2017 was a milestone year in my life. So many things happened that I needed to actually go back and look through my planner and my bullet journal to remember everything I missed.

I Married the Kindest, Most Loving Man on Earth

The first part of the year was all about wedding planning, but because it was such a small affair with such a small budget, it didn’t occupy too much of my time. It’s funny how when we first started thinking about what we wanted our wedding to be like, it started out big. As time went on, however, it got smaller and smaller until we were pretty much ready to just head to the courthouse with our immediate family, some friends, and wing it.

What made us change it so drastically? Well, time constraints, money, as well as the fact that we were just getting so far away from the important part of what this was all about: us. The more I thought about it, I chose having a marriage over a big wedding.

In the end, Craig and I were so pleased. We wouldn’t change a thing.

I Planted My First Rose Bush and Became a Member of the American Rose Society

If you had told me 5 years ago that I would eventually become a happily married home dweller and avid rose gardener, I probably would’ve laughed in your face. And yet here I am living in a quiet little cul de sac with a couple tiny rose plants. I’m hoping to add a couple more to my garden this year.

I Found a Financial Advisor and Created a Plan for Our Future

Deciding to go with a financial planner was a big step for both me and Craig. Craig’s previous marriage had been plagued with poor financial decisions, through no fault of his own. And I was paying off a couple credit cards.

Then we met our financial planner Evan through several recommendations from a couple friends and former colleagues. I liked that he was about the same age as me and his advice was very practical. Our goals last year were to combine our assets and make sure that we were prepared for major life changes. We also wanted to get on track for saving for retirement.

I Took a Leap of Faith and Changed Jobs

In July of this year, I accepted an offer from another agency for another position. This new position would allow me to grow and develop in an area that I knew I was good in: WordPress support. It was strange and terrifying. I would be leaving an agency I’d worked for and called home for 7 years. But I knew I was ready. And it turned out to be one of the best decisions for me and my husband.

I Tried Being a Vegan for a Few Weeks

When I first met Craig, he was a vegetarian. A year ago, he decided to become a strict vegan, therefore cutting out eggs and dairy and eating only a plant based diet. In October, I decided to join him and do a 22 Day Revolution challenge, eating nothing but a plant based, whole food diet for 22 days. I learned a lot about food and cooking. In fact, I learned that plant-based meals can be quite delicious. And they don’t all have to be salads either.

2017, You Treated Me Well

In the end, 2017, you gave me one of the best years of my life. Here are a few bullet points that deserve to be mentioned:

• I threw an axe for the first time (and kinda sucked at it).
• I ate my first edible and subsequently experienced my first high.
• I did my first escape room.
• I spent a couple hours in an urgent care after slicing my hand on a food processor blade.
• I officially hyphenated my last name.

Despite my tendency to be sarcastic in this blog post, I really can’t this time because for the first time I’ve been humbled. I just hope 2018 will be even better.