it feels like just yesterday that I was freaking out about 2012 starting (not have any goals written down by the end of 2011) and here we are with 2012 already coming to a close. Pretty crazy to think how quickly a year can fly by! Looking back at the year, I feel like I’ve grown a ton both on the blog and outside of it.
Let’s recap the memorable moments of 2012, shall we?
Favourite outfit of the year: The Naya Shoes challenge outfit
I was so excited when I got the opportunity to take part in the
Naya Shoes blogger challenge. As a new Pacific Northwest transplant, I felt like I had to represent Seattle well! I cannot tell you how nerve wrecking it was to take photos at the Pike Place market. Never have I taken photos in such a large crowd of people. Naturally being shy didn’t help much, either! :P Even though I didn’t win the challenge, I’m still grateful for participating and getting the chance to work with such an amazing brand. Not only was the outfit fun to put together, but I also learned to (sort of) be less
awkward shy when taking photos around other people.
Favourite trip of the year: Coachella in Indigo, CA!
Oh,
Coachella. Two of my best friends and I had wanted to go to Coachella ever since our university days. This trip finally became a reality after we all sat in front of our computers one fateful day and waited, and waited, and waited for our sessions to be picked by a lottery system to get tickets. (We were all chatting while waiting for tickets and I definitely remember saying that I needed to use the bathroom but was too scared to leave the desk in case my session got tickets lol!) Long story short, this weekend was nothing short of awesome. Who wouldn’t say that a weekend of road tripping, listening to your favourite bands under the stars, and stopping for IHOP at 3am doesn’t make for the perfect trip?
Most inspirational moments: Meeting Jane Park of Julep, and the guys behind Boba Guys
I got the chance to meet Jane Park, the CEO and mastermind behind
Julep during their warehouse sale! As someone who just discovered this incredible, toxin-free, Seattle-based company in 2012, I was ecstatic to chat with the woman behind the brand. You know when you meet someone for the first time and know you’re going to leave feeling super inspired? That’s exactly what I felt right after shaking Jane’s hand. It was crazy to learn that we grew up in the same suburbs of Toronto and have had similar career experiences! Did you know that she used to be lawyer before starting Julep? Jane made me realize that every person is capable of achieving their vision if they keep working hard and being persistent!
Another very humbling experience was meeting the guys behind Boba Guys, my newfound favourite bubble tea shop in San Francisco. Hearing about the journey from working in investment banking to following dreams of opening a bubble tea shop was so inspiring. This chat definitely made me think about all the sacrifices I’ve made thus far in my (pretty short) career and how much may change in the future.
Beset decision of 2012: Moving out and on!
When I look back at the posts from the year, I can’t help but smile at all the memories. The year of 2012 was an incredibly challenging one, despite the moments I chose to write about. I spent a great deal of this year overcome with the feeling of uncertainty. It’s hard to see how much of a rut you are in when living in the fine grained details and not seeing the big picture. As dark of a time that this period of life posed, I tried to make the best of all the opportunities and tried to find the light at the end of the tunnel… having a solid group of friends (that I will never be able to thank enough!) in a new city made getting a grasp on life easier. Moving into a new place meant that I was no longer reminded of painful memories when cooking dinner, seeing photos pinned to the fridge, or all the other memories associated with silly knick-knacks in my first place. This change in scenery gave me the
fresh air I needed and opportunity to rediscover what it means to live life to the fullest! Since the move, I can honestly say that I’ve been much happier and ready to face anything the world throws my way!
Thank you so much for following along on this incredible year with me. I am so grateful for each and every person that I get to “meet” through this little ‘ol blog every day and cannot wait to see what 2013 has in store for us!
CHEEERS!
xo,
Katrina
