A Year In Review

Annual Review
This year, we’re trying out the Annual Review exercise shared by blogger Chris Guillebeau on the Art of Non-Conformity site. The basic idea is to set aside time to consider:

• What went well this year?
• What didn’t go well this year?
• Next, you set specific goals for categories of your choice (Friends & Family, Service, Travel, Spiritual, Health, Learning, Financial Earning, Financial Giving, Financial Saving, etc.) including 3-5 measurable objectives for each one.
• In the end, you come up with a summary and “theme” for your upcoming year.

Because the coming year brings a close to our chapter with Peace Corps and starts a whole slew of new things, I’ve been really looking forward to this exercise. I think Jedd and I both truly enjoy dreaming about possibilities. And because we’re not going home during our Peace Corps service, we decided to treat ourselves to a Christmas “staycation” here in Jamaica so we can rest, relax, and reflect. 

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Another Year in Jamaica
In the spirit of looking back at 2013, here are ten of our most memorable moments and favorite blog posts:

Do It Yourself: Peace Corps DIY Ingenuity – It was really fun to see all the ingenious creations volunteers around the island have put together

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20 Months in 20 Photos– Celebrating 20 months in Jamaica with photos from our journey

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The Big Fat Jamaican Downtonish Wedding– We’ll never forget celebrating our host sister’s marriage in the backyard

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“These Children Will Never Forget You”– The inspiring story by a PC staff member whose life was changed by Volunteers

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Jamaican Style: Fashion With Flare– A glimpse at the colorful world of Jamaican fashion

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For the Smiles: Summer Camps 2013 Video– Jedd’s youth camps at the community center

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3rd Goal: More Than Just A Blog– A free trip to Peace Corps’s headquarters in DC for the Blog It Home contest

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Jamaica Taught Us– A fun video about Jamaican craziness from the Volunteers in our group

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Jake’s Off-road Triathlon– A video of this unique and awesome, off-the-beaten path triathlon in southern Jamaica

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Patwa Quiz– A co-worker’s daughter demonstrates common phrases used by Jamaican school children

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Looking back even further, this is what our lives looked like the past few years:

• Our Jamaican Christmas & New Years 2012 (video post)
• Looking back at 2011 – Video of our many adventures before Peace Corps *probably my all-time favorite so far*
• Simply Intentional 2010 Year in Review

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Looking Forward
We’ve been working on our Annual Review as we enter the new year, so we’ll be sharing some of those thoughts and plans soon. Until then,
-M+J

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