2014: My happiest year

December 31, 2014Leigh Anne Zinsmeister 6 Comments

I say it every year, because every year it’s true: This was my best year yet.

2013 was about dreaming, and 2014 was about ACTION. Dreams were coming true left and right. Some I’d held in my heart since I was a child, and some I didn’t even know I had until I was living them. Without a doubt, this past year I grew in every facet of my life. Emotionally, mentally, spiritually. I’m not the same person I was a year ago today, and as much as I loved (and love) 2013 Leigh Anne, I’m so glad. Although I’m so ready to look ahead to 2015 and find out how it plans to beat this year, I also think it’s important to look back and reflect on all that has happened.

My word of the year for 2014, the word I prayed over, wrapped around me and completely devoted myself to, was happiness. 2013 left me feeling a bit discouraged: I knew where I wanted my life to go, I was pretty sure I knew how to get there (I did), but I didn’t want to miss out on the in-between, the end of the chapter I was closing in a rush to get to the next. So I devoted myself to enjoying every moment in between the cover-letter writing and the late-night shifts at the job I had grown to hate in the city I had outgrown. I had a Pinterest board, a Spotify playlist, a good-things jar I added to every night.

Sometime in the fall, I realized that all of those things had fallen by the wayside. I hadn’t even thought about my happiness in months. Yet I was still happy – the happiest I had ever been. Happiness had become effortless, which I suppose was the ultimate goal all along. I’ll be carrying what I learned about happiness and about myself into 2015 and beyond.

So, what were the things that made me happy in 2014? Some highlights:

Moving to New York City

Well, obviously. This was the big one: The dream I’d been holding on to since I was too young to remember, the dream I decided I was going to chase when it came time to choose my next chapter. Back in January, I told my friend Christina “2014 is the year I move to New York.” I left in March, and it was the most stressful month of my entire life – but it was worth it. NYC is my home now in a way that no other place has truly ever been.

Finding a church family

I didn’t go to church my last year in Phoenix, because I didn’t want to commit to a new one just to turn around and leave. I was so, so relieved when I walked into Liberty Church for the very first time and just knew that I was at home. The people I’ve met here have become my family, and have 100% shaped my experiences in the Big Apple so far.

Traveling

Amsterdam, Paris, Lucerne, Nice and Barcelona in May. Toronto in August. Dallas in September. Phoenix in December. 2014 was truly filled with my favorite kind of travel: A mix of old and new locations, of friends and family as my companions.

Too many other good things to count

I moved in with the perfect roommate. SO MANY people I love came to visit me. I launched this blog. My siblings both graduated – one from high school, one from college. I heard Amy Poehler AND Danielle Fishel speak at BookCon. I filled an entire journal. I saw the Yankees lose twice. I participated in two community groups. I got to go to two spring training baseball games before the big move. I ate more delicious food than I ever could have imagined. I went to a Saturday Night Live taping.

But mostly, I just lived. I cherished every moment, and before long I didn’t need to remind myself to.

Basically, it’s just been an incredible year. Tomorrow, we’ll look ahead to 2015. But today is about celebrating all that has happened! I’m off to Coney Island with the friends who have become my family.

How was your year, and how are you celebrating tonight?!

My week in Instagrams: Phoenix edition!

December 27, 2014Leigh Anne Zinsmeister 1 Comment

Hi friends! Between travel and the holidays, I’ve fallen a bit behind on these Instagram posts – whoops! So if it’s OK with you (and even if it’s not), today I’m going to catch you all up on my trip to Phoenix, and next week I’ll do a massive photo dump from NYC!

The main reason for this trip was that my brother and his girlfriend graduated from ASU! It’s been three years since I walked that stage myself, and I was thrilled to discover that giant balloons are still released at the end of the ceremony. We’re a party school after all – and what better reason to party than earning your degree? Congratulations to Steve, Lily and all of the other graduates!

Last week was also the first time my siblings and I had all been together since last Christmas. What a treat! These two are my very best friends and we always have such a blast when we’re all together.

After a couple days of family time, I headed to downtown Phoenix to crash on Steve’s couch for a couple nights and revisit my favorite old haunts from college and the years that followed. This waffle and bacon are from my favorite spot, Matt’s Big Breakfast. The wait can be intimidating, but I assure you it is always worth it!

Martinis at Hanny’s are only $5, and cheaper after midnight. If I thought that was a steal when I was younger, it seems even better now that I routinely pay $15 for cocktails in NYC!

Ah, the tacos. Most of you know about my obsession, and that every trip to Phoenix (or Dallas!) requires quality Mexican food. Luckily, Courtney and Gabrielle are always up for a foodie adventure (remember when Courtney and I ate our way around NYC?) and treated me to my favorite tacos from Gallo Blanco! Thanks ladies!

One of the best parts of Phoenix is the sunsets. I captured this one from my brother’s balcony.

At the end of my trip I spent a weekend lying on my best friend’s couch, watching Christmas movies and cuddling her pug. Best weekend ever. It was the first time I’d met Jak, who I consider my very first nephew.

You can see more pictures of my trip here, and follow me on Instagram here!

Merry Christmas!

December 25, 2014Leigh Anne Zinsmeister Leave a comment

“He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth…” Luke 1:14

Merry Christmas, sweet readers! I pray that you are spending it surrounded by those you love (roommates and their significant others included, in my case!) and that you’re able to cherish this wonderful day however you please. Remember to be kind to those working – the journalists, the nurses, the cashiers at Walgreens – and to everyone you encounter today! Also remember, calories don’t count. All my love to you!

Festive Phoenix

December 24, 2014Leigh Anne Zinsmeister 3 Comments

By now, you all know how much I love Christmas in New York City – with the exception of that pesky winter weather, of course. So last week, I spent a few days venturing around Phoenix, Arizona, where I lived for 6 years before moving to NYC. The weather was a beautiful 60 degrees and the holiday decorations, very festive and very Arizona

It’s hard to tell, but every year this mountain (“A” Mountain) near Arizona State University features giant fake wisemen making their way to the top. I like to joke that the gifts they bring are likely vodka, rum and tequila.

Merry Christmas Eve! Where are your favorite holiday decorations in the world?

The first winter

December 21, 2014Leigh Anne Zinsmeister 7 Comments

Today marks the beginning of my first winter in NYC. Perhaps more unbelievably, this is the last season that I will be experiencing for the first time in this city.

I moved to Brooklyn from Phoenix on March 26, the fifth day of spring. The timing was completely unintentional on my part. Thanks to last year’s so-called polar vortex, temperatures were in the 20s and there was snow on the ground until my late-April birthday, but according to the calendar, it was spring. I watched the trees bloom, darted through traffic with an umbrella. After spring I spent summer days reading in the park and sipping iced coffee in hipster cafes. And then fall – I watched the leaves change and heard them crunch beneath my feet, cherished days crisp enough for sweaters but dreaded what came next.

Winter.

I’m a summer girl. I spent the first nine years of my life in Cleveland and never embraced the midwest winters. While my siblings and the neighbor kids were outside hurling snowballs at each other, I was inside with a book counting down the days until spring. From there, I moved – not by design – to progressively warmer climates. Colorado Springs, where the winters are mild and the snow is beautiful. Dallas, where it snows perhaps once a year, the entire city shuts down and hibernating is encouraged. Phoenix, where the temperatures once dipped below 30 and it made national news.

New York City, where the lights are bright and the weather is brutal.

I knew, in a sense, what I was getting into. Last year, my job revolved around national and international news. I’d sort through photos of people schlepping to work in yet another northeast blizzard, think that sucks, then grab a light jacket and wander across the street for some ice cream. Those images didn’t deter me. I’d go home after work and write cover letter after cover letter, trying to convince someone to hire me so I could move to this crazy place with literally unbelievable winters.

Now that another winter is upon the region, I’m balking. I’m terrified. In the spring, when I was chilled to the bone, New Yorkers would say to me, You’re so lucky you missed the cold! I comforted myself with reminders that winter was practically an entire year away. I knew that by the time it arrived, I’d be so entrenched, so in love with my life and this city, that suffering through would be the only option. I was right.

So despite the fact that perhaps I’d rather spend this particular season in the desert, I’m sticking it out. I’m settling in with a stack of books and counting down the days until spring, until I can say I’ve survived all four seasons, until I can tell other newcomers to the city how lucky they are to have missed the worst of it. I’ll remember the blooms, the sunshine, the leaves. And I’ll remind myself that next winter is practically a year away.

A Life of Genuine Delight

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Author: Leigh Anne Zinsmeister