#mlab

I think in the many years since I started documenting ‘my years,’ I am breaking a record by not getting to this until 17 whole days into the new year. I am not sure why it feels like a chore this year, but after reading ‘My 2021′ it reminds me why this can be such an exciting and important tradition to keep up. 

Exciting things in 2022:

- We moved into our new home! We still absolutely love it and were fortunate to get as settled as we did. Everything was placed a bit on pause as we plan and save for our wedding, but I love how far it has come already and Winston LOVES his backyard

- Mardi Gras in New Orleans! 10/10 would recommend and go back although I could argue the one day and one night was plenty

- We asked our bridal party to be in our wedding!

- Rodeo returned! (& we went 4 times!) Sam Hunt and Chris Stapleton will forever live in my mind rent free

- 6, yes SIX weddings! Luke & Grace, Hayley & Jared, Em & Matt, Em & Brandon, Antonios & Sarah, and Summer & Colin - safe to say the airport was our second home this year and I honestly think we thrived getting to see friends and family and travel as often as we did

- I went camping for the first time for (almost) real! Glamping in tipis, wifi, AC, and a perfectly functioning bathroom count, right? I had never seen a desert landscape in my life and it was breathtaking. I loved the trip even with the many hours worth of hiking in 100+ degree weather. We went with a large group of friends and it was an experience of a life time. Shadows from the moon and seeing the entire Milkyway Galaxy at 5am before a hike. 

- Celebrated my bestie since preschool and had her shower and bach party, both of which left me with a full heart and so much love and happiness for Summer and Colin. Their wedding was the last event of the year prior to Christmas and it truly was magical and an emotional and joyful day. Definitely consider 12/17/2022 a major highlight of my life and our friendship.

- I found my wedding dress!!! She’s everything I ever dreamed of and we named her Ariel. And I am equally as proud to share that she was on sale. Because obviously. 

- I became an aunt (& uncle)! We welcomed our nephew Thomas on August 6th and he has our entire heart! As if that wasn’t enough, I was asked to be his Godmother and I am still beyond honored

- Not one but TWO PSU games! In keeping with tradition, Tony, Uncle Steve, and I went with friends went to Penn State at Auburn and we also got to see Penn State play at Rutgers before Thanksgiving.

- CROSSED OFF MY NUMBER ONE BUCKET LIST ITEM AND WENT IN A HOT AIR BALLOON!!!! - I can still remember the feeling of literally being at peace if my life ended after that experience - it was that breath taking, peaceful, fulfilling, and exhilarating. I anticipated being scared (and the morning of driving to the field ALL of the nerves hit that I never once really considered or made mental space for) but I also was shocked at how calm and quiet it was. We went near my mom’s house in central NJ and could see for miles - visuals of both NYC and Philly and the most breathtaking sunrise and landscapes. The company we used hires out family owned balloons and we were paired with a husband and wife and their daughter in law who truly made the experience that much more enjoyable and wholesome. Tony and I went for our 7 year anniversary and the last anniversary we will celebrate before being married. 

Travel: Cabo (Em Sweigart’s bachelorette), New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Hilton Head, Baltimore, Jupiter - FL, Big Bend National Park - Terilingua TX, Corpus Christi (4th of July), Atlanta (visit Kelly + Auburn vs. PSU game), St. Pete’s (Sydney & Adam’s Housewarming), Miami (Summer’s bachelorette)

Job: WW finally took a toll and I felt like I couldn’t give the same copy and paste tour anymore or deal with the same members trying to get out of a legally binding contract. Business was good when it was good and I didn’t want to stick around for the second half of the year when it slowed. There was no growth opportunities and I felt like it was always a game of ‘how can we screw our sales team out of the most $.’ Maybe that is harsh, but I definitely felt like it was time. Fortunately Tracy helped me snag a job (arguably super easily and quick) at my current company, as a CSM, in July. I’ll be honest, I said I was going to get out or quit more times than I can count, but once the dust settled and I entered a groove like I am in now, I can see myself hanging on through my wedding and possibly into 2024. The next job I take needs to be a good one and something I know is right/my next step. If it comes this year, I will be thrilled. But I am comfortable and fine staying put as wedding events commence. 

Therapy!: Another exciting thing to come out of 2022 was me finally taking the step to see a therapist and I have found it to be so refreshing and healing and it is actually something I look forward to. Fortunately, there is nothing majorly major that serves as my reason to go, but I know that that is not needed and not the point. I am so proud of myself for doing something for myself and being brave enough to actually put this into action - something I have thought about for a long time.

Faith: This is arguably once of the more fulfilling aspects and transitions that have happened this year. Over the past 2-3 years I can definitely say Tony and I have both grown our faith tremendously. I can’t quite recall, but either in 2022 or late 2021, despite going to church here and there, there was one week in particular where I could hear and sense God’s calling to attend church (ironically on one of the few weekends Tony was out of town and I was home alone, and so I went alone). I remember where I sat and just how everything touched me so deeply during that service that it brought me to tears. I look back and know it was the Lord calling me home. Tony and I took a marriage class online through the church which planted the seed, helped us to put down roots, and got us more involved. Now, we make it a priority to attend every Sunday. Just recently we applied to become volunteers in the Relief and Outreach Ministry and I am so excited for all that is to come. With my first, personal bible in hand and a vow to ‘never miss a Sunday,’ I am beyond excited to see all that God will do this year in our lives and all that is in store. I have never felt closer to God and know there is still SO much ground to cover, but I remain unwaveringly hopeful and faithful in the journey ahead.

My 2023 Resolutions:

1. Start saving to purchase a second home by 2025

2. Read 12 books

3. Never Miss a Sunday

4. Volunteer 4x minimum (arbitrary number, just as much as possible! + more than in 2022)

5. Switch all household, beauty, and cleaning products to clean, toxin free by EOY

6. Tackle and resolve cheek biting/jaw/teeth issues

7. Re-do laundry room & pantry, office wall

8. Try acupuncture

9. Get a new job (if it’s right)

261 days left as a Tedesco and until I become a Mrs. .......BRING IT ON 2023! TIME TO GET MARRIED!!!!!!!!!!!

21. It has been my lucky number since elementary school. You know how they give each student a number and it correlates to their cubby/desk/number in line etc., mine was always 21. And 21 has been lucky for me ever since. So you could imagine my excitement for 2021. High expectations for it to be a good year. And let me tell you, it delivered.  But first, for some of the trials of this year that I can thankfully look back on and know I am stronger because of them. One of my biggest resolutions for 2021 was to get my real estate license and sell my first house. Spoiler alert: I did both! However, it definitely came at a cost. I took all of my courses and passed the exam within 3.5 months, all while working full time. I passed my exam and officially became a Texas Licensed Real Estate Agent in April. I had one of the best brokers in town to sponsor me; my “second mom” is a kick*ss realtor in NJ and helped me get in with her same company and I was so excited and honored to be a brand new agent on what I thought was going to be my ticket to doing real estate full time. To spare most of the details because it honestly has already sucked enough life from me that I don’t have the energy to go through it all again, I was not mentored at all and had zero support. I was drowning. I was stressed all the time and unhappy. I was given a laundry list of unfulfilled promises: “I’ll have you full time in ~6 months,” “You will train with me and learn the way I do things since I need help with my clients and need someone I can trust,” “I’ll help you build a website, you will attend training sessions, I will help you learn the area.” Among many more, none of these promises were ever fulfilled. Instead, I was uncomfortable, constantly stressed and trying to find my way on my own, and also in the middle of a super hostile environment. While I accomplished the goal I initially set out to achieve, I had to put the rest on pause for some time and vowed to pick it back up in the future when I was fully and wholly ready to get back into it.

My now-fiance and I (don’t worry, I’ll get to that part I promise ;) ) also experienced one of the hardest challenges we have had to face so far as a couple. We have had our dog for almost 2 years now and knew from the get-go that he had aggression/resource guarding tendencies and needed training to help combat it. In the past, we paid a ton of money and sent him away for a month to get trained and while he came home more obedient, they couldn’t quite replicate situations we encountered at home. Fast forward to earlier this year, our golden bit me and gave me stitches....twice. You could chalk the first time up to me making a poor decision/him having a one off episode, but the second time we knew something had to be done. My fiance and my family kept saying they think we should give him up. Of course, I was devastated. I’ll never forget the deafening silence in our household in the two days that followed incident #2 because we both were in shock, devastated, and not sure what to do. Pair the biting with our dog swallowing a tennis ball and needing emergency surgery that put us out $5,000 in the middle of the two times he was aggressive with me, and we were at our wits end. And so we prayed. And I desperately searched for a trainer who could actually take care of the aggression. Enter Malcolm and a shock collar, and we couldn’t be more grateful to see how far Winston has come and how much his behavior has changed. We are grateful beyond measure and know it is only through God that we are where we are with him today.

But enough about the trials of this year (and I’m not even getting into covid because while it still impacted the lives of so many, including ours, life came back a bit and we actually had a chance to breathe and resume to some newer version of normalcy). Now onto the good stuff! It is my ‘lucky year’ after all...

July 23, 2021 - My brother got married and I officially got a new sister! There isn’t one bad thing to say about the day, it was so beautiful. This was my first traditional wedding and for it to be my brother’s wedding where I was also a part of the wedding party made it that much more special. To watch two families come together and celebrate love, was a feeling I couldn’t put into words.

August - I GOT MY DREAM JOB BACK! After almost a year and a half toughing it out through what I call my ‘covid job’ I finally got back into sales at WeWork and immediately knew it was where I was meant to be. It brought me endless fulfillment and fortunately, more money as well. I loved being able to work from anywhere, but being in an office and meeting new people is definitely a setting in which I thrive. The new title of ‘Manager’ also didn’t hurt!

October 2, 2021 - I GOT ENGAGED! Tony proposed in my favorite place (at Barnegat Lighthouse in LBI) and asked me to be his WIFE!!! What I thought was a quick trip home for Chowderfest turned into a celebration with all of our loved ones. I can barely find words but a few that come to mind are blessed, loved, thrilled, and excited. I get to marry the love of my life!! And now it’s time to plan a wedding! 6 years down, forever to go.

Travel - New Orleans, Nashville (my birthday trip), Fort Lauderdale, The Hamptons (Jenny’s bachelorette party), St. Pete’s, Dallas, and BRAZIL (finally!). We were so fortunate to be able to travel despite the pandemic and after a 1 year delay and 6 years too long, we made it to Brazil! We spent the first few days in Rio de Jainero and then spent the rest of the time with family in Salvador. I feel so blessed to be welcomed into Tony’s side of the family and him join mine, officially :) . Brazil will always be a part of our lives and I already can’t wait to go back.

As I write this on 1/1/22, we are 2 days into the option period for our NEW HOME which we are now under contract for. We prayed and prayed for God to help lead us to the home that was meant for us and he definitely delivered on his promise. To have found a home at the perfect time and it to be everything we could ask for and more, we just are beyond grateful. 

And so in 2022 we have a new home/becoming homeowner’s to look forward to and much much more:  I AM GOING TO BE AN AUNT with the addition of my brother’s baby, many of our friends are getting married including my best friend since preschool, with weddings come travel and seeing friends and loved ones, and we still have our own wedding to plan! 2021 you have been too good and what more can I say other than that through God, all things are possible and will be okay. He will guide you and bless you in ways you can’t even imagine. 

Well. Where to even begin…. While I feel like I begin almost every year’s recap feeling overwhelmed and not knowing where to start, this year I really mean it. This year is one for the books.

The Beginning + Winston

The year started off hopeful and continued on the track of living it up in Houston and just taking every new experience we possibly could to try something or go somewhere new. We went to a Houston Texans game- my first ever NFL game. Checked that one off the bucket list! We also went to Mardi Gras in Galveston, where it originated, and it was an absolute blast. Throw in the my first ever Rodeo & BBQ and the year was off to an incredible start.

On January 25th, we picked up our perfect little angel Winston. Now when I say I don’t know where to begin, I truly don’t. He has brought us more joy than we ever thought possible. Even through the puppy behaviors and the teething and potty training, we have adored him and he has been a huge addition to our family. We always were scared thinking we would not have a social life once we got a dog or that we couldn’t travel or he needed a big yard to play in, but boy were we wrong.

He got us through quarantine (even though I am not so sure I can say that as though quarantine really ever ended because we are still in the midst of COVID), but he has also been the reason we met some great friends in our apartment complex who also helped us through COVID/quarantine.

We coincidentally met these friends all around the same time COVID hit in early March once Winston was able to go to the dog park. What began as a hi and bye turned into longer play times for the pups accompanied by a glass of wine in hand. Then it became our only outlet during quarantine and we were beyond grateful to have a small go-to group while everything else was shut down. We made it through by hosting game nights, apartment bar crawls, joining a kickball league and more.

I spent my 24th birthday in quarantine and realized that it might have even been better than ones in the past, thanks to the meaningful and intentional time spent over Zoom with friends and family and all of Tony’s kind gestures- breakfast, El Tiempo for dinner, cookie cake for dessert, and an additional surprise zoom.

What did our quarantine look like? Lots of monopoly deal, many walks/playtime with Winston, games, hanging with apartment friends, and even recovering from COVID. We tested positive a few days apart in late June and we were beyond lucky to have super short term, mild symptoms. We were even luckier because getting COVID meant having antibodies, which meant travel was a possibility, as long as we were cautious.

Travel

While Winston went to a training camp for 4 weeks, we spent 2 of the weeks in LBI/NJ. In September, we visited Vana in Miami and brought Winston on the plane for the first time- I have only one thing to say: angel. In October I traveled back to NJ on my famous $28 round trip flight. While being home and visiting 105 Fairview for the last time, I got into a car accident and boy was God watching over me because I was beyond lucky. Even as I write this I am still shaken up and get a bit weary while driving, but it does serve as a reminder that each day is not guaranteed (and to not drive crazy or speed, especially in the rain or at night….). At the end of October I got to visit Em out in LA with Mike and it truly was an incredible trip. Hiking, nights on the beach, and the first PSU game of the season. In November my friends visited for the first time since I moved to Houston and we went to Austin for a night. The following week Tony and I went to Fredericksburg to celebrate our anniversary. The next week me, Tony, and Winston were headed to NJ for Thanksgiving and I am lucky to have gone back to NJ again for Christmas. So looking back, not bad for travel during a worldwide pandemic. (Did I mention how each flight was extremely cheap?… I’m talking most of them being legit under $100. I am forever spoiled.)

Tony

On October 8th Tony and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary. I secretly believe this was the year that not only brought us closer together but sealed our fate for the future. Quarantine either split most couples up or brought them closer together… I am lucky to say the latter is true in our case. Let’s just say 2021 MIGHT be the year… but no rush of course… but I think it is the year…. but no rush….

Work

In May I didn’t see what was coming which was the elimination of my role as a Sales Lead at WeWork Galleria. Through the company restructuring, I was laid off, but luckily brought on to our Member Support team. While I am beyond grateful to have had the opportunity to stay at the company and most importantly employed, I feel very unfulfilled in this position which I know and hope will be short term. So what did I do….. I finally manifested the new endeavor I will be taking come January 2021… getting my real estate license! All I know for now is I will work towards my license and the rest is in God’s hands.

If there is one overarching thing that came out of this year it is to remember to always be grateful- grateful for our health, for loved ones, for our jobs, for the roof over our heads and the bed we sleep in every night, for food, for the ability to go to a bar/restaurant/anywhere and socialize, to see family and friends at any time, for toilet paper and hand sanitizer (and how so many necessary items are always available to us when we need them/walk into a store) and  most importantly- for each new day gifted to us the second we open our eyes.

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I am so excited to recap this year because God has brought so many exciting and rewarding things into my life that I will never be able to thank Him for.

January-June was a whirlwind, as was the first six months at the hotel because while i had a few better shift times and liked my new team (I even got to keep tabs on all of the celebrities that came in and meet a few), it was a time in my life that will forever be remembered as the most stressful. Managing the front desk at a 5 star 5 diamond property, sometimes alone, and being the punching bag for all of these guests with both valid and invalid requests and complaints took a toll on me. Every action I made had an effect and some nights it came down to deciding whether to give away the $15-30,000/night suite and whether I could justify it to leadership in the morning. 

I began having to take “stress relief” gummy vitamins before each shift after checking to see how many guests we would be expecting to know what kind of day I was going to have (spoiler alert: I took them almost every day), and remember one day specifically where I broke down to my roommate as I was leaving for work just at the thought of having to go and how I hadn’t had 3 meals in a day in weeks and had lost 7lbs as a result of it. Needless to say, I needed to get out and this job was not for me, despite the glaringly shiny star it put on my resume. So I started to make decisions for myself. Put myself, my health, and happiness first.

(I think God tests us sometimes because as I was looking for new jobs, primarily down in Houston so I could make the move to be with my boyfriend, two perfect, unimaginable jobs came up, both in NYC. One was a coordinator at Starlab, the creative/brand HQ for all of Marriott’s luxury brands (a place I wanted to work ever since I stepped foot in the place 3 years prior), and a marketing coordinator with my favorite hotel brand, W hotels. This was my test: take one of these dream jobs, or persist and be with my boyfriend down in Houston.)

And as i persisted and looked for a job in hospitality down in Houston, I encountered another test as a sales coordinator role opened at The St. Regis Houston (did i mention the interviewer was a Penn Stater?). But i was also in the interview process with WeWork for a role down in Houston and I swear to this day I still barely fully understood what I would be doing. However this is where fate stepped in. Three weeks from the time I applied I was offered the job. To backtrack a bit, not only was the salary a step up and the work/life balance night and day, but this is when I believed that it was meant to be... Back in March I had requested days off for my birthday (I want to say I asked for 1 day for a total of 3 days off) to visit my boyfriend down in Houston and despite asking months in advance I was denied. Fast forward and I had the day approved for May. That same trip fell at the beginning of the third week of my interviews, and at a perfect time for the in person interview part which I attended down in Houston that same trip.

Fast forward and I accepted the job, with a start date of 2 weeks after completing my program at the hotel, and our largest client at the new location I was helping to open was my boyfriend’s company. If that is not meant to be then I am not sure what is. I began doing a role of sales, operations, and hospitality/event planning and of course after overcoming the first few weeks of not knowing what the heck I was doing, i LOVED my job. I had an opportunity to transfer closer to home (10 minute drive versus 45-1 hour) in October to a sales role at one of our other locations and just as before, I LOVE my job. My team is more like friends/family, and I meet great people everyday. The work/life balance has afforded me so many opportunities and I feel like I have 3x the time off with weekends, holidays, PTO, AND sick days that I can take practically whenever needed (ok maybe 4x). 

Back to Houston: my boyfriend and I LOVE it here. We always say the only thing missing here is some of our friends and our families. Otherwise we have had an incredible first few months/year here. We already knew some friends here and have only made more, our apartment is perfect and between the pool and gym we are in heaven, the food is amazing, we have traveled to so many cities already, and most importantly we have never been stronger as a couple. Going through life and experiencing it, along with a move across the country, has only brought us closer together. I am excited to say we are getting a baby golden retriever in January 2020 and we both are so grateful for everything God has placed in our lives. We ran our first half marathon in September which was a huge accomplishment for us and have been able to travel to Waco, Austin, Napa Valley, Plano, College Station, San Antonio and back to State College for a game this year too! (I even got to go to LA for work for a week!) Despite living down here, I still am able to keep in touch with all of the people that I care about and we have even had some come visit too. And having just returned from spending my first Christmas with my boyfriend, not to mention an entire week back in Jersey to see family and friends, I can’t help but look back to see how far we’ve come.

As we close out this year, a quote comes to mind that resonated with me so strongly when I heard it months ago: “God is saying to you, by this time next year you are going to see things happen that you never dreamed would happen” -Joel Osteen. And boy was he right. I believe God put those months of struggle and those tests into my life because all along he had something greater planned for me. My faith which began to strengthen more than ever before last year during my time of struggle, has carried me to where I am today: happy, grateful, thriving. It is only a coincidence that Joel Osteen, who helped me through my struggling, has his church based here in Houston which we attend. I am grateful for each time friends and family have told me they can tell I am happier because just as the person on the subway told me in the peak of my suffering last year that I needed to smile because I looked too sad, everyone now tells me they can see how happy I am without me telling them first. I believe the underlying not-so-secret secret is always looking to God, putting Him first, and keeping Him as the focus of everything you do in life. I have Him to thank for all of the blessings in my life and definitely this year.

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In 2020 I am looking forward to these new experiences: Mardi Gras in New Orleans, my first Houston Rodeo, some more time down the shore, and spending Thanksgiving in Brazil.