Best of 2019 | My Favorite Moments

For the last few years, I’ve been reviewing my big moments of the year in a month-by-month format, attaching an emotion to each month. It’s a lot of work but I love looking back on those posts. This year, for some reason, I felt like doing something different, and instead of recapping each month, I wanted to list out my favorite moments from the year. As I scrolled through all the pictures I’ve taken this year and looked at some of my monthly recaps, I was able to pull out 15 memories that fill me with joy and happiness. These aren’t in any particular order but, well, the first one is probably the best memory from 2019. 🙂

1. Adopting Lila.

The highlight of 2019 happened early in the year, on February 16th to be exact. I wandered into a local animal shelter and immediately fell in love with the first cat I saw, this sweet nine-month-old calico cat that they were calling Lola. While she had a tag on her cage that said she was shy, the cat was instantly affectionate with me and we bonded at once. I had no other course of action – I had to adopt her! And oh, what a perfect decision it was.

Lila has been with me for ten months now and she’s the sweetest, most loving cat. She has been the perfect addition to my little family. While she was skittish with me for a really long time (and she still won’t let me pick her up), she does love to climb up on me if I’m lying on the couch or in bed and rub against my hands. She’s sassy and sweet and sometimes a troublemaker, but I wouldn’t have her any other way.

2. Settling into life as a cat mom.

2019 was the year I became a crazy cat person. I can admit it! Eloise and Lila have made this year so incredibly lovely. They are the sweetest little souls – I know I lucked out in that department, as everyone who meets them tells me how special they are. They fill my heart with such happiness.

I spent most of 2018 pet-less; after Dutch died in February, I needed time to myself to grieve and while I’m glad I gave myself enough space to do that, it was also really lonely and sad to be without a pet, especially living alone. Coming home to an empty apartment night after night is really hard for someone like me. Now that I get to come home to my sweet kitties, who meow at me and rub against me when I walk through the door, I feel so much happier and more myself. I can’t live a life without pets! It’s just not for me.

This year has been about settling into my new life as a cat mom and it’s been a wonderful year because of that.

3. Seeing Backstreet Boys in concert.

This concert was so much fun! I had a blast singing along to BSB’s old and new songs with some of my favorite ladies, and all the great 90s/early aughts fashion everyone was wearing was such a delight. (I, myself, wore a choker that I was ready to rip off my neck by the end of the night and butterfly clips that did a great job of holding back my hair).

4. Seeing the Cliffs of Moher for the first time.

My only request for our trip to Ireland was to see the Cliffs of Moher. I mean, it’s basically sacrilegious not to go there when you’re in Ireland, right? We booked a tour for this experience and I am really glad we did. It made the experience so much better for us. I’m also glad we had such great weather! While it was cold, it only rained for a few minutes right as we got to the Cliffs and the skies were clear so we got to experience the Cliffs in all their majestic glory. It was such a special experience, one I’ll never forget.

5. Kilkenny, Ireland.

The 24 hours my mom and I spent in Kilkenny, Ireland were my favorite of the whole trip. I loved this adorable small town. We got to explore a castle, have a brewery tour, poke through a cute bookstore, and enjoy a delicious meal, and if I’d known what was awaiting us in Dublin (panic attacks and frustration), I would have opted to spend the rest of our trip here, ha. It’s a must-visit city when you’re in Ireland, in my opinion. There’s something for everyone!

6. Monthly massages.

I’ve been getting monthly massages all throughout 2019 and it has been AMAZING. When I went to this massage studio in November 2018 for my annual birthday massage, they sold me on their monthly package. For $50 a month, I can get a one-hour massage or facial. Since their normal price is $100 for a massage, it’s quite the deal. I don’t think I’ll continue getting monthly massages in 2020 because I’m going to need to tighten up my budget in preparation for my move in September, but it’s been real nice to have a scheduled massage every month this year.

7. Thursday night dates with my mom.

Over the summer, my mom and I established a semi-regular routine of meeting up for dinner on Thursday nights. It’s my work-from-home day of the week, so it’s always good for me to get out and talk to a human after spending the entire day alone (aside from my cats, of course). And I like having a dedicated day to see my mom for some one-on-one time! I definitely hope we continue these date nights into 2020.

8. Going apple picking and sitting in the Cheers bar in Boston.

My trip to Boston in October was so lovely! I enjoyed exploring this city very much, and these were two of the highlights of the trip. We went apple-picking on our first day and it was such a delight! I loved tasting all the delicious apples right off the tree and all the photos we took of each other, our group, and the gorgeous fall colors. It was definitely the quintessential New England fall experience!

Another highlight of my trip was visiting the Cheers bar in Boston. I was happy that my friends were willing to oblige me for this visit (Enneagram 9 here – asking for what I want is not my strong suit!) because it was really special to me. I’m watching Cheers for the first time right now and it’s been a bonding experience for me and my mom, who watched the show when she was a young adult.

9. A full year of therapy.

I celebrated one year of therapy in August, and I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon. It has been a complete game-changer for me. At the beginning of the year, I was still feeling pretty mired in my anxiety and unhealthy thought patterns and I wasn’t sure if I was really clicking with my therapist, but the first few sessions I had of 2019 changed my mind completely. We were able to really dig into the root of my issues and she has allowed me to find connections to current behaviors and past events that I never would have found on my own. It’s really amazing. I swear, I come to her every month with an issue and she’s able to untangle the problem for me in such a clear, concise way that I always leave feeling so much better. I feel like everyone should be in therapy, and I wish it was accessible to everyone (there was a time in my not-so-distant past when it wasn’t accessible to me, so I get it). But if it is accessible to you, go to therapy! It is a game-changer.

10. Going to two book signings.

2019 was the year of the book signings for me. I’ve never been to one before but got to attend two this year and both were so fantastic. It’s especially interesting to hear about the writing process from such established, successful authors! In March, I went with two friends to Taylor Jenkins Reid’s book signing for Daisy Jones & the Six, and in September, I went to Lisa Unger’s book signing for The Stranger Inside.

11. Spoiling my mom on her birthday.

It just so happened that my mom and I both scheduled to have her birthday off, which prompted me to declare it a day to spoil her. 🙂 We had lunch and then went to a new-to-us art studio called Practically Pikasso, and I was shocked by how much fun my mom had. (She ended up going there two more times this year!) We both painted plates to display in our respective apartments and it was really such a lovely experience. Afterward, we found a bakery nearby for cupcakes and then I hung out with her until it was time for her birthday dinner. All in all, a very fun day and I’m so glad I got to spoil my mom. 🙂

12. Pool parties.

Two of my friends bought homes with pools over the last year and a half, and so, it was the summer of pool parties! We had a few parties with just our little group (which are always my fave, I can’t lie) and some were with larger groups of people. I had fun at them all and I just really love having friends with pools! It’s so much more fun than going to my apartment’s pool.

13. The EPIC museum in Dublin.

I am so glad we made the time to visit this museum while we were in Dublin, although it is definitely a full-day adventure. (Actually, I think it’s better to take in doses – doing the first half one day and the second half another day because there is a LOT of information to take in.) Each room is interactive, giving information about Ireland’s history. There are videos and touchscreens and games. It is SO well done; I’ve never seen a museum like it. Even my mom really enjoyed herself, and she is NOT one for museums. There was also so much I didn’t know about Ireland’s history and it was really eye-opening for me.

14. Photographing a friend’s wedding.

I felt so honored and overjoyed to photograph my dear friend’s wedding. She had a very casual ceremony in a park and I took photos on my iPhone so it was a very low-key thing. (I’m definitely not getting into the photography business, nope!) But I loved being there for her and being able to give her photos she loved. That’s all that really mattered!

15. Feeling at peace with my body.

Now, I’m not going to claim that I always feel this way or that I haven’t had to struggle against my desire to plan out a super-restrictive diet for 2020 that will get me to my “goal weight.” But I will say that most days, I have come to accept – and more importantly, love – the girl I see in the mirror. Every stretch mark and roll of fat. Every time my thighs rub together or my belly sinks into my lap when I sit. They are a part of me, and they don’t make me disgusting or lazy or a slob. I don’t need to restrict my diet or work out for an hour every day or punish myself. I can’t say that I don’t wish to lose weight. I do. I would very much like that. (For aesthetics, yes. I’m not perfect at this fat acceptance thing just yet. But also for my own health, as I know I’m not as physically healthy as I should be right now.) But I also don’t feel the same way I felt at the end of 2018 and 2017 and 2016 and 2015, and on and on and on; as if turning the calendar to a new year and not yet being at my goal weight means I need to feel bad about myself and beat myself up for another year heavier. I feel at peace with my body and that’s an amazing feeling.

What were some of your favorite memories from 2019?