Bloggiversary: My Year in Trips

Like I mentioned in my post yesterday, my 1 year bloggiversary is coming up this May. It's made me nostalgic for 2014 and all the wonderful things I got to do and see. I'm thankful for the year that I turned 25, the new friends I made, the friendships that were strengthened, and the milestones I hit like beginning my career in Higher Education.

2014 was also a year of travel. In May SH and I went to Santa Barbara to visit my favorite ranch and go horseback riding. Then I went to Sonoma for the first time with girlfriends over Memorial Day Weekend to go wine tasting (yum!) In June I went to NYC to visit my elementary school besties (going on 17 years of friendship!) and saw Orlando Bloom and Sophia Copolla on my flights there and back. In July SH and I visited Seattle for my second annual birthday trip (I turned 25.) Then in August we went on a friend camping trip to Big Sur. In October I went to Illinois for the first time, and saw SH's home and Chicago. Then last but not least, in December SH and I went to Big Basin for the day to admire the redwoods. 

I don't think I'll get to travel nearly that much in 2015, but here's to a year of visiting new places and having fun. 

What do you hope 2015 has in store? Do you have any fun trips planned this year?

My First Year of Fashion Blogging

As my 1 year bloggiversary is fast approaching, I thought it would be fun to do a roundup of the outfits I posted about in 2014. Thank you for sharing this blogging journey with me. I'm excited to see what the road has in store. Sometimes I get discouraged or worn out from the process. But, it's my friends and family who read my blog and some of the blogger acquaintances I've made that keep me going. I can't thank you enough for your kind words and encouragement! I hope to meet some of you in person some day and grow bloggy friendships :)

2014 was a very fun year for me with lots of positive changes. I quit my healthcare job in January of 2014 before I had another job secured. It was a big risk, but completely worth the gamble. I started a job in Higher Education a few short weeks later, in February, which was instrumental in getting me on the Higher Ed path. In June I moved to Hermosa Beach, and lived right on the beach which was the most fantastic thing ever. It's been a life goal of mine to live by the beach so now I can cross that one off the list. I loved falling asleep and waking up to the sound of the ocean and I had a wonderful roommate- my first great roommate experience, actually, proving that I can have a healthy and happy roommate situation. (I think this is an important milestone in anyone's life!) In August I started training in Krav Maga and Kickboxing. I've been going for eight months now, and have gotten my orange belt in both KM and KB. It's changed my approach to discipline and challenged my body in ways I never knew were possible. I've done a four hour workout before without breaking- something I had never done before. I'm thankful that the friends I've made through the studio and my teachers keep pushing me and teaching me I'm stronger than I think. Then in October I started the job I'm currently in, which I love, and also visited SH's family in Illinois. This was an important trip because I got to see the home he grew up in for the first time, and meet some of his family members I hadn't met yet. Then in November SH came to my parents' house for Thanksgiving for the first time. Whew! What a year!

Here's my 2014 journey in outfits:

 

Here's to another great year. Let's make 2015 amazing.

2015 Brainstorm

Hi everyone! Happy Friday Eve! :)

I've read a number of blog posts about new year's resolutions, and many of them seem to flow along the same vein- "I don't want to make promises I'm not going to keep," and "I'm not going to set unrealistic expectations for myself this year." Many of the posts have taken a new, more uplifting spin on typical resolution making, which can feel daunting and, well, even a little self-shaming sometimes.

Last year I created a 2014 "brainstorm" - a list of things I hoped to learn and do. Looking back, it was a great list! And I was able to accomplish many things on it. But a few of the things on that list are things I am ALWAYS striving to do, such as love myself, eat more greens, and eat less cheese ;)

My 2014 brainstorm list included:

• Learn how to use a slow cooker
• Host one party a month (ambitious??)
• Host a game night
• Host a movie night
• Try a DIY project
• Go to Griffith to hike (did this Jan 4th!! It was beautiful!)
• Bake
• Write cards to friends (snail mail)
• Learn karate and earn a belt (!!!)
• Run a 5k
• Love myself
• Eat more greens
• Eat less cheese/bread/chips and sub fruit/veggies/protein
• Call more friends
• Reach out more frequently (calls, emails, etc.)
• Enjoy life
• Seek out nature
• Say a prayer
• Take a dance class
• Go for a run
• Read more
• Start an etsy shop

Making a list of new year's HOPES rather than hard and fast "resolutions" is what works for me. Some of these goals have changed, too. For example, in 2014 (and probably earlier, if I'm being honest with myself,) I discovered that I just don't really love running. Why try to turn myself into a runner when I don't even enjoy it? What I did learn in 2014 is that I really enjoy Krav Maga classes (and though I didn't learn Karate, I did earn my first belt in Krav Maga and it felt awesome!)

In short, I don't want to change my nature, I want to tap into things that I'm most naturally passionate about. With that in mind, here are some things that are on my 2015 Brainstorm list:

• Bring lunch to work (saving money and being more frugal is high on my list of priorities this year!)
• Take a break from pizza and sweets (pizza, popcorn and sweets are my three favorite foods. Safeguarding my health is important to me, so the frequency of my indulging in certain foods might need to shift as I age.) 
• Continue to explore my creative side (sketching! Blogging! Crocheting!) 
• Keep better track of what books I read and what movies I watch 
• Maintain a good apartment cleaning schedule 
• Continue to travel to new places as often as possible
• Grow my blog readership 
• Develop a good blogging routine  
• Do something that scares me a little bit 
• Continue to grow and maintain healthy, fulfilling relationships 

What do you think of my brainstorm? Are there any things in particular that you want to accomplish in 2015?