Reflections on 2017
As the year ends, I was looking back on my highlights for 2017. This was kind of a crazy year for me. Possibly my craziest year yet. Reading back it all sounds pretty exciting which isn't exactly reflective of my day to day life, which usually consists of going to work and going home, maybe going to the gym if I'm not too lazy. There were definitely some major lows this year too but I won't get into the crappy stuff. We have lost some really special family members and friends over the last few years, and it made me realize that life is short. I try to appreciate the good times all that much more xoxo.
1. Trip to Paris - technically this was at the very end of 2016 but I'm still counting it. My mom and brother met Thang and I in Paris over Christmas. It was a last minute trip and it was so special! My mom and Jacob have never been to Europe, and Thang was the best guide because he used to live there. It was one of the best trips of my life!
2. Dad's visit to London - my dad came to London in January. It was such a good excuse for Thang and I to do some touristy stuff and get out of London. It was nice to show my dad around where we lived, and I'm obsessed with the Jack the Ripper Tour we did
3. Wedding Planning - In March we went back to Canada to visit and do some wedding stuff. Little did we know that everything was about to change! I was looking into changing my visa to stay in London longer, but right around this time we learned that Melbourne might be a possibility. When I was back in Canada I got to meet some new babies, and I also learned that my bachelorette party would be in New York City! Woohoo
4. Easter in Spain - In April we went to Malaga. We had travelled to Spain the previous Easter weekend and this was definitely a tradition I could get used to. This trip was with some of Thang's best friends from Europe and it was really nice that we were able to make it happen.
5. Last Euro Trip - We had a trip planned but by now we knew we were leaving London, so at the last minute we changed it all to go to some of our bucket list places. For 12 days we travelled around to some of the most beautiful places in the world. We drove around Tuscany, Island hopped in Croatia, and watched the sunsets in Greece. Not on a bad way to end our time in Europe!
6. Jacob's visit - My brother Jacob came to visit in June which was so fun. I loved showing him around and even took him to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play. He had a blast (maybe too much fun at the pub one night).
7. Leaving London - June was my last month at work before moving to Canada for the summer. It was sad to say goodbye to my coworkers and friends. It was so hard to leave the flat that had been our home for 2 years, and the neighbourhood that we loved. I was excited to go home, but I wasn't looking forward to being away from Thang for a few months.
8. Summer in Ottawa - I got to spend a few months in Ottawa which is the most time I have spent there in over 6 years. It was awesome to be around for birthdays and housewarmings and baby showers and all the other stuff I always miss. And so nice to have puzzle nights and just go hang out at Chapters. My favorite part of being home was having dogs!
9. Rocky Point! - In July I went to PEI which was heavenly, even if we spent way too much time looking for the septic tank. I got to see old friends, hang out with some cousins, and read in my favorite hammock chair. I also got to drive my dad's new truck and finally made him listen to the audiobook of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
10. NYC Bachelorette Party - August was my bachelorette party in NYC! It was the best girl's trip. My girlfriends did an amazing job planning and organising everything. It started with me falling off an escalator, and ended with cancelled and delayed flights and me waiting in Montreal a little longer than everyone else, but everything in between was so much fun that I can't even talk about it ;)
11. Tea Party - In September my mom threw me a surprise bridal shower tea party that was so beyond anything I ever dreamed of. It was at Napoli's restaurant, and everything about it was straight from Pintrest. The details of the event were so spectacular and I loved that she incorporated my grandmother's tea set. Thanks mom
12. Getting Married! - October was the wedding. Everything leading up to this is kind of blurry and I think I almost lost my mind, but I can't even describe how amazing it was to have almost all of my friends and family together!
13. Honeymoon in Thailand - We snuck in a honeymoon in November that was unexpected and it was incredible. Stay tuned for an upcoming blog post just on our Thailand honeymoon.
The last big highlight of 2017 was moving to Melbourne of course! Read more about that here.
What a year! Going over the good times and thinking about the bad times is helping me focus on my goals and motivations for next year. I can't wait to see what 2018 will bring :)
