The last 6 months of 2023 through a chunk of 2024 was rough, mostly due to the divorce I was going through. While it wasn't the worst it could've been, the process sucked a lot and was incredibly stressful. It took a huge toll on my physical and mental health, which sucks as someone who is already chronically ill and disabled. Luckily the formalized process ended last February. There were still pieces that had to connect me to my ex for months thereafter, but the ties have been severed and there is nothing connecting me to them anymore. And for that, a huge weight has been lifted and I finally feel as though I can fully move on (with help from my therapist every other week).
Despite all of the shittiness that happened, I made sure this was my year of being the Phoenix. I was determined to rise from the ashes of every piece of me that was taken last year.
In honor of that, here is my highlight reel for 2024:
- Whitney and I officially started our relationship (technically on 12/31/23, but we brought in the New Year together so that counts, I think)
- I was awarded the NWACUHO Operations and Facilities Award in February
- I designed the 2024 NWACUHO Annual Conference logo for the Eugene location (and had it printed on pins and mugs!)
- I was elected as the Director of Diversity, Inclusion, and Engagement of NWACUHO for 2024-2026
- I presented at the NWACUHO Annual Conference about Universal Design in Architecture with a colleague at Mahlum Architects
- I was awarded the ACUHO-I Outstanding Mid-Level Professional Award in June
- I finally started supervising professional staff, after years of trying to find ways to do this
- A position title change and pay raise came with the above, too!
- Whitney and I officially moved in together in July after many months of long distance (we even painted a super cool mural on our wall and made a cloud ceiling for the living room)
- I was accepted to present at the 2025 NWACUHO Annual Conference about supporting disabled staff and employees on college and university campuses
- I was nominated and elected to the Faculty Senate at Oregon State University for 2025-2027
I share this because I am fucking proud of everything I did over the last year. Every day living in this lemon of a body is a challenge and I cannot believe I was able to do these things. But as we think about all the good things, it is okay to think about some of the bad, too. This is just the #HighlightReel. It doesn't show how many hours I was stuck in bed not able to move. It doesn't show how many times I had to bail on hanging with friends or had to opt to work from home because my disabilities rendered me disabled, yet again. It doesn't show the times it was too painful to talk or the times I forgot what I was talking about midsentence because the brain fog was too much.
As you see folx sharing their highlight reels, remember it doesn't show everything folx went through. It's also okay if "all you did" this year was survive because that isn't easy, either.
Some days (read weeks/months/years) all we can do is survive and that's okay.
