2018 Has been a crazy year for me filled with highs, lows and everything in between. To be honest, life has been crazier than normal for me this year and at times I’ve felt like I’ve barely been able to keep my head above water. The blog has suffered and I haven’t been able to keep up with it. After a crazy year, things are settling down a bit and I feel like I’m finally able to put more time back into the blog. Here’s a little recap of what 2018 had in store for me!
2018 started with a high when my baby sister got married. The beginning of the year was full of festivities and a amazing beach wedding in Clearwater, Florida. It was absolutely beautiful and I was so happy to be a part of her special day!
Sadly, shortly after the wedding we found out that my bonus mom, Bonnie’s ovarian cancer had came back with a vengeance after only a short time being cancer free. On a positive note, she was able to enjoy my sister’s wedding and was feeling amazing before this awful news.
We knew she was going to have a tough battle ahead of her so, we made the decision to leave Pennsylvania and move back to Florida to help out and spend as much time as possible with her. I was feeling helpless being so far away and wanted to be closer. We decided that moving after my son’s high school graduation would be the best timing.
My son graduated in June and I couldn’t have been more proud! He is an amazing kiddo. It seems like only yesterday he was so little and just starting kindergarten. I can’t belive how fast it all went. Enjoy your little ones while you can, because you’ll blink and they’ll be off to college before you know it.
Moving day was scheduled for just a few weeks after my son’s graduation. As excited as I was to move back to Florida, I’d grown to love living in the Philadelphia suburbs and it was a little harder to leave than I expected. We spent the last few weeks there playing tourists and visiting all of our favorite spots around Philly and NYC!
In between fun stuff, we worked hard to pack up the house. It’s been a while since I made a big cross country move and let me tell you it is not for the faint of heart. I tend to move a lot and this was the most stressful, chaotic move ever!! If anything could go wrong it did. Our moving truck broke down twice, when we arrived the storage unit we reserved was the wrong size causing me to change locations last minute and my movers canceled on me an 1/2 hour before we arrived with the truck! And that’s not even the half of it! Talk about stressful!!
At the end of the day, we all made it to Florida safely and I could breathe a little easier knowing that we were closer to my family. I was also happy to now live close enough to the beach to catch a breathtaking sunset whenever I want! There is something so calming and peaceful about watching sunset on the beach. It just recenters me.
Job hunt began as soon as we got to Florida After a couple of months, I got an offer for anamazing new job. The new job was such a welcome change compared to where I had just came from. I was excited for a fresh start, a change in energy and a fun new team.
A few weeks after starting my new job, heaven gained an angel when my bonus mom, Bonnie, lost her battle with ovarian cancer. It was a low blow for all of us. We knew the outlook wasn’t great when we decided to move, but we really thought we would have a lot more time with her before she was taken from us.
She was an amazing soul loved by so many and would do absolutely anything for anyone with a willing heart and a smile on her face. She was a quiet force and her presence is missed immensely. Bonnie was a strong lady and would not have wanted us to be sad. We decided to honor her with a beautiful beach, sunset send off with her favorite flower, the sunflower.
As hard as it was to say goodbye it really was an amazing tribute. We had the perfect weather and sunset! Bonnie loved the beach, but hated to get in the water. In true Bonnie fashion, the sunflowers kept washing back on the shore as if she was saying, “you guys know I hate the water!” We had a good laugh knowing she was with us.
After the stress of a big move and losing Bonnie, my amazing girlfriends surrounded me with love and support and came to visit me. Beach trip, Disney Food & Wine Festival and a Colorado mountains trip all brought my spirits back up.
Keeping busy and spending time with girlfriends was much needed. Epcot Food & Wine Festival was a complete blast! I hadn’t been to it in many years and had almost forgotten how much I loved it. It was so much fun eating and drinking my way around the world with my girlies.
Colorado mountain trip was a nice change in scenery. It was good to get out of town and recharge. Great friends, gorgeous views and a relaxing weekend was just just what the doctor ordered. Despite my brief encounter with altitude sickness, it was an amazing trip.
Most importantly, I’m happy that 2018 brought me back closer to my family. The majority of my family all live in the greater Tampa Bay Area and it’s been many years since we’ve all been together. I now live only 10 minutes from my mom, 20 minutes from my dad, 2 hours from sister & brother-in-law, and within 30 mins of most other family members.
We’re now close enough to hang out with everyone pretty regularly, which has been awesome! Baseball games, beach time, holidays and just spending time being with each other is something I’ve been missing out on.
2018 put me through some trials, but also brought me a lot of joy. I’ve learned a lot about myself and grown a lot this year. I’m looking forward to 2019 being filled with happiness and fun times ahead.
Now that we’re all caught up, I can’t wait to staring creating & writing content again. As much work as it is, I do love it and I’ve missed it. It’s a great creative outlet for me and I really do have so much fun with it. I’m ready to put my heart back into it and I’m excited to connect with you all again. Thanks for hanging in there with me and I hope you stick around.