parted ways with the Green Machine, our little car with the engine that couldn't, after she died on a lovely day trip around Waterford and the Copper Coast. Brandon flew to meet his team in Sydney, then met me on the way back in Edinburgh for a weekend getaway.

Edinburgh, Scotland

June: We took our final trip in Europe (for now, that is) and visited a friend in Napoli. This was one of my favorites, as we visited Pompeii and the breathtaking Amalfi Coast! At the end of the month, we bid a bittersweet farewell to Dublin. Brandon left for Australia and I for the U.S. to spend some quality time at home and put the finishing touches on the wedding.

Positano - Amalfi Coast, Italy

July: Another action-packed month that rivals March of 2012! I was lucky enough to be home in the States, recharging with friends and family, visiting Niagara Falls with my parents (believe it or not, my first time in Canada), and doing daily wedding prep. Of course, we finally had our perfect wedding day (on my golden birthday!) back where it all started in Oxford, Ohio. Once again, we put our belongings in storage, repacked our lives, and said goodbye to our loved ones. 2 days after the celebration, we boarded a plane to a new life together in a new country! Déjà vu!

Oxford, OH

August: We arrived in Oz, moved into our new place, and I crashed a day trip to Hunter Valley with Brandon's coworkers... got to see wine country and wild kangaroos on my second day in Australia! A few days later, I started my new job and the rest of the month was spent settling into life in Bondi (not hard to do, I might add).

Sydney Harbour

September: This was another month of acquainting ourselves with our new stomping grounds and furnishing our empty apartment (read: Brandon building everything from IKEA). I also chopped off all of my hair! That may not seem like it deserves mention, but if you have long hair, you know this is a huge deal!

Bondi Beach

October: After a couple months of work, I jetted off to company headquarters for training, where I also met my parents for a nice weekend and sightseeing in Seattle. The same week, B travelled to Singapore for work. Upon returning, we spent his birthday weekend in the beautiful Blue Mountains.

Chihuly Glass / Needle - Seattle

November: Checked 'fancy hat to the races' off the ol’ bucket list when we took a weekend trip to Melbourne for the Cup. We also started the wacky tradition of eating Portuguese food for Thanksgiving… Sounds odd, but we spent the previous year in Lisbon and decided to make a new, special ritual while we’re away for the holiday.

Melbourne Cup

December: We flew to Brisbane to visit a childhood friend of B’s and relaxed on the Sunshine Coast in Noosa. 1 week later, our first visitors arrived. All FOUR Naber siblings descended upon Oz for a fun-filled 2 weeks of drinks, dinners, coastal runs, winery tours, days at the beach, a trip to Jervis Bay, and, most importantly, Christmas festivities! It was our first time being away for the holidays and, while I missed everyone back home, it was amazing to still be able to spend that precious time with family.

Xmas Eve - Circular Quay

New Year’s Eve saw us sitting in the sand, marveling at the most spectacular fireworks over the Sydney Harbour.

I said in last year’s post that I was ready for an unforgettable ride, and 2014 didn’t disappoint! It was another unpredictable, unbelievable, exhilarating year -- perhaps the best of my life to date. Hard work and opportunity have transformed our lives into what they are today and we are incredibly blessed. I can only imagine what I’ll be writing about, or where I’ll be writing it from, this time next year. Until then, cheers to a happy, healthy 2014!