I don't know how to start an entry after 2.25 years other than to not overthink it and just to freeform type my thoughts as they sort of come, but WOW!
I tend to reflect and become overly sentimental or pensive on that nature of time itself-but meh not today.
Last I posted or journaled I was ending my twenties and entering my thirties; and now I am 32 years old!
Crazy.
This entry will be all over the place but I will best I can recap the last couple years and make a commitment to myself/this "blog" to now begin to journal more to capture memories and moments of my life however mundane or magnificent they may be as often as I can.
This is a rebranding of sorts from a cheesy non personal blog to a more virtual or electronic journal to model the 21st century style of things.
Okay, onto the recap.......
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Well, 30 came and went fast. I really should have thought this through but basically in the midst of a global pandemic I turned 30. I didn't think much other than it was a new chapter of sorts.
What I can say from the last two years that stick out to me are three things:
1. I traveled a lot both locally/domestically and internationally
2. I progressed in my career with Esri
3. I fell in love
I started to travel to Reno during the 2020-2021 year (so 29-30 years old) a LOT because quite literally everything was shut down and I was living in my Redlands spot with a roommate from China and I had nothing to do other than live inside a small space with someone I was renting to.
So naturally, I went up to Reno to spend time with family and mainly the fellow "fool" in my life, Lefou.
I probably went up at least 20 long road trips each time I could and would spend more and more time there until it was time to come back to Southern California and then back again to Reno.
It is crazy to think how much time actually was spent wearing masks in public spacing, the protocols, the extreme tense political and societal atmosphere of people and so forth that I just think I've blocked out a lot of the day to day insanity of it all and enjoyed the freedom I really did have working remotely and going to Reno while most were locked up and stuck in their day to day living.
It was endless game nights, gossip and family time over that time period that it actually was fun.
I just genuinely cannot remember specific time periods of the flow of time because it was all just a cluster of uncertainty, but fun in hindsight in a weird way.
At some point around turning 30 in 2021 the world slightly began to open up and thankfully Mexico was one of those countries that was still allowing people to come on in. I don't know what possessed me to do it, but I was tired of not travelling internationally and with no one willing to go on an adventure with me, I made the bold choice to do it alone.
Solo travel was the game of 2021 when I was 30.
So Mexico City was my first stop and shockingly I LOVED IT.
It was a huge city and where I stayed was so beautiful and almost European in style and vibe. I loved it. Went in March of 2021 and stayed I believe 7 days. I never felt unsafe and loved the challenges and just getting lost in another place/culture. So I started to catch that "bug" of needing to see the world more and more, and what was nice is that it was just me to enjoy and not be influenced or controlled in some way of how to feel/think or do anything while I was there. True freedom in some sense for travelling in a time when everyone was living by the crazy rules of a pandemic.
What was nice also is that I was working remotely so I would work and then hit the city to explore.
Best of both worlds, get paid and travel simultaneously.
After this great first solo adventure a few random things happened until my next solo adventure.
I got an air fryer and began to cook sooooooo many chicken wings.
I grew to love my lil buddy kitten Fritz.
And Rachel, Tyler and the girls moved back to Reno in the spring- bastards.
But then......while listening to one of my favorite podcasts Real Dictators I was learning about Spain and its dictator Francisco Franco and in hearing all about Spain and that time period/Madrid I began interested and next thing I knew I decided to go to Madrid in the summer.
It was a toss up between Seville and Madrid but Madrid won and I am SO GLAD I did it. Each place I go to is special and was amazing overall, but for some reason Madrid really won me over for various reason.
Madrid was such an unexpected joy and beautiful place. I even recall telling my mom aftewards that Madrid may be a close tie or close second to London, and we all know that I love London.
The weather, the history and the beauty of Madrid was magic. Such great times it's hard for me to only put a few pictures but I will fondly look back on this trip and be so so so glad I did the solo thing and didn't let my fears or any reservations hold me back.
One of my best summers of my life and not a bad start to my 30th year.
Ok.....let's expedite this journal entry
Later in the summer Danny my brother decided to take his family and sail the "world" type thing but he needed a "crew" to help move the boat from Florida up to Virginia due to hurricane season etc, and it.
Was. Hell. Seriously. Looking back it was madness and still is but we are alive.
That's all I'll say.
Next comes the big one......
I met someone and fell in love in the later part of 2021....Justin Jones.
Boy oh boy was I not expecting nor worthy/deserving of this man. In hindsight and with the love and gratitude and knowledge of what is now, I didn't know what kind of new type of adventure I was embarking on but my heart was ready to take that leap, as cheesy as it is, and today in May 2023 nearly two years later we are going strong and I love my man.
I will go more into our story next journal entry to focus on the relationship and the plethora of things we have done and all the "feels" but 30 was looking pretty damn good and we were only getting into September 2021.
As Justin and I began to seriously date and ultimately become boyfriends, I was working into my career at Esri as a financial analyst and doing well.
Then came my last solo trip "itch" to where I wanted to go one last place before finishing out 2021.
I can't recall again what made me think of Austria/Vienna but next thing I knew while I was babysitting Forrest's dogs Kaia and Khloe, I booked a flight for November to Vienna, Austria.
Austria was also amazing and a great end to my international solo travels in my life thus far.
Beautiful, COLD and cozy, Vienna gave me that last leap into my now "seasoned" solo venture.
This time was different a because I had Justin to swoon over and miss while I was travelling for the week. We were still fairly new in our relationship and I didn't think it was the right time to take a trip that big so I kept it solo but he was there with me texting and enjoying my stories.
Plus, we have many more opportunities to travel together (we actually have and have more planned as of now, but again, that'll be for the next entry).
Vienna though.....gorgeous. Cold as hell but it made the hygge aspect so great and the Christmas season was approaching.
And before I knew it, that was a wrap to 30.
To solo travel.
To 2021.
And yet there is so much more I did and experienced and learned in the 2022 year and my 31st year.
So strange to say things like that, but with this being a retroactive effort to encapsulate several years in a couple entries, it'll be somewhat rushed but as time goes on and if I stick to my commitment of journaling more often (maybe weekly but most likely monthly) it will become more specific and probably boring.
Christmas with Justin at the end of the year and sharing my first ever New Year's Eve kiss with someone was the perfect way to end this chapter of 30.
For the next journal entry I'll expand and share more on Justin and I how we met, dated and became boyfriends. It's a good one and I'll do my best.
In summary of my 30th year and 2021, it really was a year of taking a risk to travel by myself and what I learned is to trust myself more and that my judgements aren't something to be insecure about.
In a way I gradually became more confident in myself at 30. I felt strong in my choices, my life direction and just in who I am. It was as though the tumultuous nature of my twenties settled into stability and calm for me at 30. And I am grateful and continue to listen to myself and learn from my experiences, both externally and internally.
Pretty damn good start and a good year 30 and 2021.
And it keeps getting better (Speaking from 32 years old in May of 2023 :) )
