Christmas Thoughts

Greetings to everyone. It’s Kim here; Neil is taking some well earned blog time off!

It is Christmas Eve and I’m being reflective. If anyone would have told me a year ago how the events of the last six months would have unfolded, I would have had a good chuckle. It has been quite the ride!

We – Neil, Michael Anne, and I - are spending the holidays in Chicago this year. With the weather the last few days, we are appreciating the, albeit, humid Bermuda weather all the more. Neil arrived on Wednesday vs. the scheduled Tuesday due to Chicago snowy weather. I arrived Friday morning vs. Thursday evening due to the Chicago snowy weather. Michael Anne made it in on Friday afternoon, with Neil driving up to Madison in the snow (and in a rental car, of course, since the M3 has an incurable snow allergy). The weekend then turned bitter cold, with Sunday maybe making it up to 0 degrees farenheit. It’s been snowing off and on since the weekend.

Bermuda right now is 66! Do you see my point!

Tonight we will have an intimate dinner with Neil’s brother and his wife at a nearby restaurant followed by church. Tomorrow I’ll cook my traditional Christmas breakfast with caramelized bacon (let me know if you’d like the recipe) and then we’ll head to my brother’s home in Evanston for the day. A low key couple of days vs. our larger gatherings of years past. With the changes in the last few months, I think we are all welcoming the subdued celebrations.

We’ll head down to Bermuda on Jan 2, with Michael Anne joining us for 3 weeks. It will be her first trip to the island and I’m eager to see what her reaction is. Her main goal is to start a tan! She’ll then head off to Italy for her second semester studies. I’m sure it will be an amazing opportunity for her, both academically and personally. Hopefully we’ll be able to visit her while she is there.

With the year that we’ve had I find myself reflecting more on the last 12 months than those of years past. We’ve had much change and parts of our lives are not as neatly compartmentalized as we would like them to be. We set out on our Bermuda journey ready for an adventure; Neil and I have more than once said maybe what we really wanted was a “controlled” adventure (what else would you expect from two “controllers”). I’ve concluded that rather than be in control, we just need to shift our attitude on a few things and focus on the positive and the fact that we are even able to experience such an adventure. While we are still not settled into our home (and with an increasingly impossible landlord, we maybe never will be) we are able to look out and see a fantastic sea view. At the office, I have created a very long to-do list that I need to prioritize and accept the many things that will not be as I want them. On the positive, I can apply the best of my past experience and have a huge impact for Bacardi. We are slowly adapting to the Bermuda culture, accepting the subtle reminders of who is in charge (they are). But, we’ve met many interesting people that assure us they’ve gone through the same evolution and that we will love it. Plus, these people really know how to have fun! Enjoying life is a top priority in Bermuda.

In the big picture, we are healthy and have each other. We are writing a life chapter that, although not starting out as smoothly as we hoped, we don’t for a minute regret setting out to write it. Our lives, by many measures, are near perfect. I count my blessings of the many opportunities I’ve had and that I’ve had my soul mate at my side through most of them.

In closing, I hope 2008 has provided blessings and memories for all of you. I wish all of you a Merry Christmas and hope you are able to enjoy the season with family and friends. May 2009 bring you happiness and joy throughout the year.

My very best to you,
Kim