2014 was everything. It was hard in so many ways, and wonderful in so many ways. I entered 2014 feeling a lot of pressure because 2013 was such an incredible year. I didn't see how anything could top 2013, despite 2013 also being the hardest year of my life. But sure enough, 2014 outdid 2013 is so many ways. I normally do these annual recaps and feature a bunch of my favorite photos I took, but this time I wanted to include that and a mix of real life moments, too.
2014 was amazing because 3 of my bucket list items came true(!): live in New York, take photos in Africa and finish my degree (well, not quite, but I got accepted back into my program and am currently working on finishing it). I also started dating a wonderful guy, got to meet tons of new people and was able to spend more quality time with my closest friends and family.
Here is the year...
JANUARY
Spending more time with my two best friends up in Canada:
Exploring the Pacific Northwest (mainly, the Seattle area) for the first time ever and being totally into it:
Learning how to make SPOON RINGS:
Bringing this guy to Canada to meet my friends, and exploring Vancouver and Victoria.
FEBRUARY
Hanging with the coolest dawg:
Taking photos of new friends in new spaces:
Exploring parts of San Francisco like it was my first time there (despite living there for 2.5 years):
Spending more quality time with my SF lady friends and less time going out to meetups/drinks:
Making an impromptu decision to move New York, booking the ticket and MOVING TO NEW YORK. Also getting the worst hair cut of my life, finding who I am again, falling in love with life again, everything amazing again, there, in New York. Also moving there with the intention to spend time by myself, moving there with no job, only a few hundred dollars to my name, but then getting offered a job the day after moving there. Interning at a photo studio, taking so many photos, and being happier than I had felt the entire past year. Spending countless hours in coffee shops writing, wandering around the city, walking, people watching, riding the subway, taking photos... New York is where I started to feel like a human again:
MARCH
Starting "My Face In Your Space", a project where I take secret self portraits in the Airbnb homes I photograph.
Not knowing many people in New York yet, and so spending many hours taking photos by myself in the photo studio I was interning at in Williamsburg:
APRIL
Exploring more of New York:
So many photo shoots at my Brooklyn studio:
Making new friends:
Discovering New York shopping:
Street style photography:
San Francisco friends visiting:
Coffee shops and writing:
New York galleries:
MAY
Eric visiting me in New York:
After months of him patiently letting me do my thing and him asking me to date him, I ask him out and we make it official: <3
Eric teaching me to be more fearless (and sneaking us onto the balcony of a pent house hotel suite overlooking Central Park for photos, of course).
Deciding to become a coffee snob and for the first time in my life, drinking coffee and becoming hooked:
Discovering many more favorite food and drink spots, particularly, the bagel shop next door to my apartment that also has amazing smoothies:
My best friend calling me to tell me she got engaged!
Randomly meeting a lady who works for UNICEF, and her inviting me to take photos for UNICEF on a project happening in the Democratic Republic of Africa. DREAM COME TRUE:
Going to Africa!
Getting a message from Eric saying he got "us" a new puppy, Scout:
JUNE
Coming back to Seattle and Vancouver to help my best friend plan her wedding:
More exploring with new friends:
Brittany's bachlorette!
JULY
Brittany's wedding!
Lots of dog walks and exploring:
More photoshoots with Seattle models:
AUGUST
Returning to San Francisco to be with some of my closest lady friends:
Helping Marta with interior decorating startups in SF:
Photo shoots and cooking with Marianne:
Packing my belongings (which were left in storage in SF when I was traveling and lived in New York) and shipping it to my new home in Vancouver:
"Bitches loves crafts" night aka drink way too much wine and discuss inappropriate things:
SEPTEMBER
Moving to Vancouver to finish my degree at school:
Having a really great roommate to take photos of and drink wine after class:
Finding ways to stay creative during school:
Seeing my crazy family for a family wedding:
OCTOBER
Still trying to stay creative:
Taking advantage of sunny days and adjusting to rainy Vancouver:
Canadian Thanksgiving:
NOVEMBER
Taking photos for Bailey Nelson in Vancouver:
Playing with studio lights on days after school:
DECEMBER
Spending most of the month in Seattle with Eric:
Doing a collaborate photo shoot with my good friend Veeks:
Spending Christmas with Eric and then my parents:
There were so many more amazing things that happened in 2014, and I am so thankful for everything that happened this year. I am learning and growing and know there is still so much more of life to discover. I am excited for 2015! The phrase that keeps coming to mind for 2015 is:
"all things can be made new"
And this is what I hope to discover. I owe a lot to faith and trusting in things greater than myself.
Happy New Years everyone!