I sat down to write my 2023 year in review blog post last week and ended up in an existential crisis… not uncommon this time of year. I wasn’t sure how I wanted to structure my 2023 recap, so I made the mistake of rereading my Letter to 2022—and boy, did that get me in my feels. Just the night before I had dreamt I was studying abroad in Scotland again, so to see the photos and reflect on how momentous 2022 was for me made the past year feel, unsurprisingly, underwhelming. I began questioning whether I was “doing it right”—if I’m living up my post-grad 20s like I always imagined I would.

Before I could finish writing my post (or dig myself too deep into my thoughts), things got crazy busy at work, so that has occupied almost all my time and headspace the past week and a half. I’m only now sitting back down to finish putting my thoughts to paper, and even though it’s been a much more hectic start to 2024 than I had hoped, in some ways it helped me take a step back from the stress and expectations of a new year.

Last week, when I tried writing this post, I felt like I hadn’t accomplished anything in 2023—or at least, nothing compared to 2022. I know that’s not true, so I just spent the past hour flipping through every monthly spread of my planner and making a list of the things I did accomplish—big and small, from new experiences to new states. It helped me switch my perspective. Something I’ve struggled with since graduating college is a sense of direction. When I was in school, I always knew where I was going next and what my goals would be—take this class, apply to that scholarship, finish the quarter with a 4.0, graduate. But now? There are no clearly laid out guidelines or next steps. Sometimes I feel like I’m untethered, floating through the months and letting life just happen to me, instead of the other way around.

What I’ve come to realize—and what I’m still trying to accept—is that accomplishments look different in post-grad life. Before, there were awards or scholarships or grades to be achieved. Degrees and graduations. Big things. I think now, accomplishments feel smaller, when in reality they’re just different. Less defined. I included on my list of 2023 accomplishments hosting a successful Super Bowl party, where everyone loved the food I made. Would I have considered that an achievement in college? Never. But now, celebrating with friends and making food they devoured (even though I’m not much of a cook yet) feels like something to be proud of.

I guess, all that to say… At first glance, 2023 looked like a disappointment on paper compared to 2022. But after reflecting and reframing how I define achievement, I realized just how much I accomplished in 2023, even if they didn’t feel like the “big” successes of the previous year. You always do more than you think, and that’s a mindset I want to take with me into 2024—reminding myself that on days when I don’t finish my to-do list and feel like a failure, I still made progress.

So before I recap all that I did in the past year, here’s 2023 by the numbers:

• 174,404 website views
• 39,966 website visitors
• 212 calls to the local radio station, trying to win Taylor Swift tickets
• 101 blog posts
• 68 Reels
• 67 new Instagram followers
• 36 new-to-me movies
• 21 blog/Instagram collaborations
• 18 flights
• 17 new-to-me TV series
• 14 books
• 7 new brand partnerships
• 6 new states
• 2 work conferences
• 1 wedding

I started the year going to my first NFL game on January 8, the Denver Broncos vs. the LA Chargers, my boyfriend’s team. I’ve been to a lot of professional sporting events in my life but never to an American football game and never wearing the away team’s jersey. It was kind of fun getting hassled by the diehard Broncos fans, especially considering that the Broncos were already out of the running for playoffs.

In late January, I shared one of my favorite outfits/sets of photos ever—this polka dot sweater layered over a thrifted magenta dress—for a post about the 2023 Pantone Color of the Year, Viva Magenta. I just love the retro vibes and pops of color.

I worked with UIN Footwear for the first time in the beginning of February and was sent two pairs of their super comfy travel-themed shoes. Of course, I had to get the London-themed pair as a reminder of my semester abroad in the UK!

In mid-February, I planned a short weekend trip for my boyfriend and me at Mt. Princeton Hot Springs Resort in Nathrop, Colorado. It was so relaxing to lounge in the several pools and enjoy the scenic, snow-capped mountains all around us. The perfect winter getaway.

March brought sun and warmth when I flew to Puerto Rico for a week—my first big girl vacation since starting my job the previous June. What began as just a trip for my dad and me turned into a family vacation, with my aunt and uncle (my dad’s siblings) joining in for the fun. I had only been to Puerto Rico once before when I was twelve, so to revisit as an adult—and with so much family, no less—made it such a special trip. My grandpa recently moved back to the island, so I got to spend time with him and learn about his heritage while experiencing it for myself.

We explored Old San Juan, went hiking in El Yunque National Rainforest, took a catamaran to Vieques Island off the east coast, lounged on the beaches in Humacao, gorged ourselves with lechón in the mountains, and took a nighttime kayaking tour to see the famous bioluminescence of Fajardo Bay. It was truly an unforgettable trip—partly because I still have sunburn lines on my butt cheeks to this day.

In April I spent a quick weekend in Las Vegas to celebrate Easter with my parents and my mom’s side of the family. I’ve always associated Easter with the sunshine and golf courses of Las Vegas, eating all-you-can-eat brunch at my uncle’s country club, because that’s always how we spent the holiday as children. I was so excited to be able to celebrate it that way again as an adult.

At the end of the month I moved out of my old apartment and into a new one in a different, safer part of town. I loved how cute my studio was and still miss it sometimes, but there’s no doubt in my mind that moving was the best decision I made in 2023. I didn’t realize how poorly I was sleeping and how unsafe I felt until I moved and suddenly stopped falling asleep on the couch every night. It’s amazing how much more rested I feel these days!

In May I had the opportunity to attend the Denver Mini Derby with my aunt as press/an influencer, meaning I covered the event on my social media and blog in exchange for free tickets. This was a huge achievement for me—the first time I got to attend an event as a result of my blogging, and it was all because I pitched to the company. One of my big goals for the year was to pitch to a brand each month and this was my first success! It was so fun to dress up with my aunt and watch corgis and mini horses race, pretending we were hoity-toity Kentucky Derby attendees.

I spent the following weekend in the Seattle area for a family function. It was the first time I’d been back to Washington in six years, which was much too long. I was born near Issaquah and spent my first eight years there, so Washington (and the Puget Sound) will always have a special place in my heart.

June (and the whole summer) was uncharacteristically rainy, but I managed to squeeze in lots of fun—road tripping to Grand Junction to visit my best friend, going to the Scandinavian Midsummer Festival in Estes Park, visiting a bridal boutique for the first time to watch my friend try on wedding dresses, and picking up golf, which I really enjoy (when I don’t suck, that is). June 27^th marked my one year work anniversary, and along with several sweet messages from my coworkers, I received my first promotion—truly no better way to celebrate my first year in the professional world.

The star of July was the much-anticipated Barbenheimer event, for which my boyfriend and I dressed up as roller derby Barbie and Ken. It was so much fun to piece together our outfits from items we found at the thrift store. At this point in the year, we were also regularly attending Wednesday night trivia and had gathered a team, something I had been wanting to do since returning from abroad.

In August, my dad, brother, sister-in-law, and I went camping in Wisconsin, my first new state of the year. As much as I love fashion and getting dressed up, sometimes it feels so good to embrace the filth for a couple of days—I’ve found that no stories are quite as funny as dirty, smelly camping stories. I also, begrudgingly, finally got a TikTok this month. As much as I don’t want to admit it, a TikTok is necessary if I want to take my blogging endeavors to the next level.

I finally saw Ed Sheeran in concert at Empower Field, the only artist I’ve ever wanted to see so badly that he made my official bucket list. Even though I had to sit through a painful four-hour rain delay, he was an incredible performer and absolutely worth the wait.

Perhaps the most new, interesting thing I did this year was try curling. My boyfriend has always had a strange fascination with the sport, so ever since the fall of 2022, when I first learned Denver has a curling center, I have tried to get on the waiting list for an open house. The stars finally aligned, and I was able to surprise my boyfriend with a curling date night. It was shockingly fun and so much more difficult than it looks. We were graced with an all-Taylor Swift playlist, which motivated my delicate slides across the ice.

After a slower summer, things really picked up in September and October. Over Labor Day weekend I attended my first anime convention with my boyfriend and all his friends. While I can safely say it’s not for me, I did have so much fun putting my costume together and helping my boyfriend stitch his.

The two of us took a long weekend to Las Vegas as our “summer vacation”, which was filled with relaxation by the pool, delicious food, and of course, gambling. I had a blast styling different dresses and beauty looks.

Immediately after returning from Vegas, we attended a friend’s wedding in Boulder (on a Wednesday, if you can believe it!) and drove to Keystone, Colorado, afterwards for my first work conference, Public Health in the Rockies. It was such a great learning opportunity, both personally and professionally, and was an excuse to break out all my cute blazers. I was hoping we’d be there in time to see the beautiful fall leaves and aspens, but it was still a little early in the season for peak color.

October brought with it even more adventures and travels. My mom and I went on an amazing East Coast trip, just the two of us. We started in Philadelphia and saw all the historical landmarks, including Independence Hall (bucket list item), the Liberty Bell (bucket list item), the U.S. Mint, and Christ Church. We also explored Reading Terminal Market, spooked ourselves at Horror Nights at the Eastern State Penitentiary, and ran the steps of the Philly Art Museum like Rocky. During the rest of our trip we saw Fort McHenry in Baltimore and explored parts of New Jersey and Wilmington, Delaware. All in all, four new states in a single trip and so many special memories with my mom.

After a day at home, I went back to Denver International Airport and headed to Indianapolis, Indiana, for my second work conference of the year. I explored the city solo in between sessions, seeing a production of Frankenstein at the historic Indiana Repertory Theatre and driving around the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where I kissed the famous bricks like the Indy 500 winners do.

A few fall dates later and somehow it was Halloween again. Instead of cutesy and artistic like our Van Gogh costumes in 2022, this year my boyfriend and I decided to be scary, dressing as Bev Keane and Father Paul from one of our favorite shows, “Midnight Mass”. I think it was a mistake, though, because I am still having nightmares of the angel.

November was a welcome reprieve from the busy-ness of the previous months, and I celebrated my 24^th birthday with my parents and boyfriend—doing an escape room, visiting the Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum, and belting out my favorite songs at karaoke.

At the end of the month, I took my boyfriend home to Boise for the first time for Thanksgiving. I had so much fun showing him around the cute little city, and we squeezed a lot of activities in, from trivia to hiking to a speakeasy to Christmas lights.

I spent the first week of December scrambling to plan my aunt’s 80s-themed 50^th birthday party, and boy, did the scrambling pay off—the party was such a blast. It reminded me that I always used to want to be a party or wedding planner, and part of me still wonders if I should pursue a career in that.

I couldn’t think of a better way to end the year than celebrating Christmas and my dad’s 60^th birthday in sunny Palm Springs, California. The highlights of the trip included Joshua Tree National Park and a midcentury modern architecture biking tour, where our hilarious guide took us through the city’s most prominent neighborhoods and taught us all sorts of Palm Springs history.

Back in Denver, 18 flights later, to ring in the new year with my boyfriend and hundreds of strangers at a party downtown. We decided it would probably be our last paid NYE party, but it sure was fun to celebrate the start of 2024 with champagne and confetti.

. . . . .

Wow. It’s hard to believe I ever felt like I didn’t accomplish anything in 2023. Suddenly when you scroll through your camera roll and start to stich the photos together, you realize just how much life happens in twelve months. I’m grateful to have my planner and blog posts to help me reflect and remind myself to feel proud. Going into 2024, I want to keep in mind that I always do more than I think, and I should give credit where credit is due.

If you lasted until the end, thank you for reading today’s post. Cheers to 2024 and whatever it may bring.

 

Miles of smiles,

Grace