The 2019 Recap

This was another really good year, and even though I feel all good vibey about it, it seems like a huge blur and I can't seem to recall what even happened in it!!

I'm referencing my blog to refresh my memory. Unsurprisingly, travel continued to be huge in 2019 for me...

I went back to France, and visited Bordeaux for the first time since I left in 2007... I saw Switzerland and Northern Ireland for the first time, including a visit to Giants Causeway, and got to visit Shannon and Luke for a few days and got to experience the best aquarium in the world!

I went to breathtaking Burma (you likely know it as Myanmar, but it'll always be Burma to me), and the lackluster Dubai and Abu Dhabi (although Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque was mind-blowingly stunning), and found my new favorite country Vietnam.

I turned 33 at Disneyland, got my first tattoo and lost my luggage in Morocco. I went to what I swore would be my last Coachella and spent 48 hours in El Salvador and met Jessica in Panama where I watched their elections from my balcony.

I had back-to-back conferences in DC in May and July, saw Book of Mormon finally and went back to my college days with AJ at the French festival in Santa Barbara and revisited New York City for the first time since leaving in 2013. We cried over the horrible horrible final season of Game of Thrones.

AJ and I both got to see Brazil... both Sao Paulo (where neither of us want to return) and Rio de Janeiro (that we definitely didn't see enough of) and partied way too hard for our ages with Jessica in Buenos Aires, now determined to go back and see more of Argentina.

I discovered a new favorite country in Russia, met friends who doubled as tour guides in St Petersburg, and took the train into the European Union, which produced a cute little train entry stamp in my passport, for a week in Helsinki, returning with reindeer hide in tow after my last-minute day trip to Estonia.

I explored my breadmaking abilities and sat front row for Nate Bargatze. I lost my childhood friend Kandace who I still mourn.

I survived a typhoon in Japan and visited Tokyo Disney Sea as my reward and survived the enormous sprawling metropolis of Seoul, South Korea, coming home with some great facial products as my reward, and then served as juror number 8 on my first jury ever, and discovered Marco Polo.

I saw long-desired-to-see Mexico City and the Teotihuacan temples, and got to experience the beautifully lush and culturally rich Colombia. I welcomed in 5 new babies alongside my friends and cousin: Alyse's Oliver, Marisa's Lyla, Iris's Landon, Brianna's Lilyanna and Shirley's Liam.

We celebrated my grandmother turning 102 years old, and AJ and I celebrated completing 1 year of marriage and I got LASIK after a decade of dreaming.

With some fun already set up for 2020, it's looking to be a good start into the Roaring 20s.

Wishing you all a beautiful conclusion to the decade.