Shine Bright

"Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see, wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious."

Shine bright.

Happy 2017!! It's been a whirlwind of a year, and I feel like as each year goes by time only seems to pass faster. So much has happened in the last 365 days...most of it was beautiful, but some of it was heart-wrenching and that's just how life goes - that as you gain, you must also lose. If I could summarize this year in one word it would be bittersweet. I think about this last year and the big moments flash in my mind as this year's milestones, the things I will always remember 2016 to be - I lost my most beloved grandmother, I started a new job, and I traveled to Greece. In between these big moments a lot of other moments also happened that filled the spaces and made this year whole. When I lay out this last year chronologically in my life, I can be nothing but thankful for the way it unfolded. I had my chance to say goodbye before the goodbye really came, and then I had the people and the places to look forward to afterwards that pulled me onward because onwards and upwards is the only way to go. I interviewed for a job I thought I wanted in a place I thought I was ready to move to, but when push came to shove I knew I wasn't ready and it helped me move towards the career my heart has always pulled me towards. I saw beauty when I needed beauty the most, and for that Greece will always hold a very special place in my heart. It was a place that gave me life again and helped me see new perspectives.

I took some time off from blogging after that trip because I wanted to re-evaluate why I pour so much of myself into this blog, and from there I've decided to stop caring about the numbers which is what so many people do to quantify their successes as a blogger. This year I realized that what I love most is creating things that make me feel and see beauty. It's the reason why I love to travel, why I love photography, and why I love writing and art. The root of this blog has always been as a creative outlet, and I feel like that is something I've lost sight of these last couple of years.

I took some time to read my new year's post from last year to see how far I've come in my goals, and I was pleasantly surprised with myself. I had set the goals of starting something new, traveling more, learning something new, and being bold/taking risks/working hard. I feel like my last year was the encompassment of these resolutions...I traveled to three countries {Greece, Taiwan, & Japan} and four states {California, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, & Arizona}, I started a new photography endeavor with my sister as well as a new job which inadvertently required me to learn something new, and none of the above would have been possible without taking risks, being bold, and working hard. It hasn't been an easy year, but I feel like it has been the year in which I've seen myself grow the most and learn the most.

As for 2017, I can already feel like it's going to be a big one. So in the next 12 chapters and 365 pages, I hope I can accomplish the below:

1) Be the champion of my own success

2) Keep traveling - this one will always be on my list

3) Be present

Cheers to a beautiful new year - to happiness, love, and good health.

Besos,