The Year In Review

With the new year upon us, it’s fun to look back and see how much life has changed in the past year.  My life has gone through some pretty dramatic changes in the past twelve months, but I honestly couldn’t be happier about where life has taken me.

Since I’m lucky enough to have this blog to document it all, it’s pretty cool to be able to look back on the past year and all that’s happened.  Here are some of the most memorable parts of my 2012:

• Almost one whole year ago, I decided to start my blog.  It has had its ebbs and flows, but it has changed my life in many ways and I’m so grateful to all those of you out there who read it every day!

• I decided to recommit myself to health and fitness and haven’t looked back since, getting more and more interested and involved in the healthy living world as I go.
• I made the (awesome) decision to stop tanning – for good! – and I haven’t been since.
• I invested in a new camera to rev up the quality of my blog pictures and have had so much fun learning all about photography.

• After five years and two universities, I graduated from college with Bachelor’s degrees in Finance and Political Science.  I’m not sure that these subject matters are my favorite anymore, but graduating with honors was certainly one of the biggest accomplishments of my life, and one that I am very proud of!

• I worked hard to find and land my first full-time post-grad job!  I don’t necessarily know if it’s my dream job, but I am learning so much and gaining so much valuable experience.
• I got a new apartment and moved in all by myself.
• I had lots of fun decorating my new apartment and learned that I have a passion for finding and refinishing second-hand furniture!

• I started my new life as a single girl, ready to learn more about myself, focus on myself, and put myself first for once!  It was difficult initially, but I have since learned that it was one of the best things to happen to me, allowing me to reconnect with old friends and reprioritize my life in a much more beneficial way.  I’m learning what I want, what I deserve, and who I am as a person – and that’s something I’m grateful for.

• I expanded my blogging influence and gained experience by writing a guest post for Chobani, becoming a contributing member of the FitKit community, doing product reviews for KLUTCHclub and Früsh, and getting a shoutout for my Peanut Butter & Co. cookie recipe.
• I decided to pursue my passion for health and fitness even further by signing up and studying for the NASM CPT exam and getting CPR certified.

• Though not a happy memory: My beautiful Memere, who we still miss every single day, passed away. I am so sad that she is gone, but I’m also very grateful that my family got to celebrate her life in such a meaningful way.

• For both work and fun, I got to travel to so many different places this year:
  • Florida for a baseball tournament and fun in the sun
  • California for work and my first time on the West Coast
  • Several trips to New York state for work, which made me hate driving just a little bit less
  • A short trip to Maryland, also for work
  • Massachusetts, for both work and play
  • Connecticut, for both return visits to UConn and for work trips to my college state
  • West Virginia for more baseball and a beautiful bike ride along the river
  • Charleston, South Caorolina for yet another baseball tournament and a trip with my Mom and sister
  • Charlotte, North Carolina to visit my sister’s college for the first time!
  • San Francisco, which I realized was a city that I loved but wouldn’t want to live in
  • Pennsylvania for work and a beautiful (bot LONG!) drive through Amish country
  • Cape Cod for baseball and hanging out with some awesome people (Thanks again Sarah!)
  • Boston for fun and football and work
  • Hampton Beach for fun in the sun with my family!
  • Newfound Lake for time on the boat

2012 was a pretty packed year for me, filled with lots of life-changing events, both big and small, but I’m grateful for every experience that I’ve had.  Some of them were positive, and some were negative, but they have all helped shape me into the person I am today.   I know the kind of person I want to be and the kind of people I want in my life, and in that I take comfort.   Although sometimes I get nervous that I don’t know where I’m headed, I feel like right now, at this moment, I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be – and that’s a good feeling.

I think that sometimes we get so caught up in the here and now that we forget to take a minute to reflect on how far we’ve come, but it really is so important to do that.  The experiences we have, the people we meet, and the changes we go through are all so vital to who we have (and will) become, and after a bit of reflection, I have to say, I like where I’m headed.  I still don’t know exactly who I am, where I’m going, or what I want to be, but I’m learning more every day and I’m looking forward to the days ahead.

I hope that you all have a wonderful, safe, fun, and happy holiday with your loved ones.  As always, thank you, thank you, thank you for reading.

Happy New Year!! <3