Photo by Horizon Light Productions
They say that your 29th year is when Saturn returns to the exact same position in sky as it was when you were born. According to astrology, the return of Saturn means crossing the threshold to adulthood... a time for taking stock, getting introspective and coming to terms with the direction your life is going. But for me and for some of my friends, 29 has also meant one last gasp of irresponsibility.
In many ways, I acted more carefree in 2015 than I have in my entire life. There have been weeks and months where it felt like I was purposefully indulging in one last free-for-all... not caring about my diet, my spending habits or my fitness. There's been a lot to celebrate and I used all the weddings, birthdays and good news as a chance to really let loose, take chances, and party hard.
Which, as I look back now, seems to have made for a pretty fun year...
January
- We kicked off the New Year with a hike to a secret San Diego spot, Adobe Falls.
- For Christmas, Ryan got us a Blue Apron subscription and we made good use of it in January, learning all sorts of new meals and cooking tricks.
February
- This little blog turned 2!
- One of my ultimate concert goals came true when I got to see Britney Spears's Piece of Me show in Vegas from the front row.
- ...and then I took a drunken midnight ride on the Highroller.
- Ryan and I took a weekend trip to Iceland where we checked out Reykjavik, floated around in the Blue Lagoon, road tripped the south coast and snorkeled in almost freezing water.
March
- The blog got a logo and a facelift care of the impossibly talented designer, Kat Gaskin.
- One of my besties, Mare, finally had a chance to visit San Diego and I got to play tour guide.
April
- Coachella was of course amazing for the 5th year in a row.
- We moved... again. Only this time? It was to my dream house.
- I entered the last year of my twenties on my 29th birthday.
May
- I ran my only race this year, the 5k at the Wanderlust 108 Triathalon, courtesy of my friend Amelia.
- After months of debate, I finally took the plunge and bought my first DSLR camera.
June
- I flew home for the first time in years to be in my cousin Chris's beautiful wedding!
July
- We had a great 4th of July celebration at our new house with the pups and our friends.
- Mid-July we went to LA with our friends Bonnie and Jason and got to go to The Magic Castle, hike to the Hollywood Sign with my friend Shan and shop at the Rose Bowl Flea Market.
- For the third year in a row, I went to Opening Day at the Del Mar Racetrack.
- I closed out the month with one of the most amazing things this blog has ever made possible: I got to eat tacos with one of my idols, Tristan Prettyman.
August
- I headed to Coronado for a night for my friend Elysia's bachelorette party.
- We hosted our first of what I hope will be many future dinner parties out on our patio.
September
- Over Labor Day weekend, we took a great camping and wine tasting trip to Ramona.
- After years of not living in the same state, I got to see Mare twice in one year and be in her gorgeous wedding during my second trip to the east coast.
- I spent a great day in Boston with my dad and brother at the Samuel Adams brewery before I headed back to sunny San Diego.
October
- Ryan and I celebrated 4 years together with a camping trip to Big Sur.
- We had a blast at our final wedding of the year, celebrating Elysia and Eli's nuptials.
- At the Shape Meet and Tweet I scored a ton of swag and met Karena and Katrina, the Tone It Up girls.
- I dressed up as a terrifying zombie during Des and Ian's housewarming Halloween bash.
November
- One of my favorite artists (and first blog subjects!) Andy Davis had an art show in Encinitas and I finally met him in person.
- I cooked Thanksgiving dinner this year and enjoyed a beautiful day with Ryan and the dogs at his parents' house.
December
- We had so much fun being on a float in the OB Holiday Parade.
- On the last Monday of the year, I jumped out of a perfectly good airplane with my friend Shanna.
- We celebrated Ryan's 31st birthday at our old stomping grounds, Aero Club.
- And last but definitely not least, we closed out the year on New Year's Eve at home with some of the people we love most.
It was a great year, but honestly? I am so ready for 2016. I'm ready for my twenties to be over, ready to start giving my body the respect it deserves, ready to start making smarter choices while still forcing myself to take chances and leave my comfort zone.
I'm sure there's still a few crazy nights and careless decisions ahead while this whole return of Saturn thing finishes running its course, but for the most part I'm planning on 2016 being a much calmer, more productive and all around happier year.
But hey, 2015... thanks for letting me go a little crazy.
