A Look Back at 2017- Blogmas Day 27

December 27th 2017

A lot can change in a year…

2017 was a year of change. This was the year that I graduated college, my boyfriend started college, I made new friends, drifted from some old friends, rekindled relationships with the people who matter most, started on my path to become a certified yoga instructor which brings me one step closer to future dream, and slowly but surely, I started to realize that life is truly what I make it (thanks Hannah Montana).

 

I guess I will start back at January. January was an alright month. It was the break right before my last semester of college which was sort of bittersweet but I made the most of it. What is really crazy is that around January was the first time I actually started thinking about sharing my blog posts with people. That was a huge step for me because up until then, I was TERRIFIED of anyone, especially people who knew me, reading what I wrote. But that one step led me to finally start sharing my posts and now my blog has over 100 followers and I’ve met quite a few nice people through blogging as well!

 

February was my birthday month and also the month where I put on my big girl pants and stopped letting someone who had emotionally exhausting me control my life. Losing a friend is hard, but sometimes moving on is better than sacrificing your own happiness and the happiness of someone you once cared about deeply. And, do you wanna know what? I don’t regret losing my friend because I think we are both happier this way, or at least I am. That is another thing about February, I learned that sometimes it is okay to be a bit selfish and that sometimes I need to to get by.

 

This led me to March where I was happier, healthier and more inspired than ever. I was writing a ton, saying yes to more, and traveled to see my friend Devan in Buffalo which is always a grounding experience. That was also the first travel blog I officially wrote and it has really sparked my love for writing about my travel experiences!

 

April was the month of trying new things and retrying old things! I went rock climbing for the first time in years and had a blast and I tried zip-lining for the very first time! I also spent all night out at a bar, went to 4 concerts in one week, and took a trip to the local aviation museum with my plane-nerd of a boyfriend on Easter! April also marked my senior formal of college which was super fun and I was so lucky to have two of my closest friends by my side for the night. I ended April by going to one of the first carnivals of the season with a couple friends.

 

May was graduation month, aka the scariest month to be a 20-something year old. I am so proud to say that I am the first person to graduate with a masters degree in my family. This accomplishment really made May a month for gratitude.

 

June was a busy month but in all good ways. I took tons of nature walks, frequented coffee shops, explored Philly with new friends, went to a strawberry festival, threw a graduation party, did karaoke with my all time favorite singer in the world, celebrated international yoga day, and got a bunch of books. Who knew 30 days could yield so many amazing memories to look back on!?

 

July was a month of travel and exploration. I went to 3 states (not including my frequent visits to my boyfriend’s house in New Jersey) and I also explored a lot of the Island I call home! I love taking vacations with my family so we can make memories around the country together.

 

August was a crazy busy month. I was in my first theatre production in almost 5 years, got crazy busy figuring out my work situation, and quite honestly felt really out of whack the entire month. However, I got to celebrate my anniversary with my boyfriend and revisited my old YouTube days with my best friend which was super fun.

 

September was a great month because I really feel like I started to fall back together. I revamped my blogging format, worked really hard on new posts, took more care in my appearance, spent more time with friends and spent more time taking care of myself. And, aside from starting yoga training, September was simple and not too eventful and that is exactly what I needed.

 

October is the best month in the world, don’t @ me. October is spooky month and is home to my favorite holiday, Halloween. I also went and visited one of my friends in Albany right at the end of September so I count it as my October pregame because I got to go apple picking and to haunted attractions with my best friends and we had an amazing time together. I also went pumpkin picking twice, enjoyed some festive fall snacks, and enjoyed some of my favorite Halloween movies.

 

November was a wild ride to say the least. A lot of things changed in my life and my dynamic with certain friends shifted. I feel like November sort of flew by and I couldn’t quite grasp it, but overall it was just a month marked by me preparing for Blogmas. I also went to my first yoga festival!

 

December was a turn around from November. I spent a lot of time with friends that I hadn’t seen for a while, truly found my Christmas spirit, and reignited my blogging flame. So far (I’m writing this a bit early), I feel like this has been a super transformative month with a lot still in store. No month is perfect but I am happy to be ending my year with a lot of lessons and things to look forward to.

Overall, 2017 was a wild ride. I learned a lot from what I have gained as well as from what I have lost, but I am still open to learn even more next year. Thank you to everyone who has continued to support my blog for almost 2 years now.

Jess~