2016 Reflections

This post was originally going up at the beginning of this week, but an unplanned (and maybe needed?) digital detox when the wifi didn’t work on my New Years’ trip meant I got a little bit behind! So here goes now…

A lot of people have been hating on 2016, and while I was certainly among those that were shocked and disappointed in November, 2016 was overall a pretty awesome year in my opinion.

I traveled everywhere from Reykjavik to Cabo, moved into my own apartment smack dab in between Dupont, 14th St, and Adams Morgan, got a new job working with an endless supply of intriguing and inspiring digital content, started grad school through an e-learning program at Savannah College of Art and Design, and, after a year of bumble-ing around the District, met my boyfriend at a concert in May. I definitely can’t complain about everything that 2016 brought my way!

Looking back at my 2016 resolutions post, I didn’t do too shabby, and for 2017, I’m going to continue focusing on and growing on these, while adding in a couple more. For me, it’s less about resolutions to check off and more about bettering myself in the areas that matter most. So, here’s what I’m looking at in 2017.

• Blogging 2016 brought a revamp for my blog’s look, more travel posts, more outfit posts, attending my first blog conference, and upping my photography game. In 2017, I’m going to continue focusing on lifestyle, travel, and fashion, and I can’t wait to get inspired at the Create + Cultivate conference this spring.

• Traveling On my travel docket so far this year I have another trip to Deep Creek for a dear friend’s 30th, Ranch Weekend 2017 in rural Pennsylvania in February, Asheville for my sister’s bachelorette in March followed immediately by SXSW in Austin for work, and NYC in May. Clearly this leaves lots of room for a big trip and a few other long weekends…any ideas?

• Grad School I started school this past fall and started a new quarter yesterday. Getting used to taking an online course was certainly an adjustment, especially since I’m someone who does best in a classroom setting, but I’m excited to start a new class now that I’ve got one under my belt.

• Simplifying Y’all, simplifying and decluttering is a constant process for me. I moved this year which definitely encouraged me to toss lots of stuff I hadn’t used in years, and I try to abide by one in, one out, but I feel like there’s always more that I can get rid of. I’ve been following Apartment Therapy’s January Cure which prompts you with a new (and manageable) project each day in January.

• Healthy Living I’m still Class Pass-ing it up at least five times a week and typically I get about 7 hours of sleep a night, but I still have a long way to go on the healthy eating. This week was a fail (it’s not my fault! Trader Joe’s shelves were literally EMPTY all week—you would have thought there was a snowstorm coming, but no, just a bunch of urban millenials back in town after the holidays.) I’ll get on track next week, promise.

• Cultivating Creativity Between my blog and grad school I’ve got plenty of creative outlets, but I do want to focus on taking more one off creative classes at places like The Lemon Bowl in DC, reading, and making ballet a more regular occurrence. 

Okay, there it is—my 2017 areas of focus! I also decided to do a word of the year this year and chose “intention,” because intention is exactly what will get me through this busy, but fulfilling, period in my life.