Reflecting on 2015
How is 2015 already over? I feel like this is how I feel at the conclusion of every year, but now time is going by faster!
This was a year of big changes for me.
January
Starting off the year, I began a new job in Sales & Front Desk at my hotel. This in itself was a learning process. I fell into a routine at the front desk with my guests, learned about the fine art of scheduling meeting space, and developed a deeper understanding of the hotel industry. It was a year of learning and growing within my career. Plus, I learned how to artfully design veggie plates! Woot!
February
My biggest news? Brighton and I got engaged! Duh. This was not necessarily a surprise to us, but it was to our family members and friends. In all honesty, it was the next natural step for us. To celebrate, we went to Crater Lake National Park for Valentine’s Day. That was my first taste of Oregon, and it stole my heart.
March
March was a relatively uneventful month for us. I started my wedding planning craziness, and we went on a couple hikes. The weather was not ideal for hiking, which meant I ended up staying inside a lot more. We did make it up to Logan to the Wind Caves. In other news, I became a Costco Member!
April
Our 1 year dating anniversary (officially)! We set a date for our wedding, and I promptly broke my foot. Well, that’s not 100% accurate. One day out of the blue, my foot had extreme pain and I couldn’t walk. I went to several doctors for X-rays and opinions. They had no idea what it was after 8 weeks, so they took an MRI. Turns out my foot has accessory bones (which not everyone has), which look like they fractured at some point causing pain and inflammation. I was a little bit of a nightmare to live with because I couldn’t walk anywhere within our apartment, and at some points Brighton had to piggy back me to the bathroom. 🙁 I also was in bed for a week, in which I went stir-crazy. Crutches are painful!
May
May was a busy month for us! We did our engagement photos (I was still limping around, but you couldn’t tell!). Then, my parents flew out to see me and Brighton in Utah! We went to the Tulip Festival, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, and drove through the canyons. My mom and I went wedding dress shopping (with not much luck for our first time). A couple weeks later, my friend Cody flew out to visit us. We went on an epic 3 day trip down to southern Utah (Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, and Zion) and hiked up to Stewart Falls.
June
Brighton’s 27th birthday! And my mom’s birthday! June was low-key. We were recovering from our busy May. I bought a wedding dress, and started designing the Save the Dates. We also started hiking again. It’s always a great month when I can go hiking again. It just makes me so incredibly happy to be outside.
July
At the beginning of July, we moved into a house with Brighton’s best friend from high school and his wife. It was a lot closer to our work downtown, and we spend a lot less time commuting than we used to. It was an adjustment to have roommates again, but nothing new to Brighton and I. We also spent more time hiking. It was also a busy month at the hotel since we get quite a bit of summer tours and conventions. We also went to Canada! We saw Glacier National Park, Waterton Lakes National Park (Canada), and Banff National Park (Canada). It was my first time in Canada. I fell in love with Tim Horton’s. I will be back for that Iced Capp someday soon!
August
Brighton and I conquered Lake Blanche again, and hiked Red Pine Lake. This time, which much better results! I also got a hammock, which was pretty awesome. I plan on taking it a lot more places next year. We went to a Luke Bryan concert. The idea for this blog came more into focus. We also went kayaking at the Jordanelle Reservoir in Park City.
September
Next Stop Adventure was officially born! That was by far my most exciting news. We hiked Timpanogos. Our longest hike to date. We were exhausted and proud. We also went backpacking at Lake Mary. A new experience for us together. The blog encouraged me to try new things so I can post about them. I think that the blog has helped me develop myself in my personal life further.
October
Our roommates semi-adopted a new dog, which I fell in love with. He’s a shiba inu, and I wish I could keep him. Unfortunately, we cannot have a dog in our lives right now and I will have to love Koda from afar. We got to spend more time with our friends, which seems harder in the summer because everyone is so in and out of town. I was a cat for Halloween at work!
November
Another very busy month for me! I flew to Florida for a 4 day weekend to see my friends and family, and celebrate my alma mater’s homecoming weekend. (Also, I was very homesick.) Then, we went to Portland for 5 days to celebrate my birthday and take a vacation. For Thanksgiving, we spent the beginning of the holiday at Brighton’s grandmother’s house and then I worked in the evening. I also did a 30 day challenge on my blog. Check it out!
December
The holidays were upon us before we knew it. We went to Brighton’s holiday work party, Brighton’s cousin’s wedding, and flew to Florida for two weeks to work on wedding planning and celebrate the holidays. My mom and sister also threw me a bridal shower! I am still catching up on my blog posts from the past two weeks in Florida. We sent out our invites! Post on that coming soon.
