Goodbye 2016

I know that the world collectively hates this year, and honestly I more or less do too, but overall it was pretty eventful, and erred on the good side. I will say this though: my car got was totalled (whilst parked, legally, in front of my boyfriend's family's house on a cul-de-sac!) on January 2, 2016. A neighbor even said "What a bad way to start the New Year" but I was determined to not let that be an omen for the rest of the year. But now I look back I'm kinda like damn, that was an omen for a blah year! (For the world at large especially). But let's see the highlights and lowlights of 2016...

My car was totalled, and then I got a new car

AJ and I celebrated our anniversary in Santa Barbara

We celebrated AJ's 30th with friends, camping

We celebrated my 30th with friends in Vegas (staying at the Bellagio!)

We saw Chvrches play at the Observatory, one of our favorite shows ever!

We watched my little sister Shannon marry my first brother-in-law Luke in England!

AJ and I had a 2-week trek through Europe, including a week in Iceland with friends, then England, France and Denmark (all of those being new countries to AJ, and Iceland and Denmark being new countries to me)

We visited Harry Potter World with my friends and got our interactive wands

I made it back to Raleigh, North Carolina to see my BFF Jayna get married

AJ and I went to Whistler, Canada for a wedding (my first time in Whistler)

AJ's stepfather and grandfather died

My cousin Brianna welcomed her first baby, a daughter, Aria

I finished working at UCR, took a new job at UCI, and moved to Costa Mesa together with AJ

Did some Central Coast wine tasting and glamping for Pam's 30th with a good group of friends

Celebrated Grandma's 99th birthday this year!

AJ and I hosted Thanksgiving for our immediate family at our place

Said goodbye to Uncle Carl, who passed away

And currently getting ready to celebrate New Year's Eve in Alaska, a new state for me!

Goodbye 2016, I've got good ju-ju for 2017!