10 Memories of 2016

Nine years ago I started this project because writing your own Top 10 list recapping the year was “trendy”. These days, Facebook, Instagram, etc. all do it automatically based on your most liked posts. But, what they rarely capture are the little moments that were actually the big moments. I love looking back and remembering the moments of each year that were most important to me – here’s what colored 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.

This was a year of solitary. If I ever doubted my ability to be alone or enjoy my own company, this year shredded all those concerns. It also gave me the desire more so than ever to put down roots. When you spend 54% of the year on the road and living in a hotel, it makes maintaining friendships and healthy routines an even greater struggle.

1. Took a Bucket List trip to the Cannes Lions Festival in Cannes, France. The “seen and be seen” vibe was at an all time high, where I spotted 33 celebrities from Martha Stewart to Channing Tatum and had an intimate dinner with Mindy Kaling.
2. Breakfast in Nice, France, lunch and gambling at the real Monte Carlo Casino in Monaco and dinner in Ventimiglia, Italy all in one day was one of my favorite adventures this year. Thanks to a random blog post for the spur-of-the-moment 3-country train journey.
3. Attempted to take dating seriously and hired a real life Matchmaker. Unfortunately, it’s been a poor experience thus far, but the stories make great fodder!
4. Got new ink in NYC. It’s by far one of my favorite moments of 2016.
5. Took up meditation thanks to Amy Jo’s Podcast and Headspace. Advertising really does work. Ninety-one sessions and 15 hours of practice in, the beauty of a truly quiet mind is something astonishing.
6. Added 3 new clients this year. True to my nature, I often bit off more than I could chew. To say I worked a lot of hours would be an understatement.
7. Once again, I was a traveling fool. According to Tripit, 33 trips had me spending 199 days on the road. New countries and cities included Birmingham, Alabama, Cannes, Nice, Monaco, Ventimiglia, Italy and Park City and Deer Valley, Utah, where I found the most incredible hotel, The Washington School House Hotel.
8. Enjoyed a good show; even when going alone. Finding Neverland, Carole King’s Beautiful, Frankie Moreno and Tim McGraw were just a few of the ones I really enjoyed.
9. Read voraciously. Thanks to turning to iBooks, I could read anywhere – planes, trains, lines – and I did. Ninety-five books were added to my Goodreads list. Yes, I devoured, on average, almost 2 books per week, every week!
10. Family time. Thanks to my regular NYC visits, I was often able to tack on a trip to Florida. Even when you’re just laying around doing nothing, it’s nice to be around family.
11. Bonus Lesson! I’m truly grateful for all that I have. I bought groceries, traveled wherever I wanted, stayed in top hotels, etc. and rarely, if ever, had to worry about the cost. While I’m never reckless, I know that not many cannot say the same. In some things, money can buy happiness. Just remember, it never buys happiness in the moments that count. Those are always the ones spent with friends & family.