In the early new year, nothing good happened.

On a grey and frigid winter night, I made a life-changing decision.

In chilly early spring (who are we kidding, still winter in New England), the family got some great news.

When spring was in full bloom, five minutes changed my life.

One month later, a very short conversation ruined everything.

Two days later, I rose to a big challenge…

… and signed up for another one.

The summer came and went, without much to note, but nothing good happened.

The calendar said fall but the weather said otherwise, and I made a change.

More days went by, and more changes were made. Nothing good happened.

Officially fall began, and I thought I made a good decision.

It was a bad decision. Nothing good happened.

On an unseasonably warm (but definitely fall) day, I took a big leap.

And more big leaps and more changes are right around the corner.

This has been the most challenging year of my adult life thus far: in the midst of mom’s cancer treatment, I got a divorce. One month later, I lost my job. I thought at that point, sitting with the broken pieces of everything else that went wrong, I might just lose my mind.

As with all things, it’s perseverance and gratitude that dragged me through the year. I’m a very fortunate woman, surrounded as I am by family and friends and mentors who offered an excellent balance of support and tough love when I needed it most. Secure in the knowledge that my personal failures never truly lowered me in their eyes, I was able to pick up those scattered pieces and start rearranging them into a whole new picture.

You learn something from those ridiculous torturous miserable adventure races I’ve grown to love: that thing you fear, that huge and horrible beast sitting directly in your path when you turn the corner — the one you’ve certain is going to chew you up and spit you out in a swirl of pain — that thing can be HANDLED. Not without bruises and some tears and maybe a little blood… but it can be done.

In fact, this former-ballerina-turned-obstacle-racer has dredged up enough grit and fortitude to make it through a very rough-and-tumble year, which means I can absolutely make it through anything.

Hey, 2018, are you listening? I’m coming for you. And something good is definitely going to happen.