Happy Sunday!

It's been awhile.  Almost three years since I last posted anything.  A lot can happen in three years!  I will try to give you a quick overview of life during that period.

My last post details my journey as a gluten-free individual and that is still the same today.  I am allergic to gluten, as well as the wheat and barley separately (which both contain gluten).  This has been one of the biggest life changes to get used to but I am feeling like my old self again, physically.  I am still getting there mentally though - my brain fog is pretty much gone, I still have some challenging days though.  Someone told me it could take years to go away and then one day you will wake up and feel it just lift away and clarity will return!  Sure enough, one day I was talking to a co-worker about diet changes and thought "oh my gosh, it's finally gone!" I still have some days where I experience it in small doses, usually after mistakenly eating something that I shouldn't have (ie.my official cheat day: Corn dogs and fried everything at the State Fair of Texas). But about food...

I moved home from Argentina in November of 2012.  I was still working for 3rd Home, but realized I could no longer sustain myself on an income that low so I moved back to Texas, with $400 to my name and did what every college graduate dreams of doing: moved back in with the parents to share a room with their high school sister again.  That was fun for about two whole weeks and I knew something had to change so I quit 3rd Home and started working on getting my teaching certificate.  About two months into that a friend of mine, Katie, suggested I apply for an HR job at her company.  I did and was soon an active HR professional!  I have been at Employer Flexible every since.

I quit Facebook about the same time I quit 3rd Home.  After years of being online all the time for work and when trying to maintain relationships with friends in family back in Texas, I just needed to disconnect for awhile.  It is amazing what a habit that had become and how much time I had for new things after that, I highly recommend it for anyone just needing a break.

During my confinement at my parents I was able to save some money which afforded me the chance to visit my brother while my old friend, Phil was visiting the Bay Area as well.  That was a lot of fun since it had been years since I had seen either of them. 

Happy 4th of July!

Muir Woods

Meanwhile, Facundo and I decided we wanted to move forward in our relationship so he started working on getting his fiancee visa to the USA.  That was a long, exhausting process both mentally and emotionally.  That process took about a year and a significant amount of our time and bank accounts, but eventually he moved got his visa to Dallas in January of 2014.  

On February 21, 2014 he officially proposed to me at my apartment after I got home from work that day...and a week later we were married.

Engagement

Starting our greatest journey together.

About two months after Facu moved in we decided to do what every sane, young, married, financially struggling couple should do - adopt a dog!  Much to the objection of my parents, we went to "just look at a dogs" one day and of course came home with one the next.  As much as we probably shouldn't have done it, I am so happy we did, because Enzo has been so much fun to have this past year.

Enzo F. Duggan

Facu eventually got his work visa (and subsequently a job) around October of last year which allowed us the opportunity to visit some friends in New York City for NYE.  I also had the chance to travel and see friends and family since I moved home (Kate in St. Petersburg) and some friends have been able to come visit here as well.  I love being able to show people around my hometown and spend time sharing the things I love about with them so they can love it too.  Philippe came to visit last Spring, Andy came in the summer, and Edita came in the Fall.

St. Pete

Lake Tahoe - North Star

The Rustic

Edita came to experience a real, American Thanksgiving, which was Facu's first as well.  I think they both enjoyed it and can now share their experience with people they care about.  Hopefully I will get the chance to visit Lithuania some day too...I have heard nothing but wonderful things and have added it to the list :)

Edita's first American pedicure!

It's kind of crazy to look back on things and see how much as changed since I last wrote a post here.  I made some other decision during this time as well that have helped me change what direction I want my life to go in.  There is an old quote we used to say at Southwestern:

"The person you hope to someday be, you are now becoming."

I try to remember this whenever I get frustrated with life and things that might be happening the way I do not want them to happen. I joined a new church (Shoreline Dallas) which has been a new and exciting journey as well.

Also, after seeing how much my diet change my health, I decided to stop complaining about my back and went to see a new doctor who advised me to try yoga.  He said it would help strengthen my core and it has helped tremendously.  Not only that, but it has helped me combat stress and encouraged me to look at other health-related aspects in my life as well.  I am going to have to admit that I have gotten on the essential oil train (the using kind, not the selling kind) and am going to start up doing things I enjoy more, like writing.  I am going to revamp my cooking blog again.  I think I will change it in a new direction though, not just healthy eating on a budget, but trying to bring things back to the basics - I have two chairs I am going to reupholster myself, I am going to start brewing my own Kombucha Tea, making my own cosmetics, etc., and you are welcome to read all about that journey as well.

It's good to be back.

Bridget