2018: My Year in Review
//TLDR// This year I decided. Things.
So 2018 started with the second half of my gap year – the half where I started the job search (I had 6 blissful months where I didn’t touch a single job board for the sake of my sanity). 2017 was an amazing year. 2016 sucked. On a five point scaled it would be like:
(1) 2016 – (2) – (3) – (4) 2018 – (5) 2017
Job searching sucks so hard. It’s a roller coaster of so much self doubt, second guessing, and then being convinced you’re the best thing everyone is missing out on. However, because of the first interview I had in the beginning of 2018, it planted the seed of a business idea. One that I couldn’t get out of my head for months. Over time the idea evolved. I made the decision to really give it a go in August. No more job boards. Self-employment still feels like unemployment. It sucks when you realize the only person to get things done is you. I guess, it all makes sense in the end. It was a path I was bound to end up on anyways. I just didn’t think I would start out on my own. And so that kind of ties my whole year together. From that first seed of an idea in January to having developers by December.
And so, here we go. Another year in review! For each month, I’ve picked one photo from the archives. If I *had* to pick one for each month these are it.
January
NOTABLE MOMENTS OF AWESOME:
- Picking up lil Blooberoni after leaving her for two weeks with the Dickisons.
- Bought Bloob a matching parka and boots. I felt super cool being that dog owner at the park.
- Went to Manchester with the FTA team and had a bomb Target shopping and movie night in the hotel.
February
NOTABLE MOMENTS OF AWESOME:
- Finding a self-service dog wash that was open in the next town over from Ithaca. Because we went for a walk with Bloob in one of the Cornell gardens. Curious George was off leash and she fell into a frozen pond. Laura and I relay raced carrying my frozen dog through 8″ snow. Poor blooberoni’s tail was frozen to her legs. Her parka and boots kept her core and paws dry and warm. But then she smelled like the SWAMP THING. This part was awful. But finding a grooming place that would take us was awesome.
- For her first Chinese New Year, Bloo got lei-sees and would walk around the house with them in her mouth.
March
NOTABLE MOMENTS OF AWESOME:
- Visited Lucas for his birthday! Jenna and I helped round up a bunch of his work friends and we threw him a surprise party. We played whirly ball. Which is this American sport where you score points like basketball, but using lacrosse sticks, and you’re in a bumper car…
April
NOTABLE MOMENTS OF AWESOME:
- Sarah came home for Easter!
- Went on a spontaneous shopping excursion with Sophie at Masonville. My truck was late so set-up for the robotics thing wasn’t happening…
- Was a genius and steamed the frozen field carpet flat (what I’m doing in the picture).
- Finished my first season as an FTA.
- Bought a couple new outfits from Anthro because my clothes were all from 2015 and I desperately needed some new things.
May
NOTABLE MOMENTS OF AWESOME:
- Got pictures back from my dog’s very expensive photo-shoot (x-rays). (Paying for those pics was less fun…)
- ROCKED out with HAIM. Also, convinced the GM at the the venue to coat check my Momofuku cookies.
- Had a nice lunch where bloob and I just hung outside the Four Seasons people watching and enjoying the gorgeous weather.
- Went shopping with Lucas in Toronto and bought a new purse. While deciding on a new bag, Bloo was trying to get into my Prairie Girl cupcakes and crushed the box. Smushed cupcakes are better than no cupcakes.
- Spontaneous road trip to Chicago with Lucas and Jenna.
- Pam’s crepe cake.
- Bloo and Laura wearing matching graduation caps.
June
NOTABLE MOMENTS OF AWESOME:
- Saw Mara for the first time since Beijing and had a glorious reunion in Brussels. We are the Queens of accidentally finding the back entrance into museums… Not sure how that became a thing.
- Walking and finally seeing St. Basil’s in person was so, so amazing. It’s always reminded me of cupcakes.
- Saw an awesome opera in Moscow.
- My friend Valeria took me to a Moet champagne party full of beautiful, tall Russian models in Moscow.
- Spent two days at the Hermitage in St. Petersburg.
July
NOTABLE MOMENTS OF AWESOME:
- Ate so many white Rainier cherries.
- Eryn came home for her bridal shower and she got me Drunk Elephant’s Baby Facial for my bday.
- Mara came to visit me for 2 weeks! (Highlights include, driving to Scarborough for Korean shaved ice, our road trip to Ottawa and Montreal, spending a day at the Sandbanks, becoming obsessed with My Favorite Murder, canoeing in Quebec, introducing Mara to Whole Foods and mochi, eating ice cream for lunch every day, and making Mara do the hardest high ropes course with me in the Montreal harbour. And like the whole two weeks basically. How did I ever let her leave me?? Mara come back.).
- Bloo had a photoshoot.
August
NOTABLE MOMENTS OF AWESOME:
- Seeing Taylor with fellow Taylor obsessive Oonagh!! Read more about it on my Insta post.
- Laura brought back Liefman’s fruit beer from Ithaca – Mara introduced us to it in a bar in Bruges.
- Received a super extra Tiffany dog bowl for bloo. And now she prefers it over her other bowls. Dead serious.
- Got to be in a period-piece movie and got to wear cool retro clothes.
- Received a special delivery of Fortnum and Mason tea from London.
September
NOTABLE MOMENTS OF AWESOME:
- Started my start-up (which is still starting up).
- Having my favourite dog come hang out with me for a week.
- Sending Laura off to Stanford took two SUVs driving to the airport. I can’t believe I have a reputation for being the high maintenance one. It takes a village.
- Sat down to begin the inaugural work on my business in the Coral Casino. And getting poolside service because there’s no better place to do work. Literally the best ever.
- MET CHRISTINA TOSI.
October
NOTABLE MOMENTS OF AWESOME:
- Ate a Milk Bar cake and box of Lauduree macarons mostly by myself.
- Made bespoke lipsticks for Eryn’s bachelorette party at Bite Beauty Lab.
- Danced like no one was watching (even though people were defs watching) with my besties Lucas and Sarah at…
- my other bestie, Eryn’s, wedding! She got mothafluffin’ married y’all.
- Finished the Second City Improv program.
November
NOTABLE MOMENTS OF AWESOME:
- Went to Chicago with Sarah.
- The epic adventures of Lucas, Sarah, and Karen continued.
- Found my dream suitcase. Bought it. Found it was technically half an inch too tall, so Cherry drove me to Pearson to prove that it fit in the sizer thing. It fit. Ha.
- Worked on the Baroness von Sketch show. Everyone was so lovely. It was a really, really good set day.
- Got a pasta machine.
December
NOTABLE MOMENTS OF AWESOME:
- Seeing Kayla’s parent’s new finished house renovations. And finally delivering her Christmas’ gift from last year.
- Watching Isadore and Rosalie Sharp dance.
- Catching up with my friend Liz in the Bahamas.
- Waterslides at Atlantis. Just like the commercials!
- Was surprised by some really bomb gifts for Christmas. (Best robe ever from Lucas, and a Charlotte Tilbury advent calendar from Eryn.)
- Successfully copying Sarah’s lewk. This was awesome because it was a really, really good outfit.
- FaceTiming with Eryn and Trevor’s new puppy, Stelly Belly.