2016: A Year in Review

This blog definitely took a backseat in 2016. It upset me at first that I wasn't writing here much, but I'm over it. The blog has been such an amazing outlet for so many years and if there comes a time that I wan't to write more frequently again here, I will.

That being said, I do still like to document some of the bigger moments here for my memories. So, here are some of the top moments from my year (in no particular order)!

Going to Puerto Rico with two of my best friends.This trip was so amazing after a rough winter. It was the first time Erica, Kathleen and I went away just the three of us and it was marvelous. From laying on the beach all day, to hiking through El Yunque Rain Forest, every moment was just wonderful.

The birth of my adorable nephew Jackson! I can't believe how much I love this little nugget. Jackson joined us on August 29th and has filled all of our lives with so much joy every day.

Meeting Jacob. Jacob and I met early in the year and he's definitely made this year one of the best yet. I'm so lucky to have found him :-)

Beer Camp! This was hands down one of the most fun beer festivals I've ever gone to and one of my best memories from the year. Beer festivals are always great but they get extra points when they're outside on a beautiful day and within walking distance from my apartment.

Seeing Billy Joel for the first time in Boston, and particularly, the spontaneity of buying tickets off the street 10 minutes before the concert! I truly can't describe the excitement I felt after walking through the gates and entering Fenway -- it was a night to remember for sure.

Here's a big one - quitting my job and starting a new one that I LOVE. I was at my last job for 5 years and pretty unhappy for the last two of those. In March I finally bit the bullet and accepted a new position that I was recruited for. While at the time it felt like one of the hardest things I've ever done, looking back it seems silly. This process has given me so much confidence and reignited an excitement about my professional present and future. At my new job I'm highly respected and valued as a leader, face exciting growth potential, and am surrounded by awesome coworkers who have quickly become great friends. 

Taking my first solo trip to Seattle! This was the first time I took a trip by myself and I LOVED it. I had such a blast exploring and doing every little thing that I wanted -- I ate at all the restaurants I picked out, went to bed early when I felt like it, and even joined a little tour group to hike up Mt. Rainier!

Going to Boda Borg with some friends from my sports league. This will go down in history as one of the most fun things I've ever done. And the most bruises I've ever had at once.

Stepping up my workout game. This year I completed 16 weeks of BBG and did 10 straight week of 6 am bootcamp at my gym. Who knew I could wake up in the 5 am hour?!

Playoff Celtics Game! It's funny that this would appear on my list, but this was SUCH a fun night. My old boss gave me two free super close tickets to the Celtics playoff game. They were down by about 35 points and came back to win. It was INSANE and I was screaming my head off like an actual fan. So fun.

My 10 year high school reunion. I ended up having to travel to New York for work the weekend of my high school reunion and decided to go, despite most of my friends not attending. I ended up having a blast and reconnecting with some old friends I haven't seen in years. 

Welfleet Oyster Fest! This is always a fun weekend with some of my best friends and this year wasn't any different. Oh, except that there were NO oysters thanks to the norovirus outbreak. Still, it was tons of fun and this year we made it a long weekend with a trip to Provincetown!

Meeting my mentee! For years I've wanted to find a long-term volunteer opportunity. The day I signed the offer letter for my new job and knew I'd be in Boston for at least the next few years, I signed up to become a mentor through Silver Lining Mentoring. After a long application process and some intense training I was finally matched with my mentee. I'm really excited to see how our relationship develops over the next year and beyond! I don't want to post a photo of her but here's the result of us messing around with bananagrams :-)

This year was full of so many great moments - big and small. I can't wait to see what 2017 has in store!