A Look Back At 2015

Another year, another adventure!

While New Years is really just another day, it always feels cathartic to reflect on what was and look ahead to what will and can be. As it is, a year is a definitive and significant measurement of time – we even base our own age by it – so the end of a year is really an end of a small era in each of our lives.

This past year hasn’t been an easy one. Many friends and I dealt with losing and reshuffling our jobs, which for the first time, felt like a real-life, “adult” problem to have. Additionally, there was a toxic relationship in which I spent too much time chasing and fixing, instead of realizing that the best people are the ones who willingly want to stay and support me through the difficult, real-life situations. In the midst of losing that person, I lost myself, a scary and confidence-breaking feeling that sometimes feels impossible to recover from.

But when times were at their worst, I found myself surrounded by friends from all over – friends who took me to breakfast so I got out of bed, allowed me to cry through the dramatizations of modern romance, and gave the tough love to get me back up and shine.

Through the ups and the downs, I learned many things about myself and the people I want to have in my life. These realizations came in the form of advice, yoga classes, music lyrics, and more, and I wanted to share some of the most significant ones that I can take with me to the new year:

• The only authority you have is over your own experiences. When someone tries to change the way you feel or act, it’s an unhealthy relationship and a misallocation of authority.
• It’s okay to lose people, but never lose yourself.
• Remember to put on your own oxygen mask first.
• You can miss someone, but not want them back.
• Get lost. On purpose.
• Life moves at the pace it wants, not at the pace you want. But be patient, because change happens without you even realizing it.
• Get tossed in the waves, but do not sink.
• Sometimes you have to lose love to re-find it, and a return to the green world is key to re-blossoming.
• Leave the gate open. Let people wander in and give them the chance to find a good place to stand.
• Love yourself.

Roller coaster or not, it has been an eye-opening year full of experiences to learn from. It was the year of visiting six countries, eating sushi at 5am, making burrata, swimming Alcatraz, and of course, indulging in breakfast. I fell in love with so many different cities and foods, as well as my friends, who are truly my ride or die.

With that, let’s close the chapter of 2015. Let’s get ready for a brand new year and find new adventures, things to eat, and most importantly, ourselves.