2018 has been the greatest rollercoaster ride of my life to date. It has also been the year of, without a doubt, the most powerful lessons. I feel so fortunate to have been able to learn so much not only through my own experiences, but from the wisdom of my residents.

Last month when interviewing our Veterans, I had the pleasure of hearing about how one of my favorite nonno’s met his beloved wife. I ended up with five minutes of footage related to the war and 45 on Anna. They wrote to one another for over two years before they met in person, during which time she was engaged to someone else. Her fiancé owned a gas station about an hour north of where she’d grown up, and she was hesitant to marry him and be so far from her parents. Ed, on the other hand, lived 1,000 miles away. Without hesitation, after meeting at Yankee Stadium and getting engaged shortly thereafter, she joined him in St. Louis.

Ed and Anna’s story moved me beyond words (read: it moved me to full blown tears, which you can probably hear in my voice at times!). I felt it was too beautiful not to share, especially considering it was one of my favorite experiences this year. With every curve of the winding road that was 2018, my loves have continued to teach me to fight for what feels right; to be courageous and to take big risks; to be honest about how I feel; and, perhaps most importantly, to never settle in any aspect of your life. In Ed’s case, it was mail order bride or bust.