Select Page



I have a thing for even numbers. Even though I was born on the 13th day in the 5th month of the year, I was born in 1984. For whatever reason I seem to do better, and find more happiness, in ‘even’ years.

In 2010 I lost a bunch of weight, discovered my love for the outdoors, and kicked off a new outdoor lifestyle I still enjoy today. I also turned 26, a truly magical year.

2012 was pretty darn good too. I nearly moved to Boulder, but in surprise move decided to stay and make Seattle my permanent home. I took up backcountry skiing and officially began my quest for Turns All Year. I climbed Mt. Baker for the first time – and Mt. Adams – skiing from the summits of both. I ran a half marathon with my bestie while we were decked out like zebras. And I spent Thanksgiving climbing in Mexico with truly awesome people, including the man I would later marry (as in, perform the ceremony for; he married someone else).

Fast-forward to 2014 and I spent 24-hours in Iceland and a blissful week skiing in Norway, and came home to yell at everyone to be vacation takers! In doing so I learned how to be happier and embraced my status as a true Seattlelite. And I turned 30. It was awesome. I completed my 30 Before 30 list to celebrate, then met a pretty awesome guy a few weeks later to put icing on the already layered cake!

Two years ago, in 2016, I bought my house to celebrate my 32nd birthday. I also started blogging regularly and it’s been fun and humbling to watch my readers grow. Who knew so many women share my rage about pockets??

I’m a big proponent for writing things down – I think it gives ideas power and momentum. I have an app I use to track projects on a weekly, monthly, and year basis to keep myself honest. I don’t normally share my resolutions for the New Year until it’s time to reflect back, but this being an even year, I have a good feeling about it.

3 Resolutions for 2018

  1. Invest in the blog: In October 2015, I made a promise to myself to blog once a week for 52 weeks. I made the year, and went another half until I missed a week in April 2017, then fell further from the bandwagon in August. In the months since, I’ve felt less focused in my life overall, and I think it’s because the discipline of regular writing is missing. In the new year I vow to recommit myself to weekly blogging and to upgrade my website to a new platform. Get ready for more pictures and fancy website doo-hickey’s in the year to come!
  2. Spend more money: I am cheap to the point of miserly. I don’t mean to be this way, but I started my first bank account with 3,200 pennies I counted obsessively and haven’t been able to shake that penny-pinching mentality since. While I’ve gotten better over the years, spending money causes me stress and means I turn down fun opportunities due to price and/or over-analyze costs to the point that I lose all sense of enjoyment. JT and I have fun plans for 2018 and I want to commit to enjoying them to the fullest, even if it means I have to spend another $20.
  3. Give up ‘busy’: I am tired of being ‘busy’. As I said in my Happy New Year post, it’s okay to fill your life with things, but I want to fill my life with things that I find fulfilling enough to actually talk about, rather than lump them in with an “I’m good, just busy” response. In 2018 I want to fill my life with mindful activities. Things I’ll remember when I write a blog in 2028. 
Don’t get me wrong, 2017 wasn’t all bad. I finally recovered from a nagging heel injury to run a whopping 101.2 miles for the year, skied 38 days to complete months 63-74 of Turns All Year, read 12 books, worked on a handful of fun projects at work, and even went climbing half a dozen times. Plus, my baby niece was born, and she has proven to be a beacon of hope and happiness in my life. I hope you find your own shiny spots in 2018!