111 Memorable Moments of 2019

Zing Collaborative, Blog, 111 Lovely Things in 2019

This post is inspired by one of my creative heroes, Austin Kleon, who recently published a list of 100 things that made his year. 

I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to do it.

In many ways, 2019 was tremendously challenging - nationally, globally, politically, environmentally, and personally. There were more mass shootings in 2019 than in any other year leading back to the 1970s.  Plastic has been found in 60% of sea birds and 100% of sea turtle species, and fires continue to burn across the world. Friends, family members, and dear ones navigated hardship, loss, challenge, and grief.

And let’s not get started on our current political state in the US. 

But surprisingly, despite all of this, the list flowed with relative ease. Amidst all of this - the hardship, the challenge, and the chaos - there are lots of good things too. The trick - for me, anyway - is pausing to remember and take note. This list is an opportunity for just that. Thanks for reading - and hope that your 2020 is off to a wonderful start. 

  1. Breathing in crisp ocean air, from the deck of a yurt on a tiny island in Greece. 

  2. Swimming in vivid turquoise water.

  3. Meditating against lavender skies. 

  4. Skinny dipping in the ocean under the light of the moon. 

  5. Eating the best meal of my life at Tuscany Divine and sharing conversation, connection, and laughter with the owner, Giuseppe. Meeting Giuseppe’s wolf dog. 

  6. An all-day cooking class in Tuscany, complete with countless courses and an equal number of bottles of wine. 

  7. Traveling via water taxi in Greece. 

  8. Eating spinach pie out of a bag next to the ocean. 

  9. Hiking through the redwoods of California. 

  10. Lingering for an entire afternoon in front of a bookstore fireplace with one of my dearest friends and soul sisters - laughing, crying, and talking for hours. 

  11. Sharing dinner, next to another fireplace, at a hip little restaurant in Mill Valley. 

  12. Witnessing women I love embark on the journey of motherhood. 

  13. Discovering secret selves with my new friend Lennie. 

  14. Connecting with exquisite humans from around the world through systems coaching training in Denver. 

  15. A canine summer fling in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, between the Dukester and his girlfriend Queso. It was so hard to say goodbye… 

  16. A sunny summer morning at the park with my sweet niece, going down the slide over and over and over again…. 

  17. Savoring the rugged shoreline of Northern Michigan with dear friends. 

  18. Paddling on Lake Wingra. 

  19. Night swimming

  20. Teaching a course to a dynamic, engaged, and heart-centered group of humans in Madison. 

  21. Moments of magic in my office with clients. 

  22. Spending 6 weeks working remotely from Colorado. 

  23. Eating at Tables

  24. Walking everywhere in Boulder. 

  25. Sunny summits. 

  26. An Easter gathering with friends. 

  27. Hosting a Mother’s day brunch. 

  28. Hosting an impromptu neighborhood coffee stop-by

  29. Finally (almost) finishing the exterior house painting project. 

  30. Lots of journaling in my favorite notebooks with favorite pens and supplies, which add just a bit of delight to the process. 

  31. Tearing through books in November. 

  32. The last of Sunday Morning Yoga. 

  33. Coffee meet-ups with friends. 

  34. Indoor cycling as a way to cope with winter. 

  35. The balmy air, waxy leaves, and bright blooms of indoor gardens in the dead of winter. 

  36.  “Spa rituals” at the gym.

  37. The most incredible and thoughtful AirBnB host I’ve ever encountered. 

  38. Sitting in a hot tub, overlooking the Santa Monica Mountains. 

  39. Discovering new coffee shops. 

  40. The opening of a favorite neighborhood cafe.  

  41. Eating a perfect, buttery lemon croissant while watching Rome wake up. 

  42. Lingering in the streets of Rome, amidst street musicians and children playing, on a warm and lively summer evening. 

  43. Taxes feeling way easier after implementing Profit First the year prior. 

  44. Dinners with friends. 

  45. Impromptu neighborhood walks with girlfriends. 

  46. Seeing friends on a whim (versus scheduled 3 months in advance). 

  47. A spa day with a dear friend. 

  48. Leading a client retreat, full of deep work and heart-forward conversations, while surrounded by cool old cars. 

  49. Sitting at the bar, eating dinner, and being continuously blown away by the passion and customer service of Nick, Nam, and Chef Jeremy at a gem of a restaurant in the Quad Cities. 

  50. Lingering dinners with friends, where we closed down the restaurant. 

  51. Laughter and leadership with groups of industry leaders. 

  52. Love, laughter, and tears with soul sisters - over coffees, walks, and Marco Polos. 

  53. Bike commuting in summer dresses. 

  54. The Saturday market, as a weekly summer ritual. 

  55. Driving from Menomenee to La Crosse on a gorgeous, sunny morning, surrounded by sparkly blue water.

  56. A local cooking class, filled with abundant laughter, with friends. 

  57. An evening out with a friend’s mom - a new friend - while working out of town. 

  58. Volunteering with a local non-profit. 

  59. Crying at yoga. 

  60. Reading and writing in a plaid-adorned lodge along the north shore of Minnesota. 

  61. The “after” state of having my car detailed. 

  62. Making pizzas with girlfriends and talking about life. 

  63. Stopping by to see friends in the neighborhood. 

  64. Friends making a ‘music video’ on our front porch.

  65. Our favorite kindergarten-aged steward, and most frequent patron, of our Little Free Library. 

  66. “Paddling” on Lake Wingra, turned to floating around and talking for hours instead. 

  67. Birthday magic with girlfriends. 

  68. Neighborhood family walks. 

  69. Dog-friendly places and spaces. 

  70. Dabbling in November Project and Barre. 

  71. Picking up a friend’s CSA during the peak of summer produce. 

  72. Dining al fresco. 

  73. Favorite humans visiting my office. 

  74. Breathing deeply overseas and feeling totally free

  75. Gatherings of inspiring humans, in various places, for various events.

  76. Meeting up with dear friends in Boulder. 

  77. Serendipity. 

  78. Witnessing clients make their dreams a reality. 

  79. Witnessing friends make their dreams a reality. 

  80. Seeing smiling white pitties, which still makes me cry and smile at the same time. 

  81. Spending Christmas Day with friends who are like family.

  82. Discovering a new game that’s kind of like Cards Against Humanity but with pictures. 

  83. Watching loved ones laugh until they cry. 

  84. Connecting people I love, and watching new relationships blossom. 

  85. Skinny dipping in a secret ocean cove in broad daylight.

  86. Reading Austin Kleon and Twyla Tharp and Natalie Goldberg and Seth Godin for creative inspiration.

  87. Waking up before sunrise, and savoring the untouched possibility of the dark, early morning.

  88. Installing remote start for my car, which makes frigid winter departures slightly more bearable. 

  89. Local dog parks. 

  90. Discovering Athletic Brewing Company and Lagunitas Hoppy Refresher - two non-alcoholic alternatives to beer that actually taste good. 

  91. Exchanging letters with my eight year old niece. 

  92. Drinking Chianti Classico and learning about how it gets certified as such. 

  93. Saying Ciao Ciao. 

  94. Adorning the pup in buffs and bandanas. 

  95. Spending time at Christmas with my two year old niece. 

  96. Days when the sun comes out in Wisconsin. 

  97. Biking with the pup in a pull-behind trailer. 

  98. Drinking great coffee. 

  99. Meeting up with family for lunch or brunch. 

  100. Discovering that clean, clear, open water does still exist if we travel far enough away. 

  101. Playing records, new and old. 

  102. Doing The Work, over and over again, for hard situations. Asking questions

  103. Vivid orange November sunsets over the mountains of Colorado. 

  104. Eating dinner in a heated backyard canvas tent in the middle of winter. 

  105. Backyard camping in the middle of summer. 

  106. My taxi driver Giovanni in Athens - an incredibly special man bursting with knowledge, joy, love, optimism and humor who wants to come to the US one day to attend Burning Man

  107. Warm sourdough bread with salted butter. 

  108. Food Truck lunches and dinners in Michigan.

  109. Watching Modern Love and Wonderland

  110. Thinking about Contributing versus Accomplishing. 

  111. Words from Dad, long ago, that remain a mantra and have felt particularly important this year: “the only thing you take with you when you die is your character.” 

Sarah Comment