A look back at 2018

Hi all, a new year is upon us. I don't know why but usually instead of feeling excitement and like anything is possible I just feel overwhelm in the new year. But it has been going good so far and I wanted to take a minute to recap 2018 month by month and also my goals for 2018 which are at the end of the post. I will my new goals for 2018 later this week! 

January- One of my really good friends from home (she was a bridesmaid at my wedding) came to visit she was in Germany and took a short trip down to see us! I went to Kraków, Poland and Auschwitz concentration camp with a different friend. I also started BBG and did 3 full rounds in 2018. I am gonna get back into it. I really loved it. And it also snowed in Naples!

February- Clark and I went to Barcelona for a long weekend (had some of the best cinnamon rolls) and hit up a another country Andorra. We also did a Whole30. 

March- I went to Brugge Belgium with a good friend and her daughter. Clark and I went to the Vatican to witness Palm Sunday with Pope Francis.

April- Clark and I took the train to Florence and then out to Pisa and Cinque Terre for a really long weekend! We had lots of fun with friends at a rooftop gathering and an 80s party. Also, poppies bloomed everywhere.

May- I had a long stop over on my way to the USA to visit family. I stayed for 3 weeks and got to watch my little bros play in the baseball state championship. I also got to see Taylor Swift on her Reputation tour in Seattle and it was amazing!

June- was back in Italy eating good Italian food. Clark and I went to Portugal and southern Spain for a week and even hit up Gibraltar! At the end of June my friend and I flew to North Italy and explored the Dolomites, Lake Siremone, Verona, and Venice. We also had a boat day with our friends on the Amalfi Coast. 

July- clark and I went to Puglia Italy for a long weekend. We ate in a cave (the most expensive meal of our lives) and we jumped into caves as well! We saw Post Malone in concert with some friends.  And I took myself on a road trip to San Marino for a few days.

August- celebrated Knox’s 5th birthday! I traveled solo to Helsinki, Finland and Tallinn, Estonia. Explored naples with a friend.

September- had a couple of beach days. And I traveled solo to Nice France and Monaco.

October- my friend and I went to Paris France and it was amazing the second time too. Clark and I went to Capri, Italy on a day tour. And we had an epic Halloween costume as usual ;).

November- clark and I went to our first Napoli football (soccer ⚽️) game. We had some of the best pizza in the world at Pepe in Grani and Gino Sorbillos. And then we traveled to Morocco for 8 days and had one of the best trips ever!

December- I got to see a good friend that was visiting from Hawaii. We went to Berlin Germany and took our friends to another Napoli soccer game. And ended the year with our friends over looking the Mediterranean Sea in Pozzuoli watching fireworks and drinking champagne.

Goals revisited:

1. Read 5 books and add to my book collection. I know 5 books is so weak but I haven't read a whole book in forever so reading 5 seems like a do-able goal. Yes.. I read 6 books this year: 
The Couple Next Door
Smart Couples Finish Rich
Girls and Sex
The Green Mile 
I almost forgot about you 
Wild 

2. Go on 10 trips this year. 8 small 3-4 day trips and 2 big 7-10 day trips (not including back to USA)

Yes:

Krakow, Poland- 3 days

Barcelona/Andorra - 4 days

Brugge, Belgium - 4 days

Florence & Cinque Terre Italy - 4 days

Portugal/Spain/Gibraltar - 8 days

Venice, Verona, Lake Garda - 4 days

Puglia, Italy - 4 days

San Marino - 3 days 

Finland and Estonia - 5 days 

Nice, France and Monaco - 3 days 

Paris, France- 3 days 

Morocco- 8 days 

Berlin, Germany- 3 days 

3. Finish 2018 with a 3.5+ GPA in all my college classes. (YES!)

4. Go back to USA and visit family. Check

5. Go to one concert. Check (Two: Taylor Swift and Post Malone)

6. Turn hangers around in closet and only turn them back around when I have worn that item of clothing. At the end of the year the hangers still not turned around: donate those clothes. (YES)

7. Print more physical photos! No but I have a whole folder on my computer of just photos to print. 

8. Continue recording 1 Second Everyday. Check! 

9. Keep up with house cleaning better: i.e. washing sheets more often, vacuum more, mow lawn more regularly, etc. Still working on this. I did wash our bedsheets more often. 

10. Save money. Yes. We started putting more in our retirement account every month. 

11. Visit 6 new countries. (Kind of in line with the trips goal but want to make sure I go to new countries.) Portugal, Spain, San Marino, Monaco, Morocco, Finland, Estonia. 

12. Go on another solo Europe trip. Yes: I went to Helsinki, Finland. Tallinn, Estonia. San Marino. And Nice, France by myself. 

13. Take photos and share my living room makeover. I didn't do this.