Better Late Than Never

I am late to my 2018 reflections posts, I KNOW! It’s been so insane looking back at 2018, there were definitely a ton of high’s and a looooottt of low’s. So much has changed since then and I wanted to take the time to remember all the moments, big and small.

Last year has been absolutely life-changing in ways I used to daydream about. If you were to tell me a year ago that I would be writing this post from the east coast I would say you’re out of your mind. But here we are, and I’m welcoming the year with open arms!

2018 was about being in tune with what makes me feel happy, corny but true. It’s quite remarkable when you take a chance (on yourself, on a new job that scares you, moving to a new city) to see the unbelievable ways you can push yourself wayyy past your limits. I reevaluated a lot -- friendships, family, career choices, personal investments… all of which were excruciatingly uncomfortable. I took myself (+ this little blog of mine!) more seriously and kicked off 2018 with a bang, with the love and support of some incredible people.

There were many standout moments of 2018, the moments that I still pinch myself about.

Here are some of my favorite highlights from the past year:

Warriors

There aren’t enough words to describe how incredible this experience was, the people who supported this insane dream of mine, and went out of their way to make this happen for me. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart, I am so humbled that I got the chance to do this. Even a year later… watching this still gives me the chills. Read more about how I got to work with the Warriors here.

Foodbeast

This was an exciting opportunity to work with one of the biggest food Instagram accounts that I had been following since I started. When they decided to bring their Noods Noods Noods Fest to Oakland, I jumped on the chance to be a part of it! I had so much fun meeting local vendors and getting a firsthand taste at all the crazy Instagrammable foods that would be at the festival. I didn’t know then, but this gig would introduce someone super essential to my life, I would say one of my greatest supporters and now boyfriend.

Food and Wine

I worked on a fun project with Food and Wine and got to go on a day trip to Napa with my girl Cyneats to learn all about the wines from Sonoma Cutrer, you can watch the video here! If 2018 has taught me anything, it’s that opportunities come knocking when you least expect it and oftentimes you might feel like you’re not ready for it. Getting out of my own head and talking myself out of self-doubt was a major lesson I learned. In fact, fumbling my way through a nerve-racking experience actually ended up giving me the confidence to #ShootMyShot.

Forbes

Just when I thought life couldn’t get any sweeter, I got featured on Forbes "3 San Francisco Bay Area Women Leading the Food Styling Field” ! This was an interview I did almost two years ago, I remember leaving the interview wondering if I had made myself look like a complete and utter fool. But I was 100% honest with how I felt about my fears of freelancing and I’m sure people who are looking to make the jump can relate to it too. Even to this day it still feels so surreal. ME. ON FORBES.

Make It Nice

The dream was always to become a full-time content creator especially in the restaurant space. Social media has made it possible for people like me who grew up working in restaurants to have a solid career that allows me to be connected to the hospitality side while tapping into my strengths as a social media strategist. I knew that I would never be able to do that in San Francisco and moving to New York was the best decision I ever made. When I got my offer to work with Make It Nice, it just felt like everything I ever wanted was effortlessly aligning. I didn’t just dream for it, I WORKED FOR IT.

Hey 2019…

To all the spine-tingling experiences, to new friends I’ve yet to meet, places that I’ll go visit, and to saying yes to things I’ve always avoided trying. I’m ready for ya!