My 2014 Retrospective

2014. Wow. I still can't believe that I'm even typing up this end-of-the-year retrospective! It's been a whirlwind, a good one. I've experienced a lot, both good and bad, and it's a real treat to be able to think back on what this year has been like and to be grateful for everything I've been given. There are so many wonderful stories to add to the collection of memories in my mind, so many unparalleled moments that will bring me joy when I reminisce and I wouldn't trade anything at all. Life's been so good to me, and it has me eager to see what 2015 is going to bring my way!

Every single year, I continue to be surprised by how quickly and how much things change for me and the people I love; and every single year, I'm reminded of what a blessing that is. My takeaway from the past 12 months is this: the desire to learn more, to live better, to love harder. There is so much more life ahead of me, and this year, more than any other previous year, has taught me that I need to treat life and all its trimmings as the precious gift from God that it is.

Here's a little walk down memory lane with some of my favorite memories from 2014! 

(Disclaimer: Some of these links lead to posts from Mel!)

JANUARY: My family was here in New York, so we welcomed the new year and spent its first few days together. Other than that, it was mostly a quiet month with my sister. We watched TV shows, read books and just hung out at home a lot.

FEBRUARY: Thanks to an unexpected twist of fate, I got to meet David Beckham! This was also the month that I started going to book events again, with the New Adult Extravaganza and the Something Real reading. My sister and I went on a Valentine's Day date at Serendipity, and went to explore Queens on a whim. This was the month I started working for my old company again too!

MARCH: I got a little personal and shared about being in a long distance relationship. (To sum it up, it's hard.) As the weather got warmer, we went outside more often! We were able to participate in a marriage proposal flash mob and visit Smorgasburg & the Brooklyn Flea. Plus, in what must have been a really random state of mind, I agreed to test out JumpLife with my sister!

APRIL: I kicked April off by attending the Literary BFFs event with Rebecca Serle & Leila Sales, and also popped into the To All the Boys I've Loved Before Launch Party. Spring heralded warmer weather - which meant barbecues, late nights, visits from family and a few more book events too.

MAY: Spring was slowly ebbing away and leading into the wonderful warmth of summer. I reveled in the sunshine, that's for sure! Went on adventures with friends, watched a Broadway show (or two) and even managed to squeeze in more fun author events. I also got to spend some quality time with my best friend Bianca! The end of the month was one of my favorite times of year - BEA. You can see my full recaps for it here and here.

JUNE: Summer officially started, and I was loving all the warm weather. (Seriously, I live for summers.) For some reason, I felt nostalgic and talked about how life had changed since I moved back to the US. Plus, Mel & I ended the month with a visit to Jones Beach to catch One Republic + The Script in concert!

JULY: Well, the fourth of July was pretty low-key this year! But the month of July was pretty fun. There were plenty of forays out into the parks and the city amid all the sunshine. One of my favorite memories was going to visit Rachel in New Jersey! (We actually went horseback riding too.). I also walked my first 5K ever (woohoo!) with Team Misfits for YA Runs a 5K in Philadelphia!

AUGUST: I have a huge soft spot for my birthday month! It resulted in a month-long set of celebrations, and a lot of shopping (Too much, if you ask me.). But turning 25 was such a wonderful thing, and it's been so good so far! This was also the month of the annual Family Olympics with my best friend Pam's family, which was really, really fun.

SEPTEMBER: This month was probably one of my busiest months yet all year! The start of the month saw me hanging out with Rachel in NYC, visiting an aquarium in Connecticut and hiking in upstate New York. Plus, I obviously had to be around for the Heir of Fire launch party! It was also the month I got to gush to Gayle Forman again and meet Stephanie Perkins. Ephy, Jaymee & I took some time to check out the Feast of San Gennaro on a random Sunday (where we found more Beanie Babies!).Of course, nothing beats finally having Macky join me in the good ol' US of A - and our fun anniversary trip to Florida to celebrate!

OCTOBER: Well, October started off with a bang: I went to see The Script again with my New York family! Rachel and I also hung out when I convinced her to play hooky, which was loads of fun. Plus, I got to attend the Exquisite Captive launch party, meet Garth Nix and hang out with Hanna when she was in town. Macky and I also took the opportunity to take a bus down to the DC-VA-MD area to hang out with family and friends on one long weekend. 

NOVEMBER: Halloween, we drove up into the mountains for a long weekend away. It was a magical time in this little house in the woods! The week after, I hopped on a plane to Atlanta so that I could road trip with Hannah to YALLFest. Things settled down for a couple of weeks, and even Thanksgiving was quietly spent up in Connecticut with family.

DECEMBER: Surprisingly, December has been the most easygoing month so far! I've had a few Christmas dinners with friends, which was delightful. And I've been blessed with some amazing Christmas gifts from so many people. Highlights so far have included seeing If/Then with Macky (his first Broadway musical experience), celebrating Ephy's birthday with an impromptu house party and having my in-laws in town for the holidays. 

While these posts cannot capture every single detail or nuance of these memories, they're certainly fun to look back on. I hope you enjoyed seeing what I've gotten up to in 2014, and, in a way, learning a little more about me and the things I hold dear. Here's to hoping the year to come is going to be just as fun and fruitful as the ones that's just passed! See you all on the flip side because 2015, here I come!