2018: Year in Review

In 2015 and 2016, I wrote short and sweet recaps on the previous 365 days and in 2017 I turned it into a narrative. This past year's recap is going back to the crowd pleasing stream of consciousness. Here we go, fam.

Rang in 2018 in Brooklyn. BROOKLYN. Started group therapy. Thought I might not make it. Stopped writing for a bit. Interviewed for a photo essay which was featured in the New York Times. DAMN. Spoke about my assault in front of students at an event. Started a new job. YAY. Tried to prosecute my rapist. Went to Denver. Went to London. Went to Delaware. Went to Nashville. Went to Nantucket (which has resulted in subsequent trips to Newport Beach). Went to Raleigh. Went home to Northern Virginia and Myrtle Beach a few times. Ugly cried when I said bye to my roommates. Moved to the west side of Manhattan. Purged some stuff including people. Stood up beside two of my best friends as they sealed the deal.

2018, you kinda did me dirty for most of the year. But I learned a lot from you and I'm ready to see what your girl 2019 has to throw at me.

Here are 2018's most read posts. I'm only listing two because I was basically a vegetable this year and thus, didn't do much writing.

• Your GIF Guide to Sexual Consent
• This is What Healing Looks Like 

2017: Year in Review

In 2015 and 2016, I wrote short and sweet recaps on the previous 365 days. What I did, where I went, who I met. But I’m finding it difficult to summarize this past year in a quick post.

It seems that each year, I surprise myself by discovering that I’m still learning and still growing. I realize how cliché that sounds so let me explain. I’m one year from 30 and I always thought that number was somehow magical, that it was synonymous with "knowledgeable" and "wise." It’s not. I’m still figuring out who I am and what I’m doing.

The year 2017 has taught me that grief is real. It’s painful and it’s long. Pushing past the grief isn’t easy either, but it’s the only path to relief. It has taught me that relationships don’t have to last forever to be meaningful. They can repair you or they can break you so you learn how to repair yourself. This last year has taught me that being nice includes being nice to yourself. And it doesn’t have to mean giving undeserving people second chances. The year 2017 has taught me that I haven’t quite figured this out yet and that’s okay.

Here’s to 2018 and the inevitable lessons that lie ahead. Until next year, here are some of 2017's most-read posts:

• What Nobody Told Me About Being a Rape Victim
• A Dirty Martini And A Meltdown
• Promise Me
• NYC: Six Month Review
• NYC: One Year Review
• I Know

2016: Year in Review

Ran my second half marathon. Injured. Again. Surprised my best friend after a 4 year drought. Scrapped a writing project. Questioned my writing ability. Started a new project. Celebrated my 27th birthday. Panicked that I'm almost 30. Went to Florida. Went to Michigan. Went to New York. Went to South Carolina. Finished school. Swore to never ever go back to school ever again. Ever. Contemplated a move to NYC. Wrote this. Went blonde. Again. Quit my job. Packed up my entire life. Moved to NYC (!!!!). Started a new job. Questioned my sanity. Welcomed my nephew into the world. Went on some shitty dates. Then had some pretty great ones. Saw Mat Kearney live. Saw NeedtoBreathe live. Met Robby Hayes. Fangirled. Stayed out too late. Woke up too early. Stopped saying no when I should say yes.

So 2016 wasn't all bad. 

2015: Year in Review

Left one job. Got a new job. Got a second job. Celebrated my 26th birthday. Contemplated moving to Florida. Contemplated moving to California. Contemplated moving anywhere warmer than here. Went on vacation to Florida, South Carolina and Michigan. Contemplated moving to Michigan. Celebrated my niece's 1st birthday. Enrolled in school. Paid for school. Ouch. Got a 3.75 GPA. Holla! Broke up with my boyfriend. Made up with my best friend. Found out my best friend is pregnant. Found out my best friend is engaged. Went on a lot of dates. Started a blog. Got a little closer to finishing my novel. Became a fan of Manhattans. Rode a segway for the first time. Decided to keep my hair natural. Bought a really expensive computer. Bought an even more expensive sofa. Cried a lot by myself. Laughed way more by myself. Started two workout programs. Finished none. Signed up for a half marathon (yesterday). Quit my second job. Contemplated getting a degree in computer science. Stopped contemplating it when I realized I needed to pass a calculus class. Contemplated getting an MFA. Got the stomach flu for the first time. Gained a bunch of good friends. Ditched a bunch of shitty ones.