Firsts in 2018

Apparently, I used to blog about all the things I did for the first time in any given year (read all about my firsts in 2010, 2011 and 2013). This is kind of a cool tradition! I'm not sure why I stopped doing it. 2018 has been a year of change and transition, so I took some time to look back at the first seven months of the year and reflect. Here we go with firsts for me in 2018:

January
First  time applying for a PhD program in higher education (third time applying for a PhD program, third (and hopefully last) time taking the GRE, but this was a first for the discipline of higher ed). Have I finally found the right program for me?

February 

First surgery. Yup, I experienced the first time in a hospital since birth when I had a laparoscopic appendectomy. It was super scary, but I learned to trust my instincts.

March 

First time singing the entire Rutter Requiem. Such a beautiful work. I will miss my church family.

April 

First time listing my house for sale after five years of owning it. Ended up boxing up so many "cluttery" items and storing them in the attic. After a while, I didn't even remember what was in those boxes, and why I owned the items in the first place.

May 

First time using AirBNB. This was so uncomfortable. If you are going to do this, I'd recommend renting a place that is not co-occupied by the owners. Even though is was only $23 per night, it was an awful experience. Ugh.

June 

First cruise, first time in Alaska, and first time seeing whales in the wild! Such a wonderful trip and item to check off my bucket list. First time seeing bald eagles, first time floating in front of a glacier, and first time riding a horse-drawn carriage in Victoria, BC. Would recommend this cruise to everyone!

July 

First time submitting a proposal to a NAFSA regional conference! "Starting from Scratch: Developing a Comprehensive Education Abroad Assessment Plan." Still looking for a co-presenter, but I hope this presentation is accepted. I haven't done a conference presentation in 9 years!

August 

First time I will be seeing Pentatonix in concert. I am so excited about this! It will also be the first time I am moving to Virginia Beach and the first time taking doctoral-level classes and serving as a research assistant.

Four months to go. Who the heck knows what else this year might have in store for me?! Maybe first time attending a MeetUp event? This knitting group might be fun! Some of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra's performances are even free. Or maybe I'll go to the ballet for the first time. Nutcracker, anyone?

Stay tuned!