Every time the New Year rolls around, I think of all the plans I had for the year and everything I didn’t accomplish. This year, I still did that — but with a bigger pit in my stomach. 2020 marks the last year of my twenties and the end of a decade that I initially thought was subpar. We get so caught up in what we think our life will look like that we forget to actually appreciate it for what it is. When I was younger, I thought I’d be married with kids and a house by the time I was 28. Clearly, that was so naive and did not happen. In retrospect, I think I ended up spending the last 10 years (almost) exactly how I needed to. So, even though it’s the end of another year and another decade and you (I) didn’t accomplish what you anticipated, that doesn’t mean it’s a failure. Our lives change in unexpected ways all the time — it’s how we react to those changes that ultimately ends up making us who we are and shapes the rest of our lives. *insert OAR or DMB yearbook lyric here*
If you’re one of those people who has no idea where the last year — or 10 years — of your life went, I encourage everyone to take some time to think back and make a mental list of your life experiences. The good, bad, happy, and sad moments that ultimately got you where you are today. And, since I know everyone’s going to be asking me for mine, I’ll just go ahead and list the biggest memories and moments of the last 10 years.
2010:
Freshman year of college at the University of Dayton. I went to this school kind of on a whim but it ultimately worked out. Saw Niagara Falls.
Travel: Los Angeles, California | Chicago
2011:
Got arrested for the first and second time. Not a happy memory but one that’s genuinely shaped who I am today so it’s worth mentioning. A lot of other good things happened this year too, FYI.
Travel: Disney | Cabo
2012:
Studied abroad in Dublin and will never forget this experience. Fell in love with Ireland, acquired a taste for Guinness, smooched a Game of Thrones actor and still find a way to bring this up in conversation almost daily. The craziest stories I’ll probably ever have in my life come from those few months.
Travel: All over Ireland | Edinburgh, Scotland | Paris, France | Barcelona and Madrid, Spain | Brugges, Belgium | Amsterdam, Netherlands | London, England | Disney
2013:
Graduated college and spent a few wild days in Daytona. The trip ended with most of my graduating class eating their weight in corndogs and drunkenly bawling their eyes out saying goodbye on the boardwalk our last night. Moved home, spent the summer on Cape Cod as a server at a seafood restaurant. Hiked Mt. Washington.
Travel: Nashville | Hawaii | Park City, UT | Las Vegas | Daytona, FL
2014:
Stayed with my sister in Park City, UT while she worked for the Sundance Film Festival. I took myself on a solo mini-road trip to Wyoming and am still chasing the feeling of calm I felt on that drive to this day. We drove back to Massachusetts piled in a Volvo with all our belongings and her chihuahua, Lucy, in tow. The car broke down in the middle of nowhere not once, twice, but three times. I drove through a white-out snowstorm in Kanas and I know I can be dramatic, but I genuinely thought this was how I was going to die — it was that bad. A couple days later we made it home and I landed a full-time job the following week. I started my first full-time job as a TV ad sales assistant and moved in with friends a few months later. Spent a few days in the hospital and almost died from Rhabdomyolysis.
Travel: All the states between Utah and Massachusetts.
2015:
In 2015 I was still at the same company but got promoted, so that was neat. More importantly, I got Charlotte this year! I was hiking a mountain in Boulder, CO with two friends from college when I got the call from my mom that the boy pup I adopted was actually a girl and the van mixed up the siblings. When they called to ask if I wanted to switch back it was too late — I was already in love. I’ve talked about this before so if you haven’t read it, you should here. In the fall, I ran my first runDisney race and I’m sure other stuff happened but the memory of getting Charlotte pretty much trumps everything else. OH — also saw Ja Rule in concert up close and the Pats won the Super Bowl.
Travel: Colorado | Nashville | Disney
2016:
Still at the same job but got another promotion that came with an assistant, my own office, and a perfect view of Boston Common. Great set-up but I started hating that job more and more every day. Because of that, I started writing for Elite Daily on the side, started this blog, and got a part-time job with the New England Revolution which was pretty dope for a while. I also went to the US Open which was neat.
Travel: NYC | Nashville
2017:
Watched the Pats win the Super Bowl — again. I started grad school with the University of Florida and got a new job I really liked in influencer marketing. I surrounded myself with new people who motivated me and figured out what I wanted to do with my career. Took a trip to Illinois with my dad to visit my grandma who was in hospice. She passed away a few weeks later and I am forever thankful I took advantage of that last opportunity to see her. Went to Vegas with my family and had an absolute blast. Learned to really count my blessings on this trip because we were passing by Harvest music festival maybe 30 minutes before the shooting happened. Celebrated another birthday running a runDisney half.
Travel: Illinois | Disney | Cabo | Las Vegas
2018:
Continued grad school and fell even more in love with Char. Realized I needed a new challenge in my career and got a new job that I LOVE. Went to my 5-year college reunion and remembered why I loved college so much. I took on a second job with the Boston Bruins that would eventually bring me to all the Stanley Cup Playoff games in 2019 — something I never imagined I would do in my life.
Travel: Cabo | NYC | Naples, FL
2019:
This year really drove home the saying, “when people show you who they are, believe them the first time.” I didn’t learn that lesson gracefully but I’m better for it now. Visited my parents in Naples a few times. Ran another runDisney half marathon with my friends from high school, some of whom I’ve known since kindergarten, and celebrated my 29th birthday at my favorite place — Disney — with a Minnie Mouse cake, some free drinks, great sushi, and sun. I made MOVES in my career and am genuinely happy to wake up and work every day which I didn’t think was possible. Have flexibility and the means to travel which is crucial to me. Earned my Master’s which is such a nice accomplishment.
Travel: Naples, FL | NYC | Savannah, GA | Disney
There are a lot of other moments in between that have so much meaning to me but these are the highlights and the ones at the forefront of my mind. I’m so thankful to everyone and every experience in my life from the past 10 years and I have a feeling the next 10 will be even better.
If that wasn’t enough — here’s some photos to go with all those highlights.
