Yesterday was my 39th birthday and it was amazing!

One of the downsides to having a birthday on January 3rd is that you feel like you get older so much faster than everyone else! I'm still coming to terms that in a year I will be hitting the big 4-0. I first moved to Congress Heights when I was 30 and boy has my life changed since then! So many amazing things happened to me in 2015 -- it seemed only fitting that I celebrate another year of life who two days of celebrations 

Birthday Bowling & Brunch at Pinstripes with some of my best peeps!

Happy Birthday to me!

Happy Birthday to me the night before with my amazing parents who surprised me!

On the other hand I have the benefit of seeing my birthday as a fresh start for my next year. An opportunity to look back on my prior years and learn from my triumphs and my challenges. In many ways 2015 was an opportunity for me to rededicate my biggest efforts into creating a better life/work balance. To invest more time and energy into myself as Nikki Peele and maybe a little less time in The Advoc8te. You may have noticed a change in my blogging style and frequency in 2015 as I attempted to find what worked best for me and spent the time needed to really connect to my new job as Director of Marketing and Community Engagement at THEARC. 

2015 has been a great year in many ways, I learned so much about myself personally and professionally. I took some trips with friends, made some new friends and spent some much needed time getting my personal house in order. I even was able to get Teddy some much needed dog training! 

So where do I see myself and Congress Heights on the Rise in 2016?

Great question, and I can't wait to show you!

Stay tuned.