2019 Year In Review

Hey all and Happy New Year!

2019 was such a busy year for me! Between my job getting more hectic and taking on more responsibilities, traveling to new places with family and friends, expanding my horizons by exploring new parts of DC and fostering new friendships through blogging, I’ve really enjoyed growing this past year.

I set a fair number of intentions for 2019 and knew I wouldn’t be able to achieve them all. However, I’m really proud of myself for everything I did accomplish this year, especially doing things that pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me grow as an individual.

You can check out my 2019 Intentions and Resolutions post for the full list of goals I set for myself this year.

Personal:

Get healthier and stronger physically – strengthen my immune system, eat vitamins, build up my weight lifting abilities. I only got sick twice this past year and have been better about getting enough sleep and regularly getting to exercise 6 days a week. I also count turning down plans so I can have days devoted to rest and nurturing myself as contributing to a healthier mindset.
Experiment more with my personal style – I’ve definitely been gradually working more and more statement pieces into my originally all-black wardrobe. The fact that I even have more than one orange article of clothing (my least favorite color) is a testament to getting out of my comfort zone.
Read more books – honestly one of the things I’m MOST proud of this year. I surpassed my 2019 goal of reading 15 books by reading A WHOLE 24!!!
Reconnect and visit with old friends – I had so many college friends visit me in DC this year and I reconnected with grade school friends as well!
Continue to keep up with new movies – some months I fell behind, but I feel like I’m in good shape for the upcoming Academy Awards.
Bullet journal more – I’ve been enjoying how organized my bullet journal makes me feel. I’ll continue to use it into 2020.
Organize my apartment more often – Marie Kondo’s Netflix show dropping in January was the kick I needed to do a big clean out of my apartment clutter. I also now invest in a seasonal apartment cleaning service to help maintain it better and incentivize me to keep myself more put together.

Travel and Exploration:

Go to 3 states I’ve never been to before – I traveled to Sedona, Arizona, Charleston, South Carolina, and Columbus, Ohio for the first time!
Return to Nantucket – so grateful I made a trip to my favorite island during Labor Day Weekend. It was the perfect end to a beautiful summer!
Spend a long weekend in autumn in New England – my birthday long weekend trip to Vermont was so perfect! I got my fall foliage fix and loved indulging in New England treats.
Explore DC more – as I’ve gotten more comfortable with this city, I’ve spent more time hanging out in areas farther away from my home base and work such as H Street, Adams Morgan, Eastern Market, and 14th Street.

For the Blog:

Be consistent about blogging and engagement – I’ve gotten much better at posting at least 4 times a month and actively try to engage with my followers on both the blog and Instagram!
Connect and collaborate with fellow bloggers – I’ve had the pleasure of working with both Masha and Lisa this past year. If you don’t follow them already I highly recommend it! I also have been attending more events hosted by creative groups such as The DC Blogger Union, The District Creates, and even the Westchester Bloggers when I’m up in CT/NY.
Being more creative and out-of-the-box with ideas – hosting a cheese party and creating my DC Budget Guide this year were so much fun!
Do more photoshoots for content – I’ve pretty much been doing them at least once a month – either with my friends or fellow bloggers!