2015 in Review

I love December 31st.

I think some people love the coming of the new year because it provides an opportunity for a new beginning. I, personally, am a fan of this holiday because it allows me to engage in one of my favorite activities. It allows me to reminisce till my heart is full and my mind is whirring away with excitement about the things I have experienced.

2015 was an incredible year.

I began 2015 holding a month old baby and watching the Texas-style fireworks. I was surrounded by people who I had known for longer than anybody else in my life (excluding family). It was a beautiful night.

Six days later I flew to Ottawa, Ontario where I experienced a real winter for the first time. Okay, technically I had experienced winter before... but since my childhood memories are fairly romanticized it's safe to say that this was the first time really I experienced a cold that took my breath away and froze my eyelashes. I remember this day so clearly. I remember lugging my suitcase up the grand staircase into a room with a view of a beautiful brick apartment building. I still secretly hope to call that building home one day. I remember the first dinner that was shared with people who would quickly become close friends. I remember receiving advice that day that I promptly ignored.

The majority of the first four months of 2015 were spent in that mansion of a home. Shared meals, game nights, classes, dance parties, paper writing sessions, conversations of political nature and so many shenanigans. When we weren't at home we were skating on the canal, eating beavertails, and, of course, diligently completing our internships.

My time in Ottawa ended with what just might have been the most ridiculous trip of my life.
Two overnight greyhound rides that gave us less than 48 hours in New York. Shoutout to Sarah and Julia for agreeing to such a ridiculous plan. There was that one time we all took our shoes off and a taxi driver/ice cream vender took our photo. Or that time we accidentally got into The Met for free. Or the time we paid almost nothing for our hotel room but still ended up in a hotel with a live band in the lobby. Also, there was that one breakfast sandwich I still haven't forgotten... and those terrible pretzels. And that time a tree in Central Park almost killed Sarah. So much hilarity.

We returned to Ottawa with less than a week left before we all parted ways so I'll skip to my last night. There were only five of us left but it ended up being an incredible night. The contents of that evening should, for legal purposes, probably not be written but I can say that there were cigars, hidden nooks, a few mattresses, and the color gold involved in our celebration.

After Ottawa I returned to B.C. where I spent the rest of 2015 (other than two trips to Colorado and Christmas in Texas.) A couple weeks after coming home I graduated from Trinity Western and quickly settled into daily life. It turns out life after graduation isn't quite as glamorous as you might expect. Thankfully, between working two jobs, attempting to be a mature adult, and looking for better jobs there was still a bit of time for hiking.

I went on my first couple overnight hikes in 2015 and learned that overnight hikes are pretty much the best way to spend time. They are the best way to see back-to-back sunrises and sunsets and they can make pretty much any food into a delicious meal. Hiking was one of the reasons I chose to stay in BC after graduation. I'm so thankful I stayed.

Other than the hiking the summer wasn't just a breeze. There was tough relationship stuff going on in my life, I had yet to make friends in BC, and I was working a bum job. Thankfully, looking back I can see how much I learned about God, about life, and about myself through those rough couple months. Thanks to awesome roommates, trinity acquaintances who became friends, and connecting with people at church things started to look up.

I desperately needed community and as fall moved in I witnessed that community begin to form around me. It is beautiful to see your life move from being empty to overflowing with things to do and people to see. In September I was spending about one night per week with friends, by early November I was occupied almost every evening. As a semi-extroverted person it was a pretty great change.

Then, just as I was settling in I was offered a paid internship that I couldn't pass up. On November 13th I officially accepted the position and just a few days later I received notification that they had booked my flights. It has been an incredible journey so far and I haven't even left the country. I blogged awhile ago about how I was lacking passion. Preparing for this trip has reminded me that I studied International Development for a reason- I am passionate about Development. In preparation for the internship I've had to do some required reading. As I finished up that reading this morning I realized that I actually love reading about Development. I love learning about practical ways we can change the world and have a positive impact on others. I was reminded that even though this stuff sometimes gets buried under political jargon it is actually incredible how small actions have the ability to reduce poverty and improve people's lives.

In writing this blog I have realized that my experiences in 2015 have fueled me up for 2016. I am realizing that these experiences, though beautiful on their own, are also building towards something else.

They are part of a greater story. This is story that doesn't end just because the calendar year ends.

Stay tuned for the next chapter.