Life Chats: Goodbye 2015

 

Another year has passed and I honestly can’t believe that 2015 came and went so soon.  Just like every year, this one brought me a mixture of so many things including happiness, sadness, success and struggles.  I feel like this year taught me so much about myself.  I pushed my limits in many ways, took some risks, reconnected with a part of me that I lost several years ago and learned to believe in myself so much more.  For my last Life Chats of 2015, I wanted to reflect back on some of the highlights, some of the lessons and some of the most memorable moments that I will cherish for a lifetime.

I remember struggling towards the beginning of the year and I just felt kind of lost.  There was so much in my life that I was not truly content with and I kept searching for something without really knowing what it was that I was looking for.  I had this conflict within myself and I hated it.  It was weighing me down and I did my best to never let it show.  I remember contemplating on moving out to LA temporarily and wanting to take the blog in a new direction.  I was questioning so much about my life and myself.  Where was I headed?  What was I doing?  Little by little, I got through it though.    Creating this series was one of the best decisions that I made.  It’s allowed me to open up and show so much more of whom I am.  It’s given this blog more substance and in many ways, it’s even been somewhat therapeutic.  I’m excited to continue this series in 2016 and hope you keep coming back to read these posts.

This year my big sister got married and got pregnant!  I gained a brother-in-law and any day now I will gain a niece.  It’s still so crazy to me how it all happened, but that’s just the way life is.  It’s going to give you unexpected surprises, whether you are ready for them or not.  I am going to be an aunt and that’s just one of the best things that 2015 has given me.  There’s been something missing in our family for so long and I just know that this little girl is going to fill many of the voids that we have felt. I’m looking forward to this new chapter in our lives.

Another highlight for me was signing with a management company back in the summer and getting an assistant this fall.  I never talk about those things, but felt the need to bring it up here because it really gave me the support that I needed.  One of the reasons I struggled so much with this blog was because I felt as though I had to do it all alone.  For so long, I handled everything by myself and just like any other job, it got very overwhelming.  I needed to figure out my worth and what I really deserved.  Having management has helped me in many ways and opened my eyes much more in this industry.  It’s taught me some lessons too and given me a better understanding of things.  It’s pushed me to work harder.  This year was the first time I truly felt confident in knowing that this blog has become my career.  I’m thankful for that.  I never expected to be able to do something that I love for a living, especially since I know what it’s like to work at a job that makes me miserable.  I’m looking forward to some big changes on here in 2016 and can’t wait to share that with you guys!

Travel has become something that I am truly passionate about and I’ve got big plans for the New Year. In 2015, I went to Austin, Texas for the first time and went back to Miami.  These were quick work trips, but they both gave me amazing experiences and I’m thankful for those opportunities.  My first solo trip to Ireland was most definitely the highlight of the year and probably of my entire life.  In those 10 days, I was able to find what I had been searching for all year!  I finally found my freedom and was able to dig deep within myself and connect with the parts that I lost five years ago.  That is the kind of experience that I will always carry around in my heart.  Doing all of that by myself made me realize that I can do anything in life.  Living outside of my comfort zone is where I want to stay.  I know I’ve talked about this trip so much already, but I definitely needed to include it in this post.  That trip inspired me to enroll in online school to get my TEFL so that I can teach English in any part of the world.  It’s made me want to go on volunteer trips and to just do what I can to really make a difference.  There is a whole world out there and little by little I plan to see it all.  I’m so excited to see where I end up in 2016.  My heart and my mind are open and ready for any and all opportunities.

I got back into a healthier lifestyle this year and that made such a huge difference on me both physically and mentally.  21-Day Fix worked some serious magic for me.  I admit that these last few months I indulged a lot with travel and the holidays, but I’m happy to say that I got back into this program a couple of days ago and I am ready to work it out.  I’m so determined to have the body that I want in 2016.  It’s all about consistency!  I plan to share my results and do more fitness posts in the New Year.  This is something that I really wanted to do and I just never did it.  That is going to change though.

I turned 32 this year.  Eek!  I think that’s another reason why I was struggling so much internally.  Knowing that I am now really in my 30s was just a scary thought.  I know I touched on this when I did my birthday post, but for so long I felt like I needed to live up to certain expectations and an unrealistic timeline.  Things happen at different times for different people.  I’ve learned to understand this and to accept it.  I’ve learned to have more patience and trust the fact that this journey I’m on is exactly where I am supposed to be right now.  In so many ways I feel like my life has just begun!  Whatever I don’t have right now will come to me whenever it’s supposed to.  People always told me that your 30s are the best years of your life and they were not lying.  I’m embracing it and enjoying every minute.

I met so many incredible people this year and made new friends.  I cut off all my hair! I went through some very challenging times and had some extreme lows.  I also had some major highs too. [the natural kind]  There is so much more that I could say about 2015, but overall it was one of my favorite years for so many different reasons.  I don’t really believe in resolutions anymore because we never tend to stick to them.  I do believe though that every day is our opportunity to make a change and to get things right. So if I had to choose a resolution, it would be this:

Live every single day like it’s your last.  Do more of what makes you happy.  Continue to live outside of your comfort zone and always keep an open mind. Believe in yourself and trust your struggle. 

 

May the New Year bring you everything that you are searching for.  Cheers to new beginnings, love, health, happiness, success and cheers to your darkest days because that’s when you really have the ability to rebuild yourself, just like I did.  Happy New Year my loves!!!!! See you in 2016. <3