2016: My Year in Review

2016 has gotten a bad rap lately. It could be the overwhelming number (it feels that way) of entertainers who died this past year. Or the entire Presidential election. Or insert whatever bad Juju you encountered this year. But 2016 had a lot of great moments for me.

Let's start with my Instagram best nine as I did back in 2015.

1. Dancing! Celebrating Kari and Ryan's wedding in Seattle over Labor Day and spending quality time with my sister and grad school friends was incredible. A nice break after the kickoff of the academic year.
2. Dear World visiting Tulane in the spring. I wrote an entire post about my experience. Check it out.
3 & 7. Family time with my new nephew who was born in May 2016 and my niece. I love those peanuts something fierce and it's always a treat to see them. Christmas morning with my nephew (#3) and my 34th birthday with my niece (#7) made the best nine this year.
4. Who doesn't love a good selfie? Ordinarily I'd say my new glasses from Warby Parker wouldn't make the cut of highlights for 2016 but the people like what the people like. 
5 & 9. Team NSLP! My promotion at work in July paved the way for a new team at TU that is dominating. I'm so proud of our team and our shenanigans. We dressed up as the characters from Stranger Things for Halloween (#5) and took our first team photo together on Move-In Day (#9).
6 & 8. November Project. Check out my Facebook wall and you'll notice the "running" theme (no pun intended) from 2016 is my workouts with the NP NOLA tribe. Yearbook photo day (#6) and my winning the positivity award (#8) made the best nine but in reality, every Wednesday and Friday morning with that crew is a highlight for me #justshowup.

So what didn't make the Best Nine that is still a best moment for me from 2016?

• TRIPS!  Conferences allowed me to travel to two new destinations this year - Montreal, Canada in March and Long Beach, California in December. Not to mention a great 4th of July in St. Louis. 
• LeaderShape Institute. Facilitating a national session at the mecca of LeaderShape in Allerton, IL was an incredible experience in late July. I love my LeaderShape community and am grateful for the time I got to spend with them in April and October while attending Co-Lead Retreat and Program Coordinator training.
• My bathroom makeover. I learned so much about home renovation and love my new bathroom. 
• Adventures with friends. I'm fortunate to have so many wonderful friends here in NOLA. And whether we're dancing (or feasting or hell just drinking or possibly even volunteering) at a festival, hanging out on the neutral ground for Mardi Gras, celebrating a surprise wedding, or just hamming it up, I'm grateful for my chosen family. 
• Speaking of family, I still pinch myself almost four years later that I get to see my family so often. Though my grandfather passed away this year, my time with my family is something I cherish and am so thankful for.

2016 was a big year of growth for me as I continue to become more comfortable in my own skin, more confident of who I am and what I can offer, and more determined to find love and not settle. I learned a lot from several guys I dated this past year and am thankful to be ending the year with a guy who makes me laugh hysterically and reminds me that life doesn't always need to be taken so seriously. I'm ending the year with a trip to Mobile Bay for NYE and look forward to ringing in the new year with a glass of champagne. Or two.

Cheers.