It’s that time of the year again! I’m about to say what I possibly say every time – that this year was the best one yet! But I know that leaves room for 2019 to exceed my expectations like no other. This year was all about figuring out my true capabilities, passions, and emotions. I achieved things I never thought I would before and felt things in my heart that I couldn’t quite understand until now. It’s been a tremendous year of growth, here’s 4 things I learned:

1. The people right next to you are your gems

I always thought that for me to learn new insights in life I had to go to an expert or a mentor, but this year I quickly found that to be untrue. I deepened relationships this year, with both new and old. Sometimes its easy to take for granted people I saw everyday, but as some of them left to go abroad or focus on their own paths, I realized their true importance in my life. Friendships take work, and ups and downs are bound to happen, but each and every one of my friends have added invaluable advice to the beauty of being young. Many times I’m just sitting there in the company of my friends realizing how much I love and appreciate them, and how grateful I am for their support everyday.

2. The law of attraction

If you don’t know what this is, I suggest you do a quick google search! Whether or not you believe in this (because I’m not sure I entirely do), I think that this mindset gave me a little push in understanding how I can control my own success. My fashion blog grew so much this year as my hard work and time spent networking resulted in some amazing friends and connections in the industry. 4 print magazines and 5 commercial campaigns later, I can say this year gave me the sweetest fruits of my labor. If you’d like to see, check out my best of 2018!

On the academic side, I ended 2017 a little rocky but taking in account my priorities while working smarter helped me achieve my highest GPA this year. More than the physical accomplishments, I really noticed a shift in the way I mentally approach challenges. My dad always says that every hurdle is temporary, and it took that and a little trust in myself to change the way I choose to be happy.

3. It’s okay to take it easy

I started off the year on the grind, and spent my first summer in LA taking advantages of all the opportunities the city had to offer me. By the time August rolled around and it was time to start school again, I could feel myself burnt out before even a new semester. At first I felt that I hadn’t done all that I could this fall semester, but I know this was my time focus on myself and my experiences. It felt great to just explore college, sleepless nights and all the perks of being a young 20s gal in the city. I think that balance is definitely something I want to work on in the coming year, because I had a bit of both extremes this time around.

4. Spend money on experiences not things

This year I got the chance to cross off many spots on my travel list! Nothing beats getting to explore the world and realizing the power of human connection. I met people I wish I could see for longer, and others I felt like I’d known for ages. Started off the year with my service trip to prisons across California, really opening my eyes up to the injustices we hide in our country. Road tripped to Louisiana with some of my best friends, as well as another to New York with my family. I got to see so much of the country and appreciate my own city of SF and LA more than I ever did before. Next up, starting the new year with a trip to Chicago! Wish me luck in the freezing cold weather!

Thanks for everyone that made 2018 what it was, let’s make 2019 even better! Hope everyone has a fun New Year’s Eve, stay safe!

♥AT