Happy 2016!! It was a great NYE celebrating with my closest friends at a white out party. We had plenty of drinks, a golf tournament, a darts competition, and a very passionate guessing game...

Anyone who knows me knows that I love lists and goals. So it comes as no surprise that I have a bunch of New Year's resolutions ready to go.

Travel

• Visit 5 countries 
• Pay cash for all trips! No getting into credit card debt to travel the world
• Take Nikita to the beach

Health and Fitness

• Workout 4 times a week
• Hike Camelback 
• Cook healthy dinners 4 times a week
• Bring lunch 4 times a week to work 

Financial

• Maintain $0 credit card balance
• Payoff student loan

Soul Goals

• Read one book per month
• Foster and adopt out at least 5 dogs
• Learn Spanish
• Practice Rosetta Stone 4 times a week

What a wonderful weekend to kickoff my 29th year! I celebrated doing all my favorite things with all my favorite people.

 Even though happy hour on Friday was not about me, but to celebrate my good friend's professional achievement, it was still a fun time with great people and great wine.

 Saturday morning my family through me a gorgeous and thoughtful travel/Paris themed lunch. 

Saturday night my friends took me out for a funky fun dinner. 

Then we went out for drinks

Sunday I went to see the new Star Wars movie and it was marvelous! 

On Monday, my actual birthday, Nikita and I went for a hike at South Mountain.

Then we went for a burger and Nikita rode in an elevator.

This past year further cemented the fact that I am a very lucky girl and I feel I have more than I deserve.

I have family that will celebrate my highs even if they don’t share the same passion (solo trip to Thailand over Thanksgiving nearly gave me mother a heart attack) and be supportive during my lows. How many mothers out there will swoop you up for In and Out Burger when you have had a rough day, or aunts that will check on your house because your dog is barking out of control at something, or cousins that will snuggle up with your very fluffy GSD in an AZ June just so you know she isn’t lonely because you’re gone? Ok maybe there are some, but mine are the best! 

I have friends that provide unwavering support, endless laughter, courage and adventure. Friends that will ease the pain of heartbreak by bringing wine and pizza and watching girlie movies. Friends that will ferociously go after those who wrong me and friends that bring humor to things when it is needed most. These friends are always up for something new and have introduced me to so many adventures I would not have experienced if not for them. I admire each one of my friends and I am so very lucky they picked me to be one of theirs. 

I have a job that I am passionate about and work for a company that appreciates me. I work with a lot of fun, ambitious and talented people that I enjoy collaborating with and motivate me to do better. I feel they truly root for my success and celebrate my accomplishments, just as I am proud of them for theirs. 

Because of all the above support I was able to experience much more of the world in my 28th year. I have amazing memories from friendcations, family vacations and solo trips and I can’t wait to make more in my 29th year.

I have always wanted to go to this place called Antelope Canyon in Northern Arizona, right on the Utah border. I came across the opportunity to go here with two great friends of mine the last weekend of May, along with a stop at Horseshoe Bend. I love trips like this to make you feel inspired by your own home state!

First of all, Arizona is hot - Just in case you didn't know. It was about a mile or so from the car to the lookout point and it definitely tested my cardio. Even though it was crowded, there were several amazing lookout points and the view was mesmerizing.

Entering the canyon was a great relief, as it was significantly cooler in there however if you are claustrophobic, this is not the spot for you. It was crowded and the passageways were narrow at some spots. The guide was amazing and pointed out the rock formations that resembled various things and angles where famous photos were taken. My personal highlight was this "desert waterfall"

Finding love in all places

I traveled to Portland, Oregon for a long weekend with two of my very best friends. We flew in on a Thursday night and left Sunday afternoon, giving us plenty of time to hit all things we wanted to.

Started off right with a trip to Voo Doo Doughnuts. I don't have the biggest sweet tooth so I probably did not do this place justice, but I did enjoy an Oreo doughnut while I gazed at the unique creations around me.

 Then stopped by Powell Bookstore, which I may or may not have lost my friends...

 Multnomah Falls is a MUST in Portland! We hiked up to the bridge which was very easy, however the cold rainy weather made it a less than desirable experience. Next time I would like to hike all the way up. With paved switch backs it really wasn't that hard.
 After a nap and dinner, we went out to some bars, including Moloko, which had fish tanks everywhere.

On Saturday morning we had to hit the Saturday market. I felt like a lot of the stuff was pretty basic, meaning you can find it in any city's marketplace, but there were some local booths that I really enjoyed. One in particular was a local hard cider brewery (of course their free samples didn't hurt). 

After wandering around the market, we headed out to Cannon Beach to see the Goonie rock. It was about 1.5 hours from Portland, and with the gorgeous scenery the time flew by. It was a dog friendly beach which made me miss my own girl and it wasn't too crowded at all. I did have to wear multiple layers though because this was not the warm, sunny, tropical beach you want to lay out on.

 

On our last day we went to Alloro Vineyard, which I strongly recommend. We were the only ones there which made it a really intimate experience and we had our host's full attention. We learned about the winery and explored around the grounds. This has to be my favorite part of the trip because it was fun to just relax and laugh. Perfect way to close out the weekend.