I know everyone says this, but I seriously can’t believe another year has passed and we’re almost to 2020. As I reflect on this year, I feel like I’ve grown and changed so much compared to where I was in life last year. Life may have its highs and lows, but I think it’s important to appreciate all the good and remember to be grateful for what I DO have, rather than what I don’t.

1. All of the wonderful friends in my life:

   Even though I’ve only lived in San Francisco for a year and a half (I moved here in June of 2018), I have met so many amazing people turned into best friends that I can’t imagine my life without today. I’m so thankful for each and every friend I have in this city or else life would be very boring.

2. My health:

   I recently had a little bit of a health scare, and it’s made me realize to slow the eff down and take care of myself. You can’t enjoy the rewards of working hard if you don’t have your health in the first place!

3. My career:

   The reason I moved to San Francisco in the first place was to advance my career and grow in my industry. It’s amazing everything I’ve learned so far and where I feel I am today compared to when I was living in San Diego. It only motivates me to keep going and see where I can be at the end of 2020, and that’s such a good feeling.

4. The ability to pursue my passions:

   I’ve said it before, but life is way too short to settle and NOT do what makes you happy. I’ve always had this creative side to fuel and I love that I found my passion for fashion blogging and actually launched my blog and IG two and a half years ago in June of 2017 (seems like I tend to make major life changes in the month of June?) I’m also grateful that my creative drive keeps me going and I’ve cultivated so many partnerships with brands and companies I only dreamed of working with before I got into the blogger/influencer space.

5. My mental health:

   Just as important as having your physical health is having your mental health. I went through some lows this year that I didn’t reveal on IG (because remember it’s only the highlight reel) and actually kept pretty quiet about to most people in my life because I didn’t want to talk about it. I think when I hit the lowest of the lows this past summer, I decided to take control of my mental health by seeking treatment and it’s honestly the best decision I’ve ever made. There’s definitely a stigma around mental health which is so dumb, because if you have anything wrong physically you’d go get it treated - so why not do the same for ALL aspects of your health.

6. My home:

   I own a condo in San Diego, so when I moved to SF it sucked having to go from being a homeowner to being a homeowner that ALSO had to rent in the most expensive city in the U.S. My first apartment in SF that I moved into in 2018 also sucked. It was tiny, cramped, overpriced, and I had to live with a roommate which is seriously so difficult to do when you’ve been living on your own for so long. I hated being home, which I think contributed to my not so great mental health at the time. In June of this year (again, a big life change happening June, WTF), I was able to move into my own apartment in the Russian Hill neighborhood of SF and it’s improved my life so much. I’ve made my home cozy and enjoyable to be in and I honestly look forward to spending time at home now. I’m thankful to be able to afford the means to do AND that I found a great apartment in SF in itself which can be like finding a needle in a haystack.

7. Yoga:

   I started going to hot yoga at the beginning of this year and was even able to partner with my favorite yoga studio on IG later, which was amazing. The reason I’m grateful for yoga is that it’s a physical activity that clears my mind and makes me feel good all around, which I never got from other kinds of workouts. It’s not only helped me get into better shape physically but helped me manage my stress.

8. My best friends:

   I know I mentioned all the wonderful friends I have in SF at the beginning of this post, but I definitely need to mention my lifelong best friends who don’t live in the same city as me but I basically consider family. I have two best friends I met in college almost 10 years ago now. One of them lives in LA but we talk everyday and see each other as often as we can so it doesn’t even feel like we’re a long distance from each other. My other best friend just recently moved back to LA as well after living in Kentucky so I’m so excited to be able to see her again since she was living so far away before! I also have an incredible group of friends from high school that I grew up with. Some of us have moved to different cities, gotten married, some even started having kids but everytime we get together it feels like no time has passed and we can pick up right where we left off which I’m so grateful for.

9. My growing ability to stop caring so much:

   When I was younger, I was so concerned of what other people thought of me. It made me very self-conscious and I feel like it made me seem like a shy person to others. Through the years, I’ve learned to stop giving a f**k what others think, and instead focus on how I feel or think about others. I think this mentality is how I can take so many photos in public without feeling embarrassed, speak my mind to friends, bosses or significant others and and feel confident in the decisions I make everyday. You kind of have to just stop caring so much and focus on yourself sometimes in order to get rid of insecurity.

10. The blogger community:

    Let me just say this. It’s f*cking hard to be a blogger (coming from someone who also has a full time corporate career). You’re basically running a small business, but the business is yourself. Aside from the countless hours it takes to secure partnerships, plan content, take photos, see if the photos are any good or worth posting in the first place, editing, getting approval from brands, meeting tight deadlines and SO much competition in an oversaturated industry — you’re making yourself very vulnerable by putting yourself out there online for everyone to see. Luckily, through this industry I’ve met a handful of talented and badass women that have become my fellow blogger friends. It’s such a good feeling to have a community of women that not only get what you’re dealing with on a daily basis but are also there to support you whether it’s attending each other’s events, taking photos or helping to direct content. I don’t think I could do it without them at the end of the day (or at least it’d be even more difficult to do so).

What are you guys grateful for this year? Let me know in the comments and I hope everyone has a fabulous Thanksgiving holiday!