By Alesha Damerville

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS– With 2020 quickly approaching, I think it’s best to take time to reflect on the last year, and the decade as a whole.

I have had a lot of changes in my life over the last year/decade, so I have much to be grateful for.

I've found home. No matter the time of the year, the Yampa Valley amazes. This community is full of people who look out for one another, congregate in celebration of great music, love to play outdoors and care about the planet. It may sound corny, but this snow globe is a little slice of heaven.

I've grown immensely as a person. As I've mentioned in past posts, I have struggled with anxiety and depression. In the last year, I've worked diligently to come to peace with that and have found workable options to dealing with those pests when they pay me a visit. 

I'm grateful to the media company I work for in supporting the idea of this blog. With this blog, I've been able to explore a number of incredible health and wellness services throughout town and I've met dozens of incredible people along the way. I’ve learned how to correctly lift weights and how to balance my emotions. 

I'm blessed to be able to say all of my family is in good health, and I pray it stays that way. I'm also delighted to share that my sister had a daughter – my first niece among five nephews. 

I fell in love. Love is no new concept, yet for me it felt that way. I had been single for six years, after a slew of awful relationships. Having a partner felt foreign at first and it took some growth to make room for another human in my life. Love is marvelous, albeit scary. Luckily for me, the guy I fell for has been a friend for years. He gets me and for that I am extremely grateful. No matter what you do, end up with someone who you can be yourself around and loves you at your goofiest. 

In the next decade, my wish is that we can all care about each other and love each other a bit more. I'll be starting the new year with random acts of kindness – please join me. Start with yourself. Create your own list and express gratitude for all of the good in your life. 

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