a quarter of a century through life, I’ve had some pretty amazing moments. last year was one of the best: I traveled the world, got engaged, continued my career and accomplished so many dreams.
and while a part of me wishes that I could go back and relive all of these memories, the other part of me looks back with so much joy and excitement for the future.
of course the joys of last year weren’t without their struggles, but through the ups and downs, I have not only found contentment, but different kind of love for life. there are so many more places I want to travel, art I want to create, connections I want to make, and things I want to accomplish. there is so much more life that I can’t wait to live and deep down I know, the best is yet to come
the moments we live for
a month into 2022, it might seem a little late to be looking back on 2021. but sometimes, life moves pretty fast, and we have to stop and remind ourselves to pause and take a breath.
and to be quite honest, there were so many good moments last year that i had to share. better late than never right?
from reuniting with my boyfriend after being about for 438 days to spending the summer in europe (canceling my flight so i could stay even longer) while finishing up grad school and graduating (again) to visiting my best friend and exploring colorado for the first time, there were so many good moments.
so many pure moments.
although this year had it’s share of ups and downs (as does every year), these moments reminded me of what makes life worth it. sometimes, it seems like there is a pressure to be living a picture-perfect life. but i think the truth is that we have to go through the difficult, uglier parts of life in order to feel the good moments to their fullest.
and when those picture-perfect moments happen, it is okay to enjoy them to their fullest.
these are the moments we live for.
all we have is now
every year I pick a mantra or some saying that sums up my life for that year.
in 2018, I chose “here’s to the nights we felt alive,” reminding myself to embrace the moments that truly made me feel like I was living. in 2019, I chose “dreaming with my eyes wide open” because the year was one of the best of my life and so many amazing things happened.
then 2020 happened. (insert scary music)
at first, I wasn’t really sure what to make out of this crazy year. I mean soooo much happened. but at the same time, it felt like nothing happened. coming off of an amazing 2019, I felt like 2020 was kind of disappointing. now, it wasn’t all bad, there were many blessings in this difficult year. but I also just felt like I hadn’t done enough. I didn’t feel like I had accomplished anything.
then it came to me in one of my favorite phrases: “all we have is now.”
because if 2020 taught me anything, it’s that nothing is for certain and nothing is guaranteed. we are not promised a single second of our lives, so the most important thing that we can do is embrace today.
all we have is the moment that we are in right now.
2020 was a crazy year. but it did remind me that some of life’s most beautiful, amazing, incredible moments are right in front of us.
it is in the little things. the connections with others. going on drives. watching the sunset.
life isn’t always about living big, waiting for the next amazing thing to happen. it’s about making the most of what we have, right here, right now.
because, at the end of the day all we really have is now.
we can always worry about tomorrow or reminisce on yesterday, but at the end of the day all we have is now.
and that is still pretty amazing.
dreaming with my eyes wide open
a tribute to 2019
hi all! so, I know it’s been a minute since I’ve had/taken the time to write, but as the craziness from this year has settled, I thought I would take the time to give a little update on what has been one the most amazing year.
this past year was truly the best year of my life.
I know, I know. I say this almost every year, but it’s true!! life just keeps getting better and better.
and the reason I am sharing all of this with you is not to brag or boast about how amazing my life is, it is because I am truly so sooo grateful for everything. Every single opportunity, memory, and moment was a blessing that I am incredibly thankful for, and something I will cherish for the rest of my life.
this year was like something from a dream. it felt like the perfect movie, the perfect story, like something from a hallmark movie. there were so many times and moments where I had to ask myself, is this really real?
so here are some of the ~highlights~
I travelled further and farther than I had ever been before. This year alone, I visited four countries and over 15 states!
I started the year taking a spontaneous trip to Chicago to go see the Bears in the playoffs. We won’t talk about the details of the game (RIP Parkey), but it was such an amazing once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
I studied abroad in Italy for the month of May, where I had some of the most incredible life-changing experiences, created friends for life, and enjoyed THE BEST pizza and pasta in the world.
I spent the summer falling in love with my best friend as we went on countless adventures. It literally felt like a love-story out of a movie.
I had a super awesome internship at the Indianapolis Museum of Art (Newfields) all summer where I got to grow personally and professionally.
I hiked! A lot! I went to so many BEAUTIFUL places with so many great friends. I even took a hiking class at my school in the fall (yes, that’s actually a thing)
I spent the weekend in Asheville with my best friends (who I happen to live with).
I competed in rowing regattas all across the country including the Head of the Charles, which some of you may know is a biiiig deal in the rowing world.
I went back to Europe in the fall to visit my boyfriend who lives in the Netherlands. From exploring new cities, to eating fries in Belgium, to going on a surprise trip to Paris, we had endless laughs, love, and memories I will hold in my heart forever.
I finished my second to last semester at High Point. Yeet. (also, moderate panic)
I went to Hawaii with my family, because we had a lot to celebrate and be grateful for this year: my parents 25th wedding anniversary, my dad’s hawaii 5-0 birthday, my sister & I’s graduations, and Jesus’s birthday (the most important one). i loved every minute in sunny (and sometimes rainy) paradise. it was literally the most perfect place in the entire world.
I celebrated Christmas and rang in the new year with my closest friends and family. We had seven days of Christmas parties back-to-back, then jumped right into New Years.
I am so soooo soooo beyond incredibly grateful for every single one of these moments, because this year was so great. I truly felt like I was dreaming with my eyes open.
but I have to admit, I was a little bit sad for this year to be over, because it was such an incredible chapter of my life.
I mean, how can you beat studying in Italy, having a movie-like summer, exploring places all over the country, travelling through Europe, and spending the holidays with my favorite people?! How could next year possibly compete with this?!
then I reminded myself, this is also what I thought about last year… and the year before that… and the year before that… and… you get the idea.
Life just keeps getting better and better, and I know that the future is so bright. God has such great plans for me, and for all of us.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11
Trusting in this plan is part of the process.
So instead of being sad about the memories I am leaving behind, I am so excited for what lies ahead in the future.
I mean, who knows?! there are so many incredible milestones waiting for me in this decade: graduating, finding a job, travelling all over the world, getting my own place, maybe getting married, adopting a puppy, starting a family, and so much more that I don’t even know I have to look forward to yet.
thus, as I reflect back on this year, I am also excited and hopeful for the future.
so here’s to you, 2019, for being the best year of my life. for all the mems. for all of the blessings. for being a dream.
and to 2020, bring it on :)