So...I've never really done a post or journal entry or anything like this before, but I've spent pretty much all day by myself (not in a depressing way), and had lots of time to think about what's happened in the last year and what things I'm excited for about being 23!
Anyway, I have no idea where exactly I'm going with this post, but here are some fun things about my life at 22.
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Some fun numbers to measure my year by:
- I visited/lived in 6 countries on 3 continents
- I lost 22 pounds (give or take...but I couldn't resist rounding to 22 :)
- My longest run was 14.5 miles
- I ran 1 "half-marathon" (it wasn't a race---I just mapped it and ran 13.2 miles through Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens my last day in London :)
- I became an aunt to one more beautiful niece---welcome to the world, Shannon! (bringing the total to 24, with at least 3 more on the way! :)
Major (or at least memorable) life events:
- Went on a study abroad to Europe, studying dialects and the history of English in England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Such an incredible 6 weeks!
- Graduated cum laude from BYU with my degree in linguistics! (August 2014)
- Finally got my driver license!
- Moved to Vitoria, Brazil to begin teaching as a Fulbright ETA.
- Family trip to the Grand Tetons before Danny's mission
Some of my favorite memories from 22:
- Lots of fun hikes in Utah last summer (including 4 rattlesnake encounters!!...that wasn't my favorite part, but definitely worth remembering!)
- FINALLY getting to see "Wicked!" ... on Broadway in London. It was phenomenal!
- Getting to see "Wicked!" again with Lisa when I got back from my trip :)
- Trip to Goblin valley with some old friends from jr high, as well as some from college
- SO many beautiful things from my trip to Europe...some of the main highlights for me were:
- Westminster Abbey
- The Cliffs of Moher (aka Cliffs of Insanity from "The Princess Bride")
- Dingle Bay and Inch beach in Ireland
- The Scottish Highlands
- Exploring the Royal Mile in Edinburgh and climbing Arthur's Seat
- Llandudno, the beautiful town we stayed at in Wales. I don't know that anyone else loved it as much as I did, but I went on one of the most spectacular runs of my life along the cliffs there; it's just hard to beat!
- Visiting lots of historic sites and castles
- Kissing the Blarney stone!
- Seeing "Julius Caesar" at the Globe Theater
- St. Paul's Cathedral
- Loch Ness
- Oxford
- Stonehenge!
- and so so many more! This list could go on for, well, at least six weeks ;)
22 has been good to me. It was a year full of adventures, fun, life lessons, building relationships, and learning a lot about myself. There have definitely been some rough times this year, but overall it's been better than many of the previous years. I learned a lot and had so much fun with family and friends. 23 has a lot to live up to ;)
On that note, some people (shoutout especially to Jo(e)y!) have a tradition of saying the "best" part of the past year, and what they're most excited about for the year to come. If I could pick a big experience, I'd say my study abroad was the best thing. If I had to pick a more specific event, I'd probably pick the day we toured most of Ireland, driving around lots of beautiful beaches and overlooks, including the easternmost point of the British Isles. That was a spectacular day. :)
As to what I'm most excited about for this next year, it's impossible to say. I'm definitely going to take some cool trips here in Brazil this year, though, so I'll probably go with that. I think I'm most excited for Bonito and the Pantanal, *or* Chapada Diamantina and Lençóis Maranhenses...they both look like they're going to be incredible! Most of my other "big" plans for 23 are tentative, so I'll hold onto those secret plans a bit longer ;)
All in all, this was a wonderful year, and today was a great last day of being 22. And now? I can hardly wait to see what 23 has in store :)
Bring it on. :)
PS. I'm too lazy to get out my hard drive, so the only pictures I have are the ones other people have uploaded to facebook haha. But if you don't have facebook, I guess they'll still be new :)
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