Happy New Year Everyone!
As we bring in 2019, I’m feeling so thankful for the past year and all of the experiences that came with it. 2018 was a huge year of growth for me.
I started my year off heavily focused on self-love and self-care, both of which are very important to me. This year, I took adventurous steps in travel, I strengthened my independence by living all alone for the first time, I reached sales and clientele goals in my career and I even fell in love.
I’m thankful for all that Twenty-Eighteen brought to me, the ups and the downs. I look forward to another amazing year of growth and happiness!
So, in honor of the end of 2018, here is the past year of my life..
Started 2018 off with a trip to Vegas with my best friends! Kelsey and I spent the first weekend of February enjoying the Las Vegas heat, which was much needed in the middle of our brutally cold Maryland winter. Check out my post from our trip: [weekend in vegas]
In May, I taught my first group balayage class. Previously, I have only taught in intimate groups of 1-4 people. Teaching a larger class was a very cool experience and a lot of fun! I also finally left the country for my first time! This one has been on my bucket list for a while. I spent 5 days enjoying the Dominican Republic. I soaked up the sun, snorkeled in Caribbean waters, and swam in the natural pools. It was an an amazing first experience and only raised my desire to travel. Here is my post from my trip: [Dominican republic]
After returning from the Dominican Republic, my attention was set on one thing… The NHL playoffs. Being a Washington Capitals fan since I was just a little girl, I prepare myself for this time of year and the heartache that comes with it. Every year we watch our boys get so close to victory and lose it all, but enough was finally enough. In 2018 the Caps brought home the much-deserved Stanley Cup! Stanley Cup Champions at last! We watched the boys take it home at a viewing party hosted by Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. I will never forget the energy of thousands of Caps fans screaming, jumping and singing “We Are The Champions” at the tops of our lungs, a truly unforgettable moment. A sea of red stormed the city with our first victory parade; Caps jerseys as far as the eye could see and our team standing proud with Sir Stanley. A very enthusiastic team captain, Alex Ovechkin, set the mantra for the rest of the year with his now-famous words, “were not gonna be f*cking suck this year”. The whole summer was a huge celebration, DC partying like I’ve never seen before. The city has never felt so united. We spent all of 2018 celebrating our victory. What an incredibly year for all us Washington Capitals fan. We did it!
Oh, July. There is so much to say about the month of July. I’ll start with Jake..
I had been dating someone fairly casually for a couple of months. You know those first few months when you don’t know what to make of it and where its really headed? Well thats where I was, but then July changed all of that. We spent a weekend up at my family cabin in Hillsgrove, PA with a few close friends and family. We did B’s first trip to Ocean City, MD over what was supposed to be a gloomy and rainy weekend that ended up being sunny and beautiful. B got tickets to a Taylor Swift concert and although I’m not personally a big fan, I found the concert to be a huge success after hiding my purse in the bushes outside of the stadium instead of paying $15 for a locker (your girl is on a budget) and coming out to my purse still safely hidden! After-all, it’s the little things in life, right? We saw our first show together, The Temptations, at the Kennedy Center. July was packed full of memories I will always cherish.
Other big news made in July:
After seven years of roommates, I finally moved into my very own place! This one was a huge milestone for me. I found a cozy one bedroom apartment in North Bethesda and made it my own. Then, Nola turned four! Our closest friends and family gathered around to celebrate my girls fourth birthday. She was one happy pup. Check it out here!
The rest of summer was just as eventful. I tried acrovinyasa yoga for the first time (and loved it), saw another show at the Kennedy Center and finally met Jake’s daughter, Maddy. We celebrated Jake’s birthday with a trip to Montreal, Canada. We had an amazing time together, celebrating such a big birthday, and was also a milestone in our relationship. We then ended the summer with a bang by winning two AMAZING tickets to Hamilton on broadway; second row, front and center. Hamilton was definitely a life-changing moment for me. I have always loved music and theater, but this took it to another level.
In October, I turned Twenty-Five! I hosted a wonderful brunch with a few of my closest friends and family. I attended the home opener Caps game and celebrated the raising of our new Stanley Cup Champion banner. I went to the Renaissance Festival for my first time. Turns out Maryland puts on one hell of a Renn Fest. I will definitely be returning next year, and against my better judgement, probably dressing up.. thanks to Jake and my cousin Amanda. We ended October with a trip to Las Vegas for an annual Halloween party I’ve never had the opportunity to attend before. Being that the Washington Capitals crushed the Vegas Knights during the Stanley Cup final, it was a must for us to dress as Ovechkin and the Stanley cup (our favorite costumes). It was an awesome way to end our month.
The tougher part of October was my baby sister shipping off to basic training for the Air Force. Our daily communication came to a halt. I started writing her letters and impatiently waited to hear back from her. Weeks went by before I finally heard back. Seeing my name and address in her handwriting brought tears to my eyes. I was so excited to finally hear from her! Her letter wasn’t exactly comforting, hearing all about the hell they put you through in basic, but her presence through writing was enough. Weeks of letters back and forth, then I was surprised with a phone call on Thanksgiving. We all flew out to San Antonio in mid December to attend her graduation (where we convinced mom, dad and dads fiancé to stay under the same roof.. a memory i will never forget, lol) She did it! My baby sis a US airman.
For Thanksgiving, I flew out to St. George, Utah with Jake and Maddy to meet Jake’s family and spend our holiday with them. We stayed in a house with a handful of Jake’s siblings and there family’s. Our trip was a blast. I learned a lot about Jake and a little about Mormonism. The trip wasn’t nearly long enough, but I’m sure we will be taking a trip back soon.
December was full of the normal holiday events. Holiday partys, dinners, happy hours and a full book at work. Jake and I hosted our first holiday party for our friends and family. We had so much fun putting it all together. I have so much to be thankful for this holiday season.
2018 was an awesome year full of so many amazing memories to be cherished. I’m looking forward to another year of adventure.