Happy New Year!

2018 was a whirlwind of a year. There were memories made, accomplishments had, opportunities seized, and overall, it was great! Of course, there are always ups and downs, and sometimes I wanted to give up. But, I’m congratulating myself for moving forward and pushing through!

Without further ado, I’m going to cram 365 days into one blog post, and then I’ll share my word for 2019!

January: I started off the year with my mom’s Vision Board workshop and set some intentions! And Elyssa and I officially kicked off our Instagram #PixieDust song challenge – we sang one new Disney song a day, complete with cosplay.

February: I partnered up with LoveIsRespect.org and blogged about Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, Elyssa and I pampered ourselves with a sister spa day, we went to the DFW Auto Show (homeschool field trip!), and we had a BLAST at Walt Disney World #DisneySMMC and the Disney Cruise. It was THE BEST.

March: I celebrated #PiDay like a champ, went camping (and that included an 8 mile hike… it was spectacular!), Elyssa and I did our #FlashbackDisneyChannel song challenge, we performed in an Easter program, and tried to enjoy rainy weather at home haha.

April: Our mom hosted an awesome Marvel movie marathon with our friends! We also ate pecan pie, rocked it in our piano recital, got both of our hearts broken with Avengers: Infinity War (we’re looking at you, Russo brothers…), and harvested strawberries from our garden!

May: We started off with good ol’ Star Wars Day at Legoland Discovery Center DFW, had our Papá Milciades over from the Dominican Republic – we went to Houston and did all sorts of cool shenanigans over there, and watched Solo: A Star Wars Story.

June: We were definitely on the edge of our seats during Incredibles 2!!! We also toured the Brookhaven College campus, and watched Into The Woods: The Musical! I also got a new guitar (my old one is way too small now) and it is my baby.

July: I got the experience of going to EFY (Especially For Youth) for the first time! I made so many new friends, learned so much, and I can’t WAIT to go again this year (this time, I’m dragging Elyssa with me MWAHAHAHA),

August: Elyssa and I volunteered in our community, watched the musical The Music Man (I still have the soundtrack stuck in my head), and I completed my painting “Shattered”, which my mom insisted she keep lol.

September: We went on a tour of Sandusky, Ohio, and spoke at BloggyCon! It was an incredible trip, and you better believe we went on almost all the rollercoasters at Cedar Point. And, I celebrated my 16th birthday. I’m so ooooooold. (I also may have gone on my 1st date which was nerve wrecking and still one of the best moments in 2018, fyi.)

October: I actually got some beach time in South Padre! Though Texas beaches do not come CLOSE to the DR, still, it was great to feel the salty breeze in my hair, the sand between my toes, and the sun on my back. We also hung out with Zuleyka Rivera at the St. Jude and Domino’s Thanks and Giving Event.

November: I volunteered and attended WordCamp DFW (btw, WordPress is the best), made blueberry pancakes, decorated for Christmas, and I won National Novel Writer’s Month (still working on that novel, though XD).

December: We toured Bluehost down in Austin! It was fun to see the work space, and even more fun to eat vegan ramen in downtown. Yum. Other than that, watching Netflix movies and drinking hot chocolate took up most of our time hehehe.

There are tons of thinks I didn’t mention. This is a recap, after all. But one thing I particularly loved about 2018 is the work I did on my relationships. I feel a lot closer to my mom and to Elyssa, I feel like our interactions with each other keep getting better and that bond is even stronger.

Also, I guess I can kind of say that I now have a significant other, and they have taught me a lot about myself, and love, and life in general. Moments with them have made my year special and given me inexpressible joy.

I have so many things to be grateful for and to look forward to! Which brings me to my word for 2019.

Create.

cre·ate –
bring (something) into existence.

I want 2019 to be a year of intense and concentrated creation for me. Create in all aspects of my life, create positive memories with those I love, create health within my body, create wellness in my mindset, create when it comes to my writing, drawing, painting, and playing the piano and guitar, create content online that inspires and uplifts others, create opportunities in my education and create peace in my life.

I can’t wait for you to come along on the journey with me to create new opportunities and beautiful experiences!

[elisha]