Hello all! I am back again. After taking a bit of hiatus from blogging last year, I thought I would come back to it. I didn't write my annual end of the year post for 2017, but it is pretty safe to say that it was my favorite year so far. I traveled to 9 countries, 7 of them new. I got on multiple airplanes by myself. I gained a sense of self and more confidence than I had ever thought I had. And I some pretty cool people. I even found a job I love.
2016. Just as quickly as it began, it ends. A year for gratitude for myself personally. January was the end of a job I held for two years, and I spent the rest of the months until May, searching for a new one. Roommate struggles were had, and soon it was a relief to have them end. I spent most of June in the south, exploring North and South Carolina and briefly Georgia.
Exciting things happened in 2016.
I tried out new recipes, like this Cauliflower pizza recipe, and a Cashew Chicken recipe as well.
Eating healthy was something I really focused on for the most part,
I went on a family vacation and really realized how much I love family road trips.
Climbing to the top of Chimney Rock in North Carolina to see the Blue Ridge Mountains might have been my favorite part, and eating at Jestine's in Charleston in South Carolina was a special treat after we had been there in 2011, forgot the name and by chance found it again.
Oh. I also checked off a major bucket-list item, I went skydiving. And it is still, by far the coolest thing I have ever done. I started my third-to last semester at uni, and then I was also accepted into my study abroad program.
2016, really left me feeling really really blessed. I just feel like it was a great year. I had a great roommate this past Fall, and that made life at university so much better than it has ever been before.
As for 2017, I'm going to have 3 and a half days at home until I take a leap across the ocean and start my study abroad program in England. I'll be studying about an hour and a half north of London, and have trips to Ireland, Bath & Stonehenge, Prague and Barcelona planned. I'm excited, and thrilled, and I cannot wait to bring this blog with me!
Because i'll be abroad until April, I won't be posting every Wednesday and Saturday until maybe May or June, instead, it will be once a week Tuesday's. So make sure to check in on where I'm going!
As for goals for 2017?
-Have 500 twitter followers
-See as much of Europe as possible
-Live in the moment
If you have any suggestions for weekend trips around Europe please let me know! I cannot wait to share my journey with you! What are some things that made you proud in 2016? Let me know in the comments!
I hope you all have a great new year! :)
Every year my family watches Ryan Seacrest ring in the New Year with multiple musical acts, and every year has a theme. This year they kept calling 2015 "The Year of Change", while I can only speak for myself, I felt like this was 100% true. There isn't one particular thing that I achieved, I can think of a list of things that changed. And who doesn't like a holiday themed list anyway?
2.I cut back on sugar. While you mostly see the posts about me baking sweet treats, I have made a massive effort to not eat sugar as much. I feel so much better without it, but I won't pass up the occasionally sweet treat or chai tea that comes my way.
3. I got a roommate. This is a big change for me as I didn't have a roommate last semester and now I'm learning how to live in really close proximity with someone else. Someone not even from this country. (more on that here.) The whole language barrier is still a thing, and sometimes it's a struggle not to lash out in frustration.
4. I declared my major and minor. It's so nice that it's official now. I was always working toward a Communications degree with a creative writing minor, but now it's real and I've got all the classes I need to take in a list.
5. Work. While I've just started my third year of University, I'm starting to look and apply for internships, which means the job that I once loved is becoming more of a "well if I don't get this internship.." type of thing. It's changed a lot, now that most of my work friends are off to college and just isn't that enjoyable anymore.
This year has been good when I look back at it. There are so many things that I look forward to in the upcoming year and I can't wait to share them all with you! Thank you so much for reading, and leaving comments. I really love reading them!
What things have changed the most for you? I hope you're having a great week!
I'm writing this a few days before New Year's Eve comes around, as I'm not sure what my internet connection will be or if I will even have plans to post this! This year has been quite different. I guess I can say that, though nobody really expects it to be the same as the year before, I think it's pretty common to wish each year were different in a good way.
This year I learned a lot of good lessons, had to make some tough decisions, and made some pretty great friends. Reflecting back on the year, I don't think I would say I would regret any of it. Here are some of the lessons I have learned looking back on this year.
People leave. Whether you have known each other for years and at one point thought you'd be best friends forever. It didn't stick. It's different when you go to college or uni, especially for me since I chose to stay at a university near home. But I didn't think I would be the one to leave the group. Honestly. It was the best thing that ever happened to me, even though it was really tough at first.
Numbers don't matter. No matter how many "friends" you can count on your facebook page. It's better to have closer ones you can count on your fingers. For me, they came later in the year, and my best friend came right when I needed her the most.
Being sincere changes the world. Telling someone "hey you make my day" can really change their life. Try it. Tell your best friend she's inspiring, tell someone "hey that thing you did just now really made me happy." Because maybe they're having a bad day and you wouldn't know, but when they go home they might smile because of that.
I learned some smaller things too like, if I want to buy a fish I can even though my parents may not love it as much as I do, though shuttling the fish to someone's home so they can care for it is not the best. (My fish's name is Latte.) I learned that with people leaving,
people will stay. And they are the best, and you should never let them go. I learned that ice tea is very addicting and I also don't care, I love it so much.
Along with a New Year on the horizon, I am also excited for what it has to bring.
I'm going to the One Direction concert in Milwaukee in August. I might be going to Chicago for a weekend (stay tuned). My really good friend is getting married. I might visit New York City at the end of the year too (stay tuned for that). Maybe since I'm ending 2014 traveling and starting 2015 traveling..it'll be the year of travel for me? We'll just have to see.
I hope you all are having a great end of the year and I hope your holidays were incredible as well! What are you looking to the most in 2015?
Thanks for reading! See you next time!
xx
Kenzie
