We are already about a week into 2019, so procrastination is obviously not going to be something I’m getting rid of…but it has been my good friend since grade school, and sometimes you can’t just cut ties without hurting everyone involved.

This year was filled with wild adventures, cultural experiences, and the knowledge gained from only living around people you never dreamed to meet.

In all of these experiences, 2018 was about pushing myself to the limit: finding a breaking point and then gently dancing around the bridge to get over it and grow more. It was not an easy year, a lot of adjustments were difficult and I gained numerous responsibilities for which I felt unprepared. Yet, in the end, it was rewarding and exactly what I needed.

There were hobbies to pursue, books to read, and new recipes to try. 2018 blessed me with the opportunity of time to explore more of each.

Planes were my main mode of transportation, after walking. While living in a remote place and traveling to places abroad, air travel was a necessity. That being said, 2018 was full of travel. I found myself in new countries, immersed in new cultures, and visiting a few new states, all the while returning to places and people that I love dearly.

This past year was a year of love and dancing. My summer was filled with weddings of people I adore and I’m so glad I got to be a witness to their commitment to each other. I’m equally pleased they let me tear up their dance floors like a maniac.

Weddings, funerals, and babies, family was at the forefront, even at such a distance. Being consistently far away makes my time at home that much more precious, whether it be talking on the phone for hours with anyone that will answer my calls (thanks mom and dad!), running errands with my mom, having game nights with my siblings and extended family, father/daughter trips to and from the airport, watching soap operas with my grandma, or meeting the newest addition to the mix. (WELCOME TO THE CRAZY, CARLY!)

2018 was bittersweet, trying, and emotionally draining, from the first day to the last. There were times I lost all hope in humanity and times I recognized the goodness of people that seemingly can’t be undone by systemic disadvantages. Although I question and doubt the world’s cruel intentions, I have learned a lot about myself based on the qualities of the people I have chosen to surround me. I couldn’t ask for a better support system. They remind me to communicate, to be patient, to be diligent, and to be self-less.

Here’s to hoping that 2019 will influence personal growth and positive change.

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2018 at a glance: Moved to AK, Winter camped in the arctic, witnessed a dog sled race, photography hobby, reading reading reading, learned to cross country ski, brussels sprouts, blogs on blogs, spaghetti squash, learned to snow shoe, explored Anchorage, kayaked all summer, hammocks, June of weddings and friendship, NYC Soletha Reunion, Iceland, lost keys to rental car, Ireland, camping, sleeping under the stars, Scotland, Irish wedding, bungee jumping again, missed flights, sleeping in cars, Arctic fall, drove a school bus, snagging fish, northern lights, voting in an arctic blizzard, Village Thanksgiving (lots of Inupiaq food), infighting, goodbyes, new friends, funeral, long hikes, hello niece, hard decisions, selling the rights to a picture, long journeys, Alaska Airlines + Bering Air, quilting, a great new roommate, dog time, donated hair/massive haircut