2018

We’re a week in to 2018 and it’s been nice to take this time to reflect on 2017. 

2017 was a roller coaster of highs and lows. There was a lot of downtime in the ruts of the year, but the highlights were prime. 

2017 quick year in review

  • We witnessed the first prank of the year "Hollyweed"

  • Drove around Joshua Tree National Park

  • I got way more into food photography

  • WTF was that Seattle winter??? It snowed like three separate times (ayo we got a snow day!) and was gray and wet and gross. Seattle for the love of god please don’t ever do that again.

  • I went to discovery park 1000 times

  • Learned WAY more than I ever wanted to know about invertebrates

  • Went to San Francisco!

  • Started to do some film photography in conjunction with a lot of disposable cameras

  • Went to Europe (Copenhagen, Prague, Helsinki) with two of my best friends

  • Documented ALL of the flowers in bloom #floraoftheday

  • Stretched my 22nd birthday out for like 10 days lol and played lots of Taylor swift (brunch, LND shirts, sunset at gasworks & Molly Moon’s ice cream, exploring Ballard, dining at Canlis, Deception Pass, U2 concert with mom, childhood best friends visiting Seattle, birthday hike at Lake 22!)

  • Went to gasworks 10000000 times, especially for the sunsets

  • GRADUATION

  • Went to Los Angeles!

  • WENT TO THE MUSEUM OF ICE CREAM DREAMS DO COME TRUE

  • Ate out way too much

  • GORGEOUS *dry* summer spent at the beach and Pike Place Market

  • Rooftop bars (hello Frolik, mBar, and the Nest)

  • Capitol Hill Block Party

  • Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Mirror Rooms at the Seattle Art Museum

  • Learning more about coffee and how to be a barista

  • Watching the solar eclipse, even though mercury was in retrograde

  • Day trip to the washington coast

  • Bumbershoot! (thanks to Moose Munch)

  • Going to the U District and Ballard Farmers Markets nearly every weekend

  • Moving to a new neighborhood (HELLO GREEN LAKE)

  • Going to Europe (again!) cruising the Mediterranean with the fam, including the best pizza in the world, coordinating outfits with our waiter, hiking a mountain in a wool sweater, and getting stuck in a french bathroom

  • Quick trip to Portland to visit Lauren in her new digs

  • Hosting things like Friendsgiving in the new home

  • The family visiting me for Thanksgiving and us bouncing around seattle

  • My annual date with Kristi at hotcakes (FOURTH YEAR IN A ROW)

  • Went home for the holidays

That's mostly the good. Let's just look forward to 2018. 

I’m kind of throwing the world resolution out the door. There are too many expectations associated with the world. I was reading this blog post which discussed the idea of intentions. Labeling these goals as intentions feels like the right word. A resolution suggests a firm decision whereas an intention is something you work towards, rooted in yourself and not the stark change you wish to see in your life. It is more gradual and a guided plan as opposed to a pivotal point. Intentions can revived. Those resolutions you made in January are basically forgotten by mid April. Anyway here they are!

Take risks // I played it safe in 2017. I took easier classes in spring quarter; I had a job already lined up and didn’t really try to see what my options were; I stayed in the same city with most of my network of friends; I had no ambitions or plans for postgrad so I threw up my hands and said life sucks while settling into a daily work grind. I didn’t try. I didn’t try because it would involve putting myself out there, being vulnerable, exposing myself to failure, the unknown. Because I didn’t do that, I really have nothing new in my life. Nothing new to be proud of. These years, especially the twenties, are for messing up because you really only have yourself to think about. Like possibly the biggest failure of my life, but I’ll learn from it and laugh about it one day and I won’t have to live with the what if. And who knows maybe it all works out. But you won’t know unless you take the risk.

Focus on small goals rather than big ones // keep the big picture in mind, but think about and actively pursue the smaller goals.

(Actually) Run a half marathon // I’ve talked and talked about it with no actual action. I go through phases of consistent exercise, sticking to my running plan and moving my body everyday. Then the weather turns south or my schedule gets slightly thrown off and I skip a workout. And then another one. Then another one. And here I am, sitting on the couch having not worked out in four weeks. SO Gina and I are going to choose one and run it together. 

Spend at least 20 minutes in nature a day // inspired by Lee from America, one of my favorite bloggers, I realized don’t get out enough some days now that I'm not walking around campus. Fresh air clears the mind and it’s good to be disconnected and in tune with nature itself. 

Post here #ontheblog weekly // I miss blogging regularly. It’s a creative outlet for me and I didn’t make the time for it in 2017. Plus, pushing myself is exactly what I need. 

Launch ANOTHER blog // yes yes, in addition to Some Saltwater, which evolved to focus more travels, photos, and life, my roommate Soleil and I have created The Little White Table because we love food so much. We’re having some fun in the kitchen with original recipes, trouncing around farmers markets and sharing our favorite Seattle spots. Give us a follow!

Bullet journal // Lisa, our subleaser over the summer, and I dived into a deep conversation about bullet journals one evening. I’m talking full on hours of discussion which ultimately ended with us running up to Barnes & Noble to buy journals and spend the next two hours drawing lines and bullet points. We kept up with it for about a solid two weeks, then slowly fluttered out of it. I always came back to it each month and felt so productive when I used it properly. If you don’t know what bullet journaling is, read more here. 

Take my camera around with me more // in my last post talking about 2017, I realized that I developed an even deeper love of photography. In order to improve, you need to take more pictures and to take more pictures, you need to have your camera on you. This is actually the year where I properly learn how to use my camera. 

Do a daily crossword // at heart, I am very nerdy. I love the New York Times mini puzzle. Take like two minutes and do it - it's fun. Maybe learn a new word or two. 

Charity // donate time and money every month. There’s a lot of bad in the world, and we can all help. This is an area of my life that has been deficient for quite some time. Throughout high school I participated in various volunteering and it all ceased in college. I'm setting up volunteer opportunities again and donating this month to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in light of a famous Youtuber's posting online. 

No technology in my bedroom // towards the end of December, I noticed I had my phone on me constantly, almost as a little social crutch - maybe borderline addiction? Anyway, something didn’t feel right. It’s weird to think that these little screens contain our life nowadays even when there is a an actual reality all around us. I need some separation in my life and it starts with me not using my phone or computer in bed before I go to sleep. Creating boundaries is important. 

Respect myself // I've never been kind to myself. And how has that worked out for me? Well, it hasn't. Maybe it's time to learn to respect myself. 

Watch more sunrises and sunsets // pretty self explanatory. How could you not watch these incredible spectacles?

Mkay this ended up being a lot more than I thought, but in reality these are all feasible and for me to be more mindful, plan ahead, and engage myself in this things I love. 

Life, Editor's PicksGreta GraindaComment