reverb14 is a prompt-a-day series for the month of December designed to reflect on 2014 and project on hopes and dreams for 2015. Through December 31st Meredith, Kat and Sarah will post each day with a new prompt. I’m doing it too, though as you can tell I usually post in a cluster versus daily. Join us by writing, or join us by reading.  Follow on Twitter @project_reverb and hashtag #reverb14. Let’s reverb.
December 4, 2014
Do Over | Hindsight is the one thing we never benefit from in the present. Is there one moment you wish that you could do-over?
My wedding day – 100%. I only say that because it was everything that I wanted it to be and more. I wish I could relive it again. The only part hindsight could play in my wedding was that I wish I talked to every single guest. How I didn’t manage to, I’m not really sure, but I know that I didn’t. Everything was such a blur, even if it all was a wonderful blur. I loved everything about my wedding, and it seems so unfortunate that it’s over now.
December 5, 2014
Letting go | For next year, I’m letting go of…
Gosh, I’m not sure. I think the only possible thing I could think of was to be more productive during the work day so that I work less at home. I’m not required to do any work on non-work time, which is why it’s really nothing to complain about. I just find myself spending a lot of time at home looking over my work. I want to be more present with my family, so I’m going to let go of the constant need to work in the new year.
December 6, 2014
Money | Where did you spend your money this year? Did you save it instead? What, if anything, would you like to do with your finances this year?
This year I paid off my student loans. I still can’t believe I no longer owe money for my BA or MFA to the government, but I don’t! It was a big decision that I don’t even know if I was ready to make at the time, but I’m forever grateful that my loans are gone, and I don’t have to worry about paying them anymore. Now to focus on saving for a house and other future goals.
December 7, 2014
Victory Laps | What was your biggest accomplishment this year?
Maintaining sanity while still being easy-going about things. I planned a wedding in 8 months, six of which were in 2014, and switched careers about three weeks before my wedding. Needless to say, that could have been an immensely stressful situation for me, but I just kept focusing on the tasks at hand and not worrying too much about the big picture. I knew my main goal was to be married at the end of the day and accepted that whatever happened until then wouldn’t change that I’d soon be Mrs. O. This was a great attitude to have as it kept me really relaxed.
December 8, 2014
Hero | Who was your hero this year? Tell us why. What makes a hero in your eyes?
I think heroes can come in various shapes, sizes, and molds. There is no one thing that makes a hero in my eyes. A hero could have a million traits that I admire. I think for 2014, I’ll have to say that my husband is my hero. He’s stepped out of his comfort zone, and embraced many changes. He is always willing to split all of our responsibilities, and in fact he always goes a step beyond. I’m very lucky to have him in my life.
December 9, 2014
The Plank | It has been said that you must learn to take care of yourself before you can be effective at taking care of others. How did you take care of yourself in 2014? How will you take care of yourself in 2015?
I think I learned a lot this year about taking care of myself, and I’d really like to keep the habits going into the new year. I integrated walking more regularly into my life. I hope that in 2015 it will become a regular habit versus a more random, binge habit.
December 10, 2014
Leap of faith | What decision did you make this year that was a leap of faith? Did it work out? Or not?
Changing careers was my biggest leap of faith in 2014. While I didn’t plan on making a career in human resources, it was certainly easy for me to stay in the profession. I have twelve years of it under my belt, and I am ver grateful for all that I learned during my time in HR. Writing was always my main goal, and it’s wonderful to work in the industry now, but it was a big ol’ leap for me. Things are working out pretty well, and I’m glad I made the decision to change jobs, even if it was just a few weeks before my wedding.
December 11, 2014
Small Pleasures | What small pleasures did you discover this year?
I wouldn’t say that I discovered pho this year (that was in 2011 for me) but I definitely discovered that not having it as a regular meal in my life makes me sad. Mr. O and I were fortunate to live near an excellent restaurant that made great pho. The lady who owned it was a sweetheart, but after so many years of owning the place, she sold it. The new owners (while armed with her recipes) didn’t make food that was as good and as of right now, it is temporarily closed. So I went a few months without pho, and I didn’t like it. The good news is that there is a great place down the street from my work, so I’m back to my pho habit.