I love journaling in Day One. It’s an incredible app that really starts to shine the more that you use it. I’ve journaled every day since December 31, 2015. Each evening, I sit down at my desk and write about what’s going on in my life and attach an image from the day to the entry.

I regularly use the “On this Day” feature to find journal entries from years past. I’m amazed at just how vividly I experience those memories. I can feel the emotions, recall the themes, and in some way, connect with my former self.

We’re a year into our grand family adventure in the American West. Perhaps more importantly, we’ve lived in a single family home for a whole year. Living in an actual house is something that I’ve dreamed of since moving out of my parents’ house eight years ago.

After graduating from college, I moved into a duplex in an old steel town in West Virginia. It wasn’t glamorous, it was cheap, and it was fine for a bachelor and his cat. When Alison and I got married, she moved into a two-bedroom apartment that I had been renting for a few months. During residency, we lived in another duplex, which could also be considered a town house.

Now, we’ve finally made it. A nice big house, with a master suite, formal dining room, two living rooms, a garage, and a yard for the kids. I spent some time this morning after my walk sitting in one of the living rooms and looking out at a verdant yard backing up to the creek and neighborhood greenway. I’m in awe of the beauty that surrounds us.

Many times, I’ve built milestones up to be bigger and better than they are, only to be disappointed when I finally get to that point. Living in a house is everything that I hoped it would be. It’s been a great year.