I talk about systems, capability, and organizational life. When I look back, the moments that stayed with me were the non-work ones that shaped who I was while doing the work.
This year, life beyond professional work looked like:
🎓 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿
My husband spent most of his adult life running his family’s business abroad. This year, I supported him as he began a new journey, including starting college, completing his first semester, and earning a winter internship in data center operations. Watching him invest in himself was one of the year’s biggest joys.
🌿 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲
I reconnected with brilliant people in ways that enriched my life. I enjoyed meet-ups at Mosaic, wineries, and fall days at Cox Farms, and I rediscovered how nourishing it is to be with people who challenge, support, and steady you.
✨ 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀
•Enjoying the glass exhibit and mini-golf at the Workhouse Arts Center
•Louisiana-style food and laughter with friends in Old Town Alexandria
•A staycation at a new boutique hotel with my husband and our Frenchies
•Trick-or-treating with the dogs in costume
•Waking up to crisp air and wandering a local farmer’s market and letting the day unfold at its own pace
❤️ 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗷𝗼𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿
Like many others, I experienced a difficult year filled with shifts, changes, and uncertainty that touched work and life. Joy did not erase the difficult moments. Instead, joy met them and reminded me that life is not only what we manage. It is also what we make room to feel, nurture, and carry forward.
This year showed me something I am carrying into the next: 𝗷𝗼𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸.
What moments beyond work held you this year?
Dr. Treca Bourne 