Goodbye to TWENTY-FOURTEEN

2014 was quite the year. I'm writing this post to be able to look back and see what happened in my life during 2014, so it's a bit more personal and a little all over the place. Every year, I wonder how the next one is going to top it or what else is in store. I think that's what life should be about, making each year better than the previous. How strange it is to think back to a year ago. Now we are here again, reflecting, setting new goals, remembering, and celebrating.
January 12th I turned 18! I celebrated with my family and two best friends at Maggiano's. Now I'm craving their stuffed mushrooms.... February came which meant Sadies and Mr. Diamondback. Ah, it's crazy to me how that was this year. High school seems like forever ago already but those are such great memories I want to keep forever. My family and friends took a trip to the river in February (which, yes, is technically winter) but the 80 degree weather in Arizona wasn't a problem.

March approached, and I had looked forward to March for quite some time...it meant New York. But before that happened, my best friends and I bought Miley Cyrus concert tickets at the last minute for Miley's March 1st show in Vegas. Definitely worth it. March 18th, the day had finally arrived. Senior Class Student Council met at McCarren Airport to depart to JFK. NYC is the greatest place I've ever experienced. I still think about it every single day. Even the littlest things I just adored about the city...how fast people walk and how they have a certain determination about where they are headed, when my friend lost her subway card and we had to try to beat the system, getting coffee every morning, not wanting to sleep because I felt like I was missing out on the city, walking in Times Square freezing in the rain, instantly wanting to be a student at Columbia University...this list could go on forever. How could one possibly forget about getting asked to prom right smack in the middle of Times Square. Strangers were taking photos! It was quite possibly a scene straight out of a movie. I'm so grateful to have been able to go on this trip and have been a part of it.

Just a mere two weeks later, was the night of Prom. Night at Gatsby's, April 5th. Such a beautiful night! My mom and I took a road trip to California in April for an orientation at my college. That was the weekend I kind of had to make my final decision of where I was going to go. I got to see my gorgeous cousins and we took pictures on the beach in our caps and gowns, then ate chocolate covered bananas. That weekend rolled into spring break where I met my friends in Huntington Beach for the next couple of days. Bonfires, barefoot walking, bonzai bowl, and life talks, a splendid spring break with great company. Easter is a holiday where my whole family is together (and my grandma makes her famous deviled-eggs) so it's a time not to be missed. That's why I decided to sell my Coachella tickets I had, I couldn't give up missing Easter with all of them. It was the best Easter weekend ever so I don't regret my decision at all.

I wake-boarded for the first time when my friend invited me on their boat! You have to try the adventurous things at least once. On May 29th, my brother and I ditched first period to get breakfast. Shhhh. How do I sum up Grad-Nite at Disneyland? Crazy, exhausting, delusional. There were banquets and award ceremonies during the ending months of high school. A few days before graduation, it was graduation party time. I loved every second of my graduation party and every single person there. Graduation happened so fast. The second we threw our roses in the air and "Best Day of My Life" started playing, it felt so dang real. It probably seems cheesy but all I remember are those few seconds of pure happiness and excitement.

Summer is kind of hard to remember for some reason. A lot of it consisted of working, but it didn't feel like "work" because I got to nanny my two adorable cousins. To sum summer up: started my blog, California trip in June for my cousin's graduation party, family road trip to Yosemite and then San Francisco, drove to California for the first time by myself, paint war with a great group of friends, a memorable girl's trip to Havasu, and riding the Linq! Oh, not to mention I got my wisdom teeth out and took some pretty attractive videos of myself.

The very end of August my mom and I packed up the car and I was off to college. I've blogged before about some of my college experience on here but a few of my favorite things were the Undie-Run, going into LA or Malibu Beach, seeing my best cousins way more often, meeting two of the guys from The Buried Life, exploring museums, seeing Lorde in concert, and officially completing my first semester. One November morning, I received a phone call and I knew something was wrong. My grandpa sadly passed away this year, may he rest in peace. He was a fearless, loved, and hard working man. I love you, Grandpa!!

(we don't go to USC..)

Being at home the past few weeks is seriously so, so great. Christmas Eve was spent at my dad's house and then stopping by my Grandma's and Aunt's house. My mom, John, brother, and I ate at this yummy Mexican restaurant on Christmas Eve, which my brother and I thought was super funny. Christmas day was spent at home relaxing, opening gifts, eating breakfast and then a traditional dinner with the greatest family ever. Just yesterday we took a trip to the mountains and snowboarded for the first time! Today it feels like I'm beyond sore.
I'm so blessed and thankful for everything.

Here's to 2015 and making it the best yet. Thank you to anyone and everyone who has read my blog at all this year. I have discovered a passion for writing and sharing on here. Have a safe, happy, and healthy New Year!! xoxo