22.

The most unpredictable year of my life.

I’m sure you can maybe tell by my photos from the past year that life has brought me around the country and back.

With only 2 hours separating me and my 23rd year, I wanted to reflect on my 22 favorite memories of the year.

1. Shaking my booty at Zumba with my mama every Sunday night at Lifetime. I swear I can’t listen to Pitbull & not bust out my moves!

2. Standing in the nose bleed seats beside my best friends, singing to Ed Sheeran’s songs (then getting yelled at by the lady behind me to sit down lol).

3. Going on dates with my 2nd boyfriend, Nick(y), a 25-year-old guy with Austism who I had the pleasure of hanging out with each week. Our dates started with walks at Planet Fitness and ended with a pie from Davanni’s pizza - he knew the key to my heart!

4. Working out of a coffee shop with my incredible co-workers at the video studio in Minneapolis, sipping on iced vanilla lattes during our 11 AM “meetings” (aka social hour).

+ bonus: showing up my first day and spending hours scouring the internet for the perfect pen & notebook

5. Having a deep conversation with my older brother, connecting in a way that was way overdue.

6. My parents reactions when they opened the memory books called “Reasons I love you” for Christmas from us kids. Seeing how emotional it made them, after what seemed like a rollercoaster of a year, truly made my heart melt.

6. Visiting Nashville with some of my favorite people & racing around town on Bird scooters. Also the fact that my best childhood friend booked a ticket on a whim & met me out there! Ahhh so fun.

+ bonus: driving home with Peter & Brian, talking about the legacy we want to leave this world with one day

7. Watching Ride Along 2 on repeat with my Dad, eating homemade popcorn & calling each other “Ass Face” for the next several days after.

8. Chopping off nearly a foot of hair!! It might seem really insignificant but I swear I almost cried afterwards because for the first time in so long I felt truly beautiful, no longer hiding behind my long hair.

9. Eating Chinese food & shopping around Greenville with my mom when she came to visit for the first time (2 days after her surgery, might I add!)

10. Driving my little brother down to college in Missouri, with his stinky feet stretched across me in the backseat while I chatted with my parents.

11. Getting my first brand deal with Jack Foster to showcase products on Instagram. I still can’t believe how many awesome people have wanted to work with me ever since!

12. Traveling to LA for work and waking up early each morning to walk around while listening to my music & drinking coffee from local shops.

13. Spending time with my bestie neighbor girl, Laura. Whether it’s third-wheeling, late-night McD’s runs, watching Bachelorette or sipping on Tom Collins’ in her kitchen, Laura always knows how to make me laugh.

14. Stopping at Byrd’s Cookies in Charleston for lots and lots and lots of cookie samples. My favorite in the world.

15. Getting so frustrated with parking in Hilton Head that Peter & I left our car in a sketchy lot, paid $20 and biked to the ocean instead.

It ended up being the highlight of our trip!

16. Singing "Let me take you out” with Maly at a wine bar in Asheville without a single care for who was watching.

also the fact that she flew out to see me made my life! i loved spending a night playing card games with her and the guys, eventually crashing while the boys played movie soundtracks at 2 am.

17. Having a photoshoot in the middle of a blizzard with Jojo, one of the silliest people I know. We ended the night with soaked coats & damp snow-covered hair.

Jojo was one of the best, funniest co-worker-turned-friends that I could ever ask for! plus she has killer dance moves (which is something i found out at our christmas party).

18. Going to Point Lookout Winery with Peter’s parents, drinking the BEST wine I’ve ever had with the mountains painting the perfect backdrop. We even met an-off duty Santa Claus.

19. Falling asleep in my parents’ bed the last night I lived in MN before my 3AM drive to South Carolina in the morning. Saying goodbye was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but spending my last night as a kiddo with them was something so special to me.

20. Eating Chinese food in an outdoor booth of a restaurant in Knoxville at 9 PM, watching people hoola-hoop and dance around in the market area.

21. Saying goodbye to Peter’s cabin, a place that held so many memories for us over the years. It was so incredibly bittersweet but I am so thankful for the time we had there!

Last but not least…

22. Driving to South Carolina with Peter, a guy who sat through my sobs and made me feel comforted. He made me laugh and smile. He welcomed me into his home and made it ours. He cleared out his closet and gave me space. He let me redecorate & reorganize the pantry.

For him I am so thankful.

I am so thankful for each & every one of you reading this right now.

I love you so much!! Thank you for an incredible 22nd year. Here’s to a great 23rd!

xoxo - Katie