2017 Year In Review

2017 was a jam packed year. Before setting some areas of focus and planning for 2018, I love to reflect on some of the memories that made up this year. What better place to do it than on the blog?

January

• Rang in the new year with good friends
• Visited one of my best friends in Orlando for a long weekend

February

• Went hiking in Great Falls on a random 65 degree day
• Attended my first customer event at work

March

• Celebrated another anniversary with my best friend
• Took a trip home with Ian for a weekend with friends and family

April

• Saw my absolute favorite, John Mayer, in concert for the 4th time. Pure magic.
• Went to an Orioles game
• Went camping at Shenandoah National Park with some friends
• Attended the DC Chocolate festival- very cool and interesting experience for someone who loves chocolate as much as I do

May

• Toured the White House- definitely an uncomfortable political climate to do so, but the history there was so amazing to walk through
• Went to a Nationals game
• Celebrated the one year mark of working in the real world

June

• Spent a much needed long weekend in the sun at the beach with Ian
• Celebrated my brother’s high school graduation with family

July

• Ran my first 5 mile race and was just shy of beating my goal
• Visited one of my best friends down the shore for a girls weekend

August

• Spent a week in Acadia National Park exploring all of the beauty in Maine
• Visited Ian’s family on Long Island
• Turned 23!
• Was a bridesmaid in my friend Paige’s wedding

September

• Got promoted at work
• Got my wisdom teeth out- not a very enjoyable experience to say the least
• Visited my brother at Duke in Durham, NC

October

• Went pumpkin and apple picking- I love me some fall activities!
• Officially launched the blog

November

• Ran two 5Ks
• Hosted Friendsgiving and got to spend some quality time with my favorite people

December

• Was a bridesmaid in my best friend Alex’s wedding
• Spent the holidays with my family

2017 really was great in so many ways. I feel like I got to do more traveling this year than I ever have before, which was incredible! I also really cherish the smaller moments of 2017, which are harder to get a sense of from the list above. I spent much of this year learning at my job about my strengths, weaknesses, and areas of interest/disinterest, challenging myself to cook new and exciting meals at home, channeling my creativity into new crafting and home projects, teaching myself financial responsibility and prioritization, and making simple memories with the people I love most.

I’d be lying if I said 2017 was all sunshine and rainbows. I had some challenges and setbacks, and I’m sure 2018 will be no different. All I can do is keep pushing forward, learning from my experiences, and maintaining a positive attitude.

I’m excited to channel both the good and the bad, and the lessons learned, into some goals and areas of focus for 2018. What were some of your 2017 highlights?