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Hannah C. Callaway

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2021 in 12 photos

December 31, 2021 · In: Life

2021 was the best year of my adult life. I feel guilty saying that, given the general state of the world, but it’s also fair to celebrate the many wonderful things that this year held for me. Here’s a recap: 2021 in 12 photos.

January

January was a quiet introduction to the new year. I love this photo of my niece and nephew using my dad’s workbench and tools to play.

niece and nephew at our basement workbench

February

I surprised Brandon with a quick trip to one of our favorite towns, Charleston, for his 33rd birthday. We walked around the historic district, ate tons of good food, and spent way too much money at Candlefish.

Brandon on the Charleston Battery

March

The highlight of March was Pi Day, for sure. Jennifer and I made four different pies to celebrate!

baking pies to celebrate Pi Day

April

Our newest nephew was born in April, and he’s been tagging along to many dinners and game nights ever since!

holding a newborn baby

May

May was a BIG month. We celebrated our nine year wedding anniversary with an epic road trip through Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah. It’s hard to choose just one photo to represent the month, but the day we hiked The Narrows at Zion National Park was one of the best days of the entire year — and of my life.

hiking The Narrows at Zion National Park

June

At the end of June, I spent several days in San Francisco with my two best friends. (See Farewell, Summer 2021 for more.) On one evening, we enjoyed a special night out at The Franciscan Crab, where we feasted on seafood before stocking up on touristy merch at a nearby Fisherman’s Wharf store.

dinner at The Franciscan Crab in San Francisco

July

After 15 months working at home, I begrudgingly made my full-time return to the office in July. To ease the transition, Brandon and I painted an accent wall and I purchased new art, lamps, and plants to make my office more creative and welcoming. The framed prints have since been destroyed by humidity, but I’m proud to say that three out of four plants have survived!

Hannah's office on campus

August

I completed a year of language learning on Duolingo in August, and celebrated by purchasing my first Le Creuset Dutch oven. The bread pictured was not my best work, but I’ve used my Dutch oven for many other dishes since its inaugural spin in the kitchen.

baking bread in a Le Creuset Dutch oven

September

Another epic vacation brought us one step closer to finishing 50 in 5! This time, we visited Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Idaho, and Montana. We discovered that Montana is totally our *vibe*, and fell in love with Glacier National Park. This photo, taken at Lake McDonald, is from another best day of our lives. It was also our Christmas card photo this year.

Visiting Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park

October

In October, we were excited to see my favorite band, NEEDTOBREATHE, in concert in Raleigh. We’ve seen them so many times, and they never disappoint. A late-night dinner at Whiskey Kitchen was the icing on the cake.

NEEDTOBREATHE at Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh, NC

November

I’m tired just thinking about November, when we completed our largest home project to date. Our many, many hours of work were rewarded with a beautifully updated kitchen and dining room. One photo cannot sum up the entire project, but this one shows a bit of the work in both rooms.

updates in our kitchen and dining room

December

Similar to last year, 2021 did not end on a high note. I spent all of Christmas Eve in the emergency room with my mother, who experienced a TIA (mini-stroke) that morning. She was in the hospital for three nights. It didn’t cause any lasting damage, but the experience was a good reminder to me to pay closer attention to my own health and to listen to my body when it’s telling me something is wrong.

Novant Health emergency room

By: Hannah Callaway · In: Life

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Farewell, Fall 2021

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We arrived in our 50th state today. 🏔 In May 20 We arrived in our 50th state today. 🏔 In May 2017, @callawaybh and I set a goal to visit every state in the nation - in five years. We were unsure how we’d get to them all, but I was positive that we would find a way. I remember wondering then how our lives would change in five years, and realizing how they would *have* to change in order to accomplish the goal.

I’m a little emotional today, and feeling so lucky for what we’ve seen and experienced on our travels. Brandon reminded me that we’ve also worked hard for this; it’s not just luck. It has been a serious commitment, and has required a great deal of persistence - especially through a global pandemic. But we did it! 

Five years ago, we decided that we would no longer wait to pursue the things we love and want to do most in this life. That decision has made all the difference. 💛

For those who will ask what’s next: We haven’t been everywhere yet, but it’s on our list. 😉
I don’t often share much in real time while we’re traveling, but here are some moments from the last week of life on the road. I really have no words for how special this trip is to me. Maybe I’ll find some before my next post. 😉
This photo is a year and a half old, but today I n This photo is a year and a half old, but today I noticed the guy grinning in the background for the first time. Do you ever wonder how many times you appear in the background of strangers’ photos?

PS) @pjspancakehouse is legit. They literally own www.pancakes.com. 🥞
There are many sunrises to see. ☀️ This was a There are many sunrises to see. ☀️ This was a favorite.
Happy #nationalpuppyday to Schmidt, who is only a Happy #nationalpuppyday to Schmidt, who is only a grumpy old man 5% of the time. 😇

#schmidtelias

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