Happy Holidays!!

 Wow.

This year just felt like it went by at top speed and didn't slow down at the curbs. So some of you, like me, feel like we blinked and missed it. Or not. 

For me, this year brought a lot of challenges, some good and others not so much. For the first time, I collaborated with other authors to create a series called 2Hot 2Handle. I wrote book number four, Seung. This was a different project for many reasons, but mainly because Seung and Charlotte, the MCS, were such different characters from what I've written so far. 

I also published Eomma Tour Guides, the second book in the Oppa Tour Guides Series, and Begin Again, the last in the Seoul Stories Series. 

Saying goodbye to my Seoul Stories Series doesn't close the door, but for now, let's say it's ajar because I plan on writing in that world, just not right now. The follow-up series will be called Seoul Generations. I will follow some of the babies we met at the end of the series as young adults. So watch this space. 

Also, this year, I said goodbye to 95 pounds and counting. Back in December 2022, I weighed 300lbs. That's the fattest I've been in my adult life. It was a shock to my body, and knowing this weight was extremely dangerous and easy to become 400 or 500 pounds, I decided that I would start losing weight as soon as January the first rolled by. 

First, I got myself two weighted hula hoops. They were really good at keeping me active. As soon as I was confident enough to walk without needing to stop every few steps, I started walking outside until we reached two miles a day. By May, when I saw my doctor, I was down to 273 lbs. It was good, but it still needed to be better. 

I started portioning my food better and drinking tons of water. I learned a great lesson this year through losing weight. We need to drink more water. I know, I know, some people still believe that all you need is eight glasses of eight ounces of water. Some people, like I used to, think it's better to drink half of your weight a day. I learned by August that my body was in bad shape because I was still super dehydrated. Even things that I thought were brought on by the weight disappeared when I started to drink more water. It made me wonder how much was too much, and after reading some dietician journals and water studies, I determined how much water I needed, and trust me, a gallon was not the final number. 

As the year ends, I'm almost at the goal I set back in January to lose 100 lbs in a year (current weight today 205lbs); it was a great year.

I hope you and yours stay healthy through the holiday season and have a fantastic New Year. And remember to drink water!