Saying goodbye to 2017
Honestly, where did 2017 go? I haven't updated this blog in so long that I've forgotten my password! True story.Farewell, 2017! It's 2018, and one of my Resolutions is to be healthier and be a better steward of the blessings I've been given. So OF COURSE I went on a diet the day after New Year's. I'll talk about that in another post.2017 was pretty crazy but amazing, I have to admit. We started that year off being apart once again because Allegra had to get vaccinations and China doesn't have the Rotavirus vaccine in its hospitals. The only clinic that has it here is the one in the French Embassy, and they only give it to diplomats and EU citizens. [My parents offered to buy a Rotavirus dose and ship it in an ice box. Let me think, do I want to be accused of smuggling IN CHINA? No.] It was cheaper to fly to Manila and get most of her immunizations well. Some of the vaccines had to have two doses, so we had to stay there for five whole weeks to account for the 28 day interval per dose.I missed my husband. I couldn't believe we were living apart again. But we really had no choice.And speaking of no choice, my family visited in late March. Wait it's not what you think! That was nice. Except we didn't know that hotels in Beijing turn their airconditioning off when winter starts in November. My parents were furious that their room was a comfy 27 degrees Celsius. Ha ha! They couldn't move rooms or move hotels because EVERY HOTEL IN THE CITY turned off their A/C. The hotel suggested they open their windows. Yeah, okay. Air quality was around 150-200 then, that is NOT good advice.In case you were wondering, winter 2016-2017 WAS HORRIBLE. It was my first winter and I was perpetually cold. I slept next to the space heater. It was my best friend. I'd carry it around me in the apartment---yes, even in the bathroom.Spring was nice and pleasant. There was a cool breeze that didn't sting our faces for a change when it blew, and we could go out in just one layer of clothing. You don't know how annoying it is to spend ten minutes getting dressed and STILL not be ready to go out because it's below zero outside. Air quality was good because we had wind we could count on everyday. By the way, Spring lasted three weeks, which is really like five minutes in Mom Time.Summer came and it was just extreme. It was brutal. My poor husband was all sweaty by the time he got to work IN THE MORNING. Beijing has insane weather. It's a sprawling city surrounded by mountains and mostly plains, and it's far from any body of water. That's all new to me because the city I grew up in was right next to the Red Sea, and my parents would take us to the shore on the weekend to soak in some new air and collect rocks by the shore. I want that for Allegra. I'll make sure we're near water wherever we move to next.It's still officially winter in Beijing, but surprisingly winter 2017-2018 air was pretty great! We didn't reach 300 on the AQI at all (Normal air quality levels is 0-30, by the way.) The Chinese government really stepped up with the reputation management and closed most of, if not all, their coal plants for heating. I'm also giving credit to the strong gusts of wind we've had lately, so that helps blow the smog away, but it brings down the temperature too. Our worst/best day so far was -10 (but real feel was -21) with air quality of 10. Dang it Beijing, it's so hard to love you.We've moved to a little art district in Shuangjing, and my favorite part of the apartment is its heated floors. No more dragging the space heater into the bathroom!Did I mention I got a job in digital marketing while volunteer mapping rural Tanzania to help prevent FGM? And Allegra turned 1! So many things happened in 2017! It feels like everyday is an adventure with my family. Our daughter is growing everyday and it's such a joy being able to experience it all with Paolo.What a whirlwind life this is. Most days I don't get enough sleep, but I'm healthy and strong and I'm grateful to the Lord for these blessings. 2017 was tough, but it was also beautiful. We had prayer week twice in the year, and even though I wasn't ready for most of 2017's surprises, I'm going to look back on it with fond memories.