All the best things.
Almost Burlington, VT?
Spotify’s wrapped end of year music review showing your top artists, songs and now which city you vibe with the most is a good starting point for a year end summary. I did not land in Burlington, VT, as seemed to be the most popular, but rather,randomly, Vancouver. I’m so close, yet so far – not enough Noah K. There were not really any other surprises on my top favorites, but still fun to see the stats. My top artists were Joji, Miley, Josef, Otaku, and John Mayer. John Mayer has been a top artist forever, Joji has been a favorite for a few years. I am a big Miley fan, and her latest album was on repeat. Josef was a new artist, but his album had a really chill and unique sound. I think he says it is a sad boy album but I must have missed that, it seems like a nice vibe. Otaku is a top artist from my LoFi, but it is hard to pick a favorite. I really enjoy chill hop for after work drives and background while working. Relaxing with a chill ambience.
New Sites
Our biggest trip of the year was to Spain, one of the best trips I feel like we have taken. I have a whole post about our experience with our food and experiences. I really enjoyed taking this trip with my family and coming together for dinner every night to recap our days.
We had a few short overnight trips this year and they were all to such cool places that left me looking forward to another trip. We visited Montreal for a quick overnight trip and really enjoyed checking out some traditional French and Canadian dishes. The architecture and vibe were extremely welcoming and felt like we had traveled much further than our easy morning drive.
Portland and Boston were also quick overnight stays, but they both warrant another trip. Portland was so beautiful with the juxtaposition of the bustling downtown and the quiet beautiful coast. We ate delicious and fresh oysters, and checked out freshly baked bread at Scratch. Boston was all about exploring on foot with my undergraduate friend. It was such a fun weekend catching up, eating good Italian food and going to a play!
Travel Miles
Spent the year racking up some miles, on my legs. My fitness journey started about 2 years ago with a goal of 20 minutes of movement 3 times a week. My sister and I worked together to hold each other accountable. Building the habit of carving out the time was the hardest part of staying consistent. Over time, it grew to more days a week and then more time. I realized I have a lot more time available to me than I thought, and also found I felt so much better after finishing a workout. It turns out it is a great way to explore a new city, check out your new town and get your exercise. This year I ran two half marathons, a turkey trot and a 10k, and trying to round it out with 1,000 total miles. I learned so much this year, met new people and had a lot of fun doing it. I have some new goals for next year and cannot wait to see what I can accomplish. I also have a lot of thoughts around self-discipline and inspiring yourself that I hope to further explore in a future post.
Top year end products!
I spent the year trying to focus on quality of products, and simplifying things to enjoy them without fuss. I think it went well.
JSS Cleanser: My all-time favorite. This has been my go to for several years. I sometimes swap out my first step cleanser, but I am glad I didn’t waste time and money trying new cleansers when this one does the trick. I use this morning and night in the summer, and just as a second cleanse in the drier seasons. A true classic.
Westman Aterlier Mascara: I change my mascara almost every time I buy a new one. Lancôme has historically been a reliable favorite, but I find the waterproof version has the best results and I really wanted to move away from that formulation. I tried Westman Atelier, and I am obsessed. I love the packaging, brush, application, longevity. It is perfection. I am not sure, but I might not be changing this brand out too soon.
Garmin Watch: I have been wearing and using my Garmin watch daily since I received it last year for my birthday. I was about 1 year into my fitness journey and wanted something to better track my steps and work outs. My goal has been to continue increasing my daily steps and try to move more throughout the day, so I am not just dependent on one workout a day for my movement. I have loved tracking my workouts with the watch and meeting my daily/weekly goals. It also provides sleep data which is nice. My fitness levels have slowly improved and workouts have maybe increased in technicality, but I find the watch great for any skill level.
Aasics Superblast: Along with my Garmin, I feel like I should shout out my Aasics superblast. I wore these shoes all summer, for almost every run. And they are a dream. They were so versatile and comfortable, I never felt trashed after a workout or long run. I am so glad I picked these up at a race expo with a small discount. Would definitely recommend and repurchase!
Roka Glasses: Let’s round out our sports section. I purchased Roka glasses because they advertise that they will not slide down your face, and I have to say they are not exaggerating. These glasses have not budged through all kinds of weather and different intensity workouts. I have not had them adjusted all year and did not find them to stretch out or warp. I definitely plan to purchase a pair of sunglasses as well because I was so happy with the frames.
Pour Over Coffee: I had a big, bulky espresso machine and was so happy to make my specialty Americano in the morning, until I drank it and it wasn’t perfect. Or until I realized the amount of cleaning required with the machine. Or the amount of space it took up on my counter. We moved over the summer and the machine was in storage, so my husband bought me a small, low profile Kalita Wave pour over and scale to use in the meantime. And I was immediately converted. This was much easier to use, looks more appealing on the counter/is easy to put away if needed, and much more reliable. I do not want to be a barista, and realized I am much more at ease without adding that job title.
My Mochi
I will round out this post with cute pictures of my dog because she is my abiding favorite. Also because why not.
