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Stephany Writes

Categories: Best Of

2012: A Year in Review

January

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I spent the first weekend of 2012 in Orlando, cheering my mom on as she completed another marathon. I went to Disney World with my mom, my brother, my brother’s fiance, and my 3-year-old nephew. It was his first time at Disney World and experiencing this magical place through his eyes was the best. I joined a new woman’s Bible study.

February

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My mom and I hosted the Super Bowl party where we happily watched the New York Giants defeat the New England Patriots again. (YAY!) I started attending a boot camp with my mom which was a billion trillion times better than the boot camp I attended at my gym. I got a surprise bonus at work. I reactivated my Facebook account after four months away. I started working with Doniree to move my blog over to WordPress. I babysat my boss’s dog. My mom had a terrible fall during a run downtown that caused a visit to the ER.

March

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I launched my blog on self-hosted WordPress with a brand-new design and a new header designed by the extremely talented Ashley of Little Leaf Design. My mom and I shopped for her mother-of-the-groom dress. I went out for brunch with local bloggers (that turned out to be a disaster). I started a low-sugar diet. I spent a day at Busch Gardens with a coworker. I went to Epcot for the first time ever!

April

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I colored eggs with my nephew. I went to a sunrise service on the beach for Easter. I had a terrible allergic reaction to a slew of bug bites on my feet. I ran a 5K.

May

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My brother got married and I was a bridesmaid. My mom and I babysat my nephew while they went on a mini-honeymoon. My mom and I went on a fabulous cruise! We rode bikes throughout Key West, zip-lined and rode a bobsled in Jamaica, and kissed sting rays and dolphins in Grand Cayman. It was the best week of my life. I got sick right after getting back from my cruise (my only illness of 2012 – booyah!). I started a new boot camp.

June

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I completed the Spartan 500 challenge – which is 50 jump squats, 100 push-ups, 150 sit-ups, and 200 burpees all in succession. I went on a movie date with my brother. And I went on another cruise! Zip-lining in Cozumel and spending time strolling through all the tourist-y shops.

July

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I started minimalizing my stuff, starting with my room and walk-in closet and continuing through the kitchen, bathroom, and living room. I met Allison and her husband. My mom and I signed a lease for a new apartment. I had my heart broken.

August

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I took the entire month off of social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.) and blogging. I had a heart-to-heart with my boss. I booked a ticket to Atlanta. My nephew came over for a sleepover. I had a rough month full of hard changes and setbacks.

September

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I took my first airplane ride! I visited family in Atlanta, where we hiked a mountain and spent a fun day at Six Flags. I broke my ankle on said hiking adventure. My mom and I moved into our new apartment and absolutely fell in love with our new little place. My nephew turned four.

October

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I started using ProActiv and had an allergic reaction (side note: now using their sensitive skin line and it’s working out great!). I had my one-year review at my job, which went fabulous. My cousin had a baby and she is perfection. My mom and I took Dutch to a pet event downtown for Halloween. My mom and I carved an adorable pumpkin. I disabled my OK Cupid account for a few weeks. I joined a new book club. I had my first therapy appointment.

November

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I voted in the election – and cheered when Obama was declared the winner. My mom and I took Dutch to another pet event, where he participated in “Running of the Wieners”, a race dedicated solely to dachshunds. I wrote a novel. My mom and I hosted a fabulous Thanksgiving meal. I turned 25 and celebrated quietly at home. I started The Holiday Council 2012 with Molly of Stratejoy.

December

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I went to see the So You Think You Can Dance? tour, and cheered loudly anytime I saw Cyrus. (Love. Him.) The car my mom and I drive died, and my mom bought herself a brand-new 2013 Ford Focus. (It is a beaut!) I baked and baked and baked some more. I searched for fabulous Christmas presents and watched cheesy Christmas movies. I celebrated Christmas with my loved ones.

***

Looking back, 2012 was a really great year for me. I traveled more than I ever have, put my heart out there, and had some pretty great experiences. It wasn’t all roses and butterflies and there were days (weeks!) where I didn’t know how I was ever going to smile again… but that’s the thing with hardships. They come. They will always come. But they will pass. They will always pass. As Josh Wilson sings in the song that got me through a very difficult month, “My friend, you know how this all ends. And you know where you’re going, you just don’t know how you’ll get there so say a prayer. And hold on – ’cause there’s good for those who love God. Life is not a snapshot. It might take a little time, but you’ll see the bigger picture.”

I am ridiculously excited for 2013.

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About Stephany

Hi, I'm Stephany! (She/her) I'm a 30-something single lady living in Florida. On this blog, I love talking about what I'm reading, my personal life, mental health struggles, and so much more. I love connecting with readers and other bloggers, so please leave a comment or send me an email!

Comments

  1. Lisa of Lisa's Yarns

    December 27, 2012 at 7:35 am

    Wow, when you list it out like this, you really did accomplish and experience a lot in 2012, both good and bad (although it looks like it was mostly good things luckily!). I am glad that 2012 was such a great year for you and that you are feeling excited for 2013. I am sure it will hold many great adventures and moments for you!! I am going to probably recap my year on Monday!

    Reply
    • Stephany

      December 28, 2012 at 2:48 pm

      It was a really good year, when I look back on each month. A lot of great experiences! 2013 is not going to be as exciting, sadly, but it will be a year of incredible growth, I believe.

      I can’t wait to read YOUR recap! You’ve had quite the year!

      Reply
  2. Linda

    December 27, 2012 at 9:27 am

    Love these types of posts. I need to get started on mine because oh my gosh, it’s that time!

    I loved following your story in 2012. You have grown and it was so apparent and inspiring! Thank you for sharing your life with us, Stephany!

    Reply
    • Stephany

      December 28, 2012 at 2:49 pm

      You are welcome, Linda. Thanks for reading along and being so supportive of me and my ventures. ๐Ÿ™‚ I can’t wait to read your recap!

      Reply
  3. Melissa

    December 27, 2012 at 10:04 am

    It’s crazy looking back at those early months of 2012, it feels like all that stuff JUST happened, and it’s already been a year?! Time flies! It’s really been a year of adventure, risk taking & fun times for sure. Here’s to an even more epic 2013!

    PS I totally just woke up from a dream that I spontaneously flew to Florida and we were hanging out? It was a massive rainstorm but you were determined to get us to Harry Potter World. Then I woke up. LOL. 2013 prophecies? Fingers crossed! (no rain though, please!)

    Reply
    • Stephany

      December 28, 2012 at 2:50 pm

      I can’t believe my May cruise was over 7 months ago! How is that even possible? It’s so insane. The months just flew by. I don’t think 2013 will be quite as exciting, but I still think it’ll be a great year. I can’t wait!

      Reply
  4. Becky

    December 27, 2012 at 10:23 am

    I love that you do these year in review posts! I was thinking about doing one to tie into my monthly goals but I think I will add a photo from each month now too!

    What a big year you’ve had! Here’s to 2013!

    Reply
    • Stephany

      December 28, 2012 at 3:22 pm

      Yes! Finding the photos was really fun. And sometimes it helped me remember what happened during that month, ha. I love recapping my year like this. It’s really fun to look back and see all I accomplished.

      Reply
  5. B

    December 27, 2012 at 11:22 am

    Sounds like you had a wild ride in 2012! Here’s hoping 2013 is nothing but awesomeness!

    Reply
    • Stephany

      December 28, 2012 at 4:13 pm

      Thank you! I hope so. I’m looking forward to what the next year will bring me. ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  6. Kristen

    December 27, 2012 at 11:56 am

    What an awesome year in review ๐Ÿ™‚
    My 2012 also included a crazy bad allergic reaction to bug bites ๐Ÿ™

    Reply
    • Stephany

      December 28, 2012 at 4:14 pm

      Aw, thank you! It’s so much fun to write these posts. I look forward to them every year!

      Boo on bug bites. I’m now terrified that I’ll have the same reaction anytime I get a bug bite. It was SO horrible. I also learned never, ever to take Benedryl before work. Even if it says it’s non-drowsy. ๐Ÿ˜‰

      Reply
  7. StephTheBookworm

    December 28, 2012 at 5:45 pm

    It does sound like a great – especially all the travels! I also love the sound of the dachshund race – how freakin’ cute!

    Reply
    • Stephany

      December 31, 2012 at 1:17 pm

      I was in HEAVEN surrounded by all those dachshunds. And now I just want another dachshund, but I’m not sure Dutch would approve. ๐Ÿ˜‰

      Reply
  8. Suburban Sweetheart

    December 30, 2012 at 10:10 pm

    Whew!

    Reply
  9. Jessica Lawlor

    December 31, 2012 at 1:28 pm

    It sounds like you had a fantastic year!!! I’m especially jealous of your cruise. How cool was ziplining?!

    Happy New Year!

    Reply

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Welcome!

Hi, I'm Stephany! (She/her) I'm a 30-something single lady, living in Florida. I am a major bookworm, cat mom, podcast fiend, and aspiring novelist. I identify as an Enneagram 9, an introvert, and a Highly Sensitive Person. On this blog, you will find stories about my life, book reviews, travel experiences, and more. Welcome!

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