2017 kicked off with one of the most fun weddings I've ever been to. I celebrated one of my oldest friends Caitlin (we met in 4th grade!) and her husband Kevin on New Year's Eve. It was such a blast and a weekend I will remember forever. It was also the first time many of my friends from home met Jacob -- of course he was a hit.
A few weeks later I marched in Boston for all of those who felt (and still feel) anxious and unheard in the current political climate. It was an amazing day of giving voice to the voiceless and feeling strength in numbers.
At the end of January I attended my first National Mentoring Summit - the annual conference my organization hosts in DC. We spend the entire year planning this and it's attended by over 1,000 mentoring leaders, companies, foundations, philanthropists, policymakers, educators, etc. It was so wonderful to see all the hard work come to fruition AND I executed a kick ass event at the insanely gorgeous Library of Congress.
In February I attended Jacob's work holiday party at the Moakley Court House. It was a lot of fun and great to meet more of his coworkers.
In March we were off to New York to help my parents move into a new condo. The house is beautiful and was a much needed change for my parents. I'm so grateful to Jacob for taking off work to come and help out -- even if that just meant playing cards with my dad.
We also attended Jacob's cousin's wedding. He was in the wedding so I even got some solo hotel time (my favorite). Elaine and John got married in a beautiful venue in western Massachusetts. It was so fun to spend some time with Jacob's family and celebrate a beautiful couple.
I had a lot of work events to plan this year -- the first being in Los Angeles! This was my first time in LA and I had so much fun. I spent the weekend with my friend Britney from college and did lots of touristy sightseeing.
Onto one of my favorite memories of all time, not just 2017 -- goat yoga!! This was a spur of the moment adventure I will remember forever.
In April we went to Lake George, NY for a weekend getaway with Jacob's friends. We spent cozy nights in our beautiful cabin, drank lots of local beer, made a colorful fire, and ate some delicious German food!
Then it was off to Chicago for another work event. I didn't take any pictures except this one...oops!
In April I got promoted at work! Years ago I set a lofty goal for myself to be a director by the time I was 30 and I did it! Woo woo! Jacob, thoughtful as ever, sent these beautiful flowers to my work to celebrate.
May kicked off with a Harpoon beer festival. It's been a while since I went to a Harpoon event and this one was a blast. You can't get much better than beer, friends, and sun!
In the middle of the month I went to Baltimore for another work event. It was my first time in the city and the event was a success. Of course I had to make a pit stop for Maryland crabs!
And at the end of the month I celebrated my 29th birthday! I hosted a little gathering at Lawn on D and so many friends came out. I felt so showered with love all week! I also had a work event in NY so got to spend more time with family.
In early June I headed to Portland, ME for a bachelorette party. I always love visiting Portland and this was such a fun weekend with old and new friends.
Then it was back to New York again for Jackson's baptism. Liz and Marvin gave me the honor of being Jackson's godmother!
In early July my family rented a beautiful house in the Hamptons for a weeklong vacation. It had a heated in-ground pool and was the perfect getaway for us. Jacob and I rode bikes to the beach every morning, we cooked and went out for fabulous meals, spent hours swimming and relaxing, visited wine country and breweries, went kayaking, and so much more. I had such an amazing time, I suffered serious post-vacation blues when it was over.
At the end of July we went back up to Vermont for my friends Nicole and Mike's wedding. It was a gorgeous wedding and another incredibly fun getaway.
The last word in this title is "fitness" so I have to mention the one race I ran this year. In July Jacob and I did the Jim Kane 5K in our neighborhood. It was his first 5k and he kicked butt! It was 100 degrees out and I thought I was going to die. Ha.
I also spent hours and hours commuting to work by foot. There is a new art and park installation underneath the highway on my way to work and it made for so many pleasant morning and evening walks.
This summer I also made pasta by hand for the first time! I even wrote a whole blog post about it.
Jacob and I visited the Arnold Arboretum this summer, which has been on my Boston bucket list foreeeever. So glad I finally made it!
In August we took a trip to New Hampshire and the Saco River. This weekend was soooo fun. I've wanted to do a river trip for a long time and am so glad we made it happen. We rented out a tiny Air BnB and spent hours drinking and floating down the river. On the way back, we drove down the beautifully famous Kancamagus Highway.
We celebrated Jacob's birthday in August at Cafe ArtScience. This was a fun and unique dinner - I think we both really enjoyed it!
We wrapped up the month with a move! Apartment searching and moving is such a bitch. I'm glad Jacob and I came out of it still loving each other and happy with our decisions. I love our little home!
And just a few days after moving, it was off to New York again to celebrate Jackson's first birthday! Can't believe this little munchkin is now 1.5 years old! We ended the weekend with a trip out east with some of my friends from high school. We visited a few breweries and wineries, and took a private oyster tour! Jacob and I took the ferry back to Massachusetts and I was BOMBED. It was pretty funny.
Summer lasted well throughout September this year, so we fit in a trip to the Cape with friends, a few Red Sox games, kayaking, and a festival in Everett. I also took my mentee hiking for the first time!
We also had some visitors in Boston! My sister and her family visited for a wedding and Jacob and I babysat Jackson. It was our first time babysitting and I think we were pretty good at it.
October wrapped up with another trip to New York and another wedding! This time to celebrate my friends Danielle and Christina. Long Island weddings are ALWAYS a blast, and this one was no different.
Despite finally giving in and buying real hiking boots, we did not do a lot of hiking this year. Here's one shot with the foliage on a walk/hike in early November.
In mid-November we celebrated Jacob's aunt's 60th birthday at a roaring 20s theme party! It was so fun to dress up and spend more time with Jacob's family.
At the end of November we were back in New York for Thanksgiving. I actually worked from home that week so we got lots of family time in.
December was chock full of holiday events. I saw the Nutcracker, the Slutcracker, attended numerous secret santas and gift exchanges, and ate lots of christmas cookies.
