2014 in review

JANUARY

Started the year off with my best friend and a foreshadowing fortune. January marked the beginning of my two semesters at GSU. I remember being uneasy about 2014 because, following my usual pattern, even-numbered years are unlucky for me. Even though the year started off terribly, I was very, very wrong.

FEBRUARY

Lots of anxiety. Lots of writing. Work and school were full force and I was feeling very lost and alone. Nonetheless, it was a very memorable month.

MARCH

Very productive; lots of plans were made and put into effect. I focused a lot on my health and even tried Raw Til 4. I would love to go back to it, but it's a bit costly and takes preparation.

• Shoot with Seamus
• Jalapeño hummus
• Kale chips

APRIL

The first trip of 2014: my mom and I flew down to Florida for a girls getaway. We ended up crashing a wedding on the beach. It was awesome. Other than that, April was rough. There was a lot going on and I was extremely overwhelmed. This resulted in a tattoo.

MAY

Holy hell, May was a great month. My grandma turned 90 and I got to see a lot of family I hadn't seen in ages. Obviously, the best part was the 10 day trip my family and I took to Italy. We flew business class over seas (thanks Aunt Robin), got to visit our family in Vicenza, and made it to Venice, Pisa, Florence, Cinque Terre, and Rome. We tasted true olive oil from Bonamini, went on a gondola ride in Venice, hiked up the dolomites in the Alps, dipped our toes in the Mediterranean, and got to experience the leaning tower of Pisa, the Colosseum, Trevi fountain, the Pantheon, the Spanish steps,  Il Duomo, the Uffizi museum, St. Peter's Basilica, The Sistine Chapel, and The Vatican. Truly an adventure of a lifetime.

JUNE

June was also amazing. My parents and I went down to Tennessee on a school visit, and I had the opportunity to show them why I fell in love with Nashville.

But the BEST part was making the last minute decision to fly to Ireland to visit my friends in Belfast. I hadn't seen Rebecca or Eoin in 4 years, and hadn't seen Sam in 7. Spending time with Rebecca and her (very large and lovely) family meant more to me than I could ever explain. By far one of the best experiences I've had thus far.

JULY

One of my best friends flew in from San Diego and stayed with us for 3 weeks. Having her here was so great that when she left I didn't know what to do with myself. I also turned 21! And went horseback riding. Maybe I turned 12....not sure. I did get to officially celebrate with all my best friends down in Nashville the following weekend. That was awesome.

And I made this gem.

AUGUST

I lost my dog of 13 years. That was real rough. Alternatively, I feel like I was doing a lot of internal reflection and was getting stronger.

SEPTEMBER

I spent Labor Day weekend in the Bahamas with my best friend, marking the 3rd time I left the country this past year. It was an amazing trip; attending the country fest, making new friends, seeing old friends who were also there that weekend, and having no worries. Every day was a giant pool party. True paradise. Also, I had the guts to introduce myself to Michael Jordan and sit down and have a conversation, which was definitely a highlight.

I also took on a second job. Things started getting really crazy here on out.

OCTOBER

I got a new car!!!!!!! If you're my friend, you knew how necessary that was. No more death trap on wheels. Also, October was apparently wedding season, because I attended two of them. One of them being my cousin Brittany's, held in North Carolina. Yet another trip was made down south, and it was honestly the best wedding I've ever been to. Love rules. This Halloween was one of the best I've ever had, thanks to one of my closest friends who made it a point to carve pumpkins, go to a haunted house, and watch ALL the Halloween movies. That also ruled.

NOVEMBER

My cousin's film about Elvis premiered at Marcus, my best friend turned 22, I finally saw the 1975, and I SIGNED MY LEASE IN TENNESSEE. Yep. Made it official -- no turning back.

Didn't sleep much during November. Holy craziness.

DECEMBER

Made the 4th trip down to Tennessee, had an interview (and a second interview), and GOT A JOB. I left both of my jobs which was really difficult, especially after being at Peace for 5 and a half years. I spent the majority of December preparing to move, spending time with friends and family, and catching up on a month's worth of sleep.

This last year was the craziest by far, but it also was the best. A lot of people couldn't wait for 2014 to be over, but it treated me so good. So much better than I could have ever anticipated. Despite a few really terrible series of events, I wouldn't have changed a thing. I have never been more grateful for the opportunities and the love and support in my life.

I can only hope 2015 will be half as good, but I know it will since I'll be living in the greatest place in the world. I'm ready to start this new chapter.

italy in motion.

Shamelessly posting this video on every social media outlet possible. It's not a high quality video by any means -- crappy camera and crappy editing software -- BUT I spent more time making this than I'm willing to admit, so here's to my many lost hours of sleep. Salute.

Some people say you need to make your own luck in this world
I choose to travel across the world to make my luck

italian adventures || 9

Last day in Rome: Vatican City. No, we did not see the Pope. He came out the day before. St. Peter's Basilica is ENORMOUS. The architecture was stunning. We also hit the Sistine Chapel and got to see Michelangelo's work. The Creation of Adam is one of my favorite works of all time and it was breathtaking in person. After leaving the Vatican, we found a little place called Bir & Fud where we had: you guessed it... beer and food. They had an impressive collection of draught beer and our bar tender was knowledgeable and entertaining. If I ever get back to Rome, I'm hitting this place up. It was a VIBE. On our way back to our B+B, we went back to the Trevi and enjoyed some gelato for the last night. It was beyond words.

This was absolutely one of the best trips I've ever gone on. In Italy there's no shortage of wild flowers, CRAZY traffic, and men wearing scarves. There IS a shortage of signage (be prepared to circle for hours), free water, and free public restrooms. Yes, you have to pay to use restrooms over there.

I learned a lot on this trip -- not only about Italy, but about myself. Travelling is the only thing money can buy that makes you richer. I may not have become an Italian Pop Star... but I did get an experience of a lifetime.

"Ruin is a gift. Ruin is the road to transformation."

italian adventures || 8

Second day in Rome was spent visiting the Spanish steps and the Pantheon-- which was super impressive. My dad suggested we selfie with the oculus (the opening at the top of the dome, see above) and everyone thought we were crazy Americans. True, obviously. We tossed a few coins in the Trevi fountain and wandered around the Colosseum. My favorite part was sitting outside enjoying a beer across the street from the Colosseum... it was like a scene out of a movie. The accordion player was just a bonus ;) Later we went back to our little part of the city and headed back to Buona for dinner + Christian served us again. My mom offered for him to come stay with us in Chicago and he gave her his email + number... typical mom move. I definitely did not complain though... fingers crossed he takes us up on that offer. (We made plans to meet up with him the next night for drinks but we got back late + didn't have time... bummed).

They serve a beer at Buona called Birradamare Rossa-- a German-inspired red double-malt ale. SO GOOD. I wonder how much it costs to import it...

My birthday is in two months.... cough cough.