Home Sweet Home.

I started to write this final 2024 blog post as a detailed list of my accomplishments for the year: how I completed both a 200hr yoga teacher training and 85hr prenatal yoga teacher training, coached my two athletes to PRs in both the half marathon and marathon, respectively, hosted my own Peaceful Pioneer prenatal yoga class, and ran my first international marathon in PR fashion with plenty in the tank. While all that’s definitely true and should be celebrated and applauded, the truth is for me, 2024 was far deeper than tangible milestones. This past year performed surgery on my heart, intentions, mind, habits, and insecurities. Excavating all that I ignored, suppressed, or was unaware of, I was faced with staring my rough edges, self-sabotaging habits, and insecure tendencies square in the face. It was a hard task, but such a tender, beautiful experience to have.

“It’s time to come home.”

Those were the words that I felt being whispered to me when I landed in DC in 2020 for a race.

Though I answered the call without question, promptly telling everyone I was going to move to DC during the whole trip and 6 months later doing just that, I was never truly sure what the voice meant by “coming home.” Sure I was born in Baltimore and went to high school in Virginia, but I hadn’t ever truly feel connected to those cities, and DC had never been my home by any means. There was something comforting about the District, outside of its welcoming running community and the chocolate-ness of Chocolate City, but I had a feeling “home” wasn’t reminiscent of a familiar land dwelling, gathering place of comfort, or any sense of “home” that I was familiar with.

Looking back over 2024, I see now that the voice was encouraging me to come home to myself. Forewarning me that over the next few years, DC would peel my layers back, allowing me to reconnect me with interests, desires, and visions for myself that I hadn’t truly enjoyed or explored before. I would try new hobbies, meet dozens of new people, travel to new places, and eat new food, all while dating myself and intentionally getting to know and love me. Home now feels like being grounded in happiness, light, and contentment. It’s reminiscent of the feeling you get when you see a good friend that you weren’t expecting to show up—outward gratitude meets soothing inner love.

Thank you, 2024. I love it here—at peace, in love, filled with light.

Home sweet home. <3