2014.... In looking back on this past year, some of the things that happened in the earlier months seem like they belong to an entirely different time and place. It's been a weird and wild and wonderful year, that for me has been more about the ocean and water than anything else: spending time in Sayulita, learning how to swim, moving to Ocean Beach.
Thinking about it as I write this, I think that closing the year by getting a new tattoo of some waves that Ryan drew for me was probably the perfect way to honor it. Waves was definitely the theme, from scenery to aspirations to the way that life seemed to work this year, with the good and the bad coming in sets.
Still.... sitting down to recap the highlights, I realized there was not a single month that went by without love, growth, or adventure. And for that I am grateful.
January
- We spent the first day of the New Year at Wonderland in Ocean Beach, soaking up the gorgeous views. Little did we know we would be moving to this neighborhood 9 months later!
- After finally admitting to myself that I hadn't properly trained for the Carlsbad Marathon, my friend Jen was kind enough to give me her bib for the Half and I completed that in 2:30:21.
February
- This little blog turned 1!
- Ryan and I took an amazing week-long vacation in Sayulita, a place I had wanted to visit for years, and spent Valentine's Day zip lining through the jungle.
- I finished the Women's Running Series Half Marathon in 2:35:08 and had to take a break from running for a while after it worsened a stress fracture in my foot.
- I took the plunge and accepted a new position at another company... something that terrified me, maybe for a good reason.
March
- I completed the 28-day Fast Metabolism Diet. Not only did I learn how to cook, kick my Diet Coke habit permanently, and become more educated about nutrition, but I lost 13 lbs in the process.
- I finally got around to hiking Potato Chip Rock with my friend and regular hiker, Dan.
- UConn won the National Championship!
April
- For the fourth year in a row, I was lucky enough to experience my absolute favorite thing in the world: Coachella.
- Two of my best friends got married in LA and I got to wear a sari for the first time to their Indian wedding.
- I turned 28 and could no longer get away with saying I'm in my "mid-twenties."
- After almost 2 months at that new company, I was fortunate enough to return back to work at my old company in a new role and couldn't have been happier about it.
- Shaper Studios was kind enough to let me and Ryan sit in on a surfboard shaping workshop.
May
- I finally, really, learned how to swim, thanks to John at Swim Lessons Made Easy in Point Loma.
- Bonnie and I went up to San Francisco to throw our beautiful momma-to-be Bonney a baby shower.
June
- The DIY bug hit: Ryan and I completed a little home project by making a sweet outdoor bench out of concrete blocks, spray paint, 2x4s and a foam cushion. Maybe one day I'll even be a good blogger and write a post about it! Until then you can find approximately 42,348 other how-to's on Pinterest.
- Our friends Bonney and Lou gave birth to the one of the sweetest little dudes around, which immediately resulted in the commencement of ticking of several biological clocks in our group, all on account of how cute and cuddly he is.
- Ryan and I pulled off making it to the Del Mar Fair and to his friend Nick's wedding all in one day thanks to a quick bathroom change at the Hotel La Jolla.
July
- 4th of July was celebrated with our friends and a great picnic in Presidio Park.
- I attended Del Mar's Opening Day at the racetrack for the second time.
August
- During the first weekend of the month, we headed up the coast for a night in Huntington Beach to see the Vans US Surf Open.
- In one week I crossed two bands off my concert bucket list (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and the Counting Crows) and saw one of my favorite live bands, Arcade Fire.
- We embarked on a five-day road trip through Nevada, Utah, Arizona and Colardo to see my cousin Brett get married in Aspen. I got to hang out with my dad and then on the way back, I saw the Grand Canyon for the first time!
September
- My friends Marisa and Dennis welcomed the sweet and adorably expressive Baby Logan into the world on Labor Day, which I still find hilarious. This kid already has a sense of humor!
- I worked on strengthening my swimming skills by starting a series of 18 lessons at SDSU.
- We got the bad news that we would have to leave our adorable little apartment in Mission Hills and it took a while to process, but...
- Eventually we found and signed the lease on a new place in Ocean Beach and moved in by the end of the month.
October
- Ryan and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary with a delicious dinner at Cucina Urbana!
- Two more great concert experiences were had at the House of Blues: first, Andrew McMahon, then later in the month, Jenny Lewis.
- It was a wonderful month for spending time with friends... from taking a day trip up to Julian with our friends Pre, Anjali, Eli and Elysia for pies and pumpkin picking, to heading to Oktoberfest in El Cajon with Ian and Desiree for beers and brats, to hosting everyone at our new home for a housewarming party. It was nice to spend so much time with the people I love.
- I dressed up in my most successful Britney Spears costume yet, as Britney circa 2007 for my work's Halloween Costume Contest.
November
- By complete surprise, I won the Annual Innovation Award at work!
- I went back to Sayulita for a week on the Mermaid Yogis Retreat. I skinny dipped in the Pacific Ocean, finally tried SUP for the first time, took my first acroyoga class and rode through town in the back of a Vanagon. But most importantly, I made 12 beautiful new friends. (And I swear a longer recap of this amazing trip is still to come!)
- Thanks to Islands Restaurants, we got to go see the Chargers play the Raiders at Qualcomm.
- We went off the grid and into the desert with our friends Bonnie and Jason for a relaxing post-Thanksgiving camping trip at Agua Caliente.
December
- One of my idols, Tristan Prettyman, agreed to do a short little email interview with me for the blog before I saw her in concert at the House of Blues.
- Ryan and I attended my company's Great Gatsby themed holiday party, where I had an excuse to wear this gorgeous white Nha Khanh gown.
- My amazing boyfriend celebrated his 30th birthday, which also happened to be his golden birthday!
- On New Year's Eve, I finally had my waves tattoo done at Last Days (appropriate) in Ocean Beach.
- Then, we rang in the new year with our two pups and the friends we call family.
Looking back, it really was an amazing year. Sure, there were some rough patches, and big ones at that, but putting this together made me realize how much the highlights overshadowed them.
I can't wait to see what 2015 has in store!
