May In Review

I normally don't do monthly reviews, but May was just such a special month that it deserved it's own highlight.

I entered the month of May with high anticipation, lots of exciting things on the calendar. I was nearing the end of the best half marathon training cycle I'd ever had, and also nearing the end of 10 months of preparation for the biggest event of my life thus far: getting married.

The wedding was probably a really great representation of me & the hubs. There was chaos and stress leading up to it, then a delightful & casual rehearsal dinner, a quiet & simple ceremony (with a few goofy moments) and then a reception that can only be described by the shrugging emoji. I learned that I am a terrible party planner and that I should just hire someone to do something on that scale in the future. <-- Hopefully I'll never have to do that again. So many friends and family helped out and I am forever grateful that they put up with me that weekend.

At rehearsal dinner.

Jeff couldn't attend the ceremony, but he got dressed up, too!

Post-ceremony! Check out more photos here

After the excitement of the wedding weekend, I came back into the office to catch up on emails, and found out I had been selected for a major national honor: the inaugural 40 Under 40 in Public Health list, selected by the de Beaumont Foundation. The list recognizes leaders in public health who are strengthening communities with new ideas, creative problem-solving, and innovative solutions, and I am so proud to be included in this year's list. 

The list of leaders and their accomplishments highlight the kinds of solutions and innovations that will be needed to improve the health of communities across the country. It's a thrill to be included among a group of public health professionals who embody the values to collaboration, creativity, and innovation that are so critical to advancing the field and improving health. 

I had to keep it a secret for a whole week, and when that announcement was finally made, I was able to turn my focus to the Kansas City Corporate Challenge Half Marathon, which I wrote about earlier. I smile thinking about how I smashed my previous PR by 7 minutes and now am hungry to do more, when less than a year ago I was questioning whether I ever wanted to do another half marathon. Funny how a little success after so much struggle can change things. 

All that hard work and it was finally time for my new husband (!!!) and I to go on our honeymoon. We spent a week at El Dorado Royale resort, nestled along the Carribean Sea between Cancun and Tulum, Mexico. This is absolutely a #nonsponsored recommendation, but we had a delightful time, the food was delicious and we felt so rested after that trip. Or, we would have, had we not been flying home the night a mile-wide tornado hit the area, left a shit ton of debris on the airport runway, and caused us to spend from midnight until 4 am in the Wichita airport. A 5AM arrival when you should have gotten home at 10PM the evening before isn't exactly restful. But I digress. Mother nature strikes again.

Night out on our honeymoon

Basically what we did all day.

So, it's July 17. Have three 5k's to write about from June, so expect those in August, haha.