This last year was filled with travel, friendship, and venturing out on my own. Between personal and work trips, I traveled somewhere at least once a month (and in most cases, twice a month), while balancing time spent with family and friends. Below, I'm recapping this crazy/fun year with some of my favorite moments of 2019.
VISITS WITH MY SISTER + WEDDING PREP
At the beginning of 2019, we moved my sister and her fiancé to Charleston. We spent a week getting them settled and exploring their new home, which helped us all with the big move. Then in March, my mom and I had a girls' weekend there, where we got to shop and explore the town she lives in. The second half of the year had Bethany coming to us, once alone to prep for her 2020 wedding and once with Kenneth for the holidays.
TRIPS TO CALIFORNIA
This year, I visited California a whopping four times! The first, in January, was a quick weekend away; in April, we had a girls' weekend in Carmel-by-the-Sea; September we celebrated Emma's bachelorette party; and December I went from LA to SF visiting friends along the way.
FUN TRIPS WITH FRIENDS
Outside of California, I also enjoyed weekends away with friends. In February, we traveled to Michigan for our second annual ski trip; March, the girls took a trip to Milwaukee; November I visited my best friend in Austin; and December, we headed to New York City to ring in the New Year.
TRIPS TO TWO NATIONAL PARKS
My two big trips this year both consisted of visiting National Parks. The first was to Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada, with three girlfriends. Banff is possibly the most beautiful place I've ever seen. We hiked, took in the views, and enjoyed everything the park had to offer. In September, I joined Betty and two of her friends on a New England road trip. We spent two days in Acadia National Park, climbing up boulders and taking in the Maine views. I can't wait to visit more parks this coming year!
COUNTLESS WORK TRIPS
I ended up heading to my company's headquarters five times this year. Between the rotational program I run and meeting different HR higher-ups, I visited Norwalk a lot. I also traveled to New Jersey and Michigan for different career fairs, recruiting for our supply programs.
CELEBRATED 2 YEARS WITH MY COMPANY
In the middle of these work trips, I celebrated two years with Diageo. It's hard to believe that I've worked at this company for over two years, recruiting talent and jumping into different projects. During the year, I participated in different groups, volunteered at Habitat for Humanity with colleagues, and joined our co-op committee (where we had an offsite meeting at a Sur la Table cooking class).
ATTENDED DIFFERENT BLOGGER EVENTS
My goal this year was to start networking with other bloggers to help grow Lavender Elizabeth. In March, I attended a Goal Diggers meet up; in June, a Chicago bloggers seminar; in October, brainstormed with blogger friends over coffee; and in November, attended the Bloom Workshop, a two-day conference in Dallas.
10-YEARS THYROID FREE
On April 1, 2019, I celebrated 10-years thyroid-free. My health journey has been a long one, but to hit that decade milestone was a big deal. You can read about that milestone here.
SURVIVED THE POLAR VORTEX
In January, the Polar Vortex hit Chicago. I've never seen a city shut down like it did that day. It was -18, but at times felt like -60 - it was insane. I decided to step outside for a couple minutes just to know what it felt like; I didn't last very long.
MOVED INTO MY OWN PLACE
In July, I moved into my very own place. I've always lived with roommates, so this was a big step for me. I absolutely love my place! I've really been able to make it my own, with a new coach, favorite prints on the wall, and lots of personalized touches. One of the best parts about my place is the amazing view - I have the lake on one side and the city on the other!
EXPLORED DIFFERENT CHICAGO EVENTS
People always say that Chicago is magical in the summer and they're so right. I saw Cirque du Soleil, attended the Pride Parade with Smirnoff, sailed on Lake Michigan with friends, and watched the Air & Water Show from a rooftop.
ENJOYED NIGHTS OUT WITH MY GIRLS
My group of girls expanded this year and I'm so thankful. We continued to bond through fun events like Punch Bowl Social evenings, Sangria Fest, a night out at Tao nightclub, and beer tasting at District Brew Yards.
CELEBRATED HOLIDAYS IN THE CITY
Celebrating holidays is one of my favorite things to do. This year, I hosted my second annual Galentine's Day party, saw the green river over St Patrick's Day, dressed up for a 1920's birthday party, and became part of a Royal Flush for Halloween.
CHECKED ITEMS OFF OF MY "CHRISTMAS IN CHICAGO" BUCKET LIST
I ended the year enjoying all Chicago had to offer at Christmastime. It's my favorite holiday, so I loved every minute of it. I ice skated at Millennium Park, volunteered at my church's gift mart, did a mini Christmas bar crawl with friends, saw White Christmas for the first time at the Music Box, and visited Jack Frost's Winter Village Pop-up. It was a lovely December.
2019 was my year to be Enough. I initially chose that word because I found myself comparing my experiences, self, and place in life to others. I wanted to dedicate my year to feeling like I was enough in Christ alone. While there were definitely still moments of comparison that creeped in, I was constantly reminded of the wonderful life I have. The proof is all of the wonderful moments above.
I can't wait to see what 2020 brings and to share what word I've chosen for the year later this week.
Add your comment