Despite the bad shit going on in our news cycle, despite my anxiety and depression resurfacing in these last couple of months, I made it. And I’m so thankful for the loving imprints and the nasty scars alike.

The last of 2017 brought me my new beginnings. I just accepted a new job, ended a long-term relationship, and moved back in with my parents while their home was in the process of being sold. There was a lot of uncertainty for the year ahead, but I didn’t know that it would be filled with so many wonderful experiences and people that would add to my growth as a person and my overall happiness.

It has truly been a defining year, and my favorite one yet.

I got the idea from Kati Schmidt to reflect back on my own 2018 in a blog post. If you’re reading this, know that you are most likely an awesome person who changed my life this year. Thanks for being a part of it, and I wish you all the best in 2019. See you then!

JANUARY

• Started my current role as a Developer Marketing Coordinator at Salesforce
• Attended the Women’s March in SF with the Spark delegation and finally became a member
• Met Gabby Bernstein and watched her speak again for her Judgment Detox book launch
• Visited Washington DC for a whirlwind weekend of sightseeing with my best friend

FEBRUARY

• Became a Six Degrees Society member
• Worked the Selfie Station at the San Francisco Giants Fanfest and got to meet some awesome players and staff (Like Brandon Crawford and Johnny Cueto)
• Attended The Balanced Life Workshop and met Kristin Brabant and Katie Winnen for the first time

MARCH

• Started attending recruitment events for the Spinsters of San Francisco
• Attended my first Own Your Story workshop
• Attended March for Our Lives
• Worked my first big tech conference with TrailheaDX

APRIL

• Moved out of my family home since 2003 near Daly City (It got sold) and moved in with my friend Loriane in North Beach
• Attended my first SF Giants road game versus the San Diego Padres at Petco Park
• Attended my cousin Bryan’s wedding in Pasadena
• Became one of the hosts for Spark’s Cocktails for a Cause

MAY

• Saw Taylor Swift in concert

JUNE

• Went lobbying in Sacramento with other Spark members
• Attended my cousin Claire’s wedding in San Diego
• Danced and marched in the SF Pride parade with the Salesforce contingent
• Went to Sedona and other parts of Arizona for my best friend Nicole’s 30th birthday — visited Slide Rock, took a vortex tour, went to the Grand Canyon

JULY

• Gave a presentation on Fearless Collective at Spark’s Investment Committee meeting

AUGUST

• Officially became a Spinster of SF (See February for clarification)!
• Turned 30 and threw the best birthday party ever

SEPTEMBER

• Worked at Dreamforce with Team Trailhead and didn’t die
• Joined the Spark Champions program

 

OCTOBER

• Did stuff on Fleet Week, including Fleet or Flight with the Spinsters
• Celebrated Loriane’s birthday on the USS Hornet
• Took a solo trip to Denver — ate and drank too much, hung out with my friend Jul for the first time in real life, did the Coors Field tour, watched the Golden State Warriors play the Denver Nuggets in-person, and hiked and went up to the mountains

NOVEMBER

• Voted in the midterms
• Celebrated my friend Emilbert’s 30th birthday on a Hornblower Cruise

DECEMBER

• Got glammed up for the Spinsters Holiday Ball!
• Ate and drank to my heart, stomach, and liver’s content at The Guardsmen Crab Feed
• Survived the worst flu of my entire life
• Launched my first event / organized fundraiser for Spark (Ahem plz buy tickets and thank you)
• Enjoyed my favorite Christmas so far with friends and family

(Professional image credits: The Balanced Life Workshop at Runway – Jenna Monaco | TrailheaDX – Chloe Jackman | Spinsters New Member Tea – Drew Altizer Photography)