Does this make me an official New Yorker? I hope so. I use fuggedaboutit and cawwfee in normal conversations now. It’s been seven years since I moved here, where does the time go?!

The past year has been a whirlwind. I turned the big 3-0 and got married. It was very stressful planning a wedding and planning events in my real life job. Besides going to Copenhagen in March 2017, I haven’t had a “real” vacation. My time was spent planning, bachelorette parties, bridal showers, rehearsal dinners, gym, dance lessons, and crafting. I loved being able to see my closest friends and family so much last year. It made me feel truly blessed to have such love and support in my life.

Marrying my soulmate was also pretty awesome. I just literally can’t wait for our honeymoon. We’re thinking about Italy and maybe either Barcelona or Greece. Besides the wedding, I did get to travel a lot for work – Toronto, Chicago, DC, Orlando, and went to Asheville for another wedding. I feel exhausted thinking about it, but I love to travel!

If there was one takeaway and life lesson I’d take away from the past year it’s that you have to look out for yourself, especially when it comes to work. The past year has felt like being in a very toxic relationship. Without going into details, I’ve learned that whether it’s a company or friend, if that person isn’t supporting you in your personal and professional development than you need to move on without them. Period. That negativity is really stemming from a place of insecurity. For this year, my focus has been bettering myself especially when it comes to more classes and networking.