Year in Review: Looking Back on 2018

2018 is about to draw to a close. And, as is customary at the end of any year, I'm in the midst of some deep reflection. 2018 was one of those years that, while it had some ups and some definite downs, was still by all accounts a very happy one. I don't know if that's because I'm finally at a good place with my mental health (thank you to three very intense years of therapy for that one -- and, actually, that's something I'll be talking about and sharing more of in the coming year), but it seems that even when life threw some pretty major curve balls at me, I was still able to approach them with positivity, happiness and good intentions.

I don't really make resolutions. But my one main goal for 2018 -- I guess you can call it a resolution if you will -- was to be HAPPY. And I'd say I approached that goal/challenge/resolution head on. (See the photo above for proof -- that's me on my birthday.) I made new friends. I went to Disneyland -- A LOT. I took one of the best vacations of my life.

Not all was rosy. I lost my job and spent three months unemployed, making no money, burning through my savings and worrying about how I'd pay my rent or eat. I've never worked so hard to find work. This unfortunately also took its toll on my body -- I've definitely gained some weight, and I've also spent the last two months of the year suffering from a bout of stress hives (though I think they're hopefully, finally going away). Thankfully, I'm ending the year with an amazing new job at a company I really love, and I am beyond grateful.

We only have one life. And, the fact is, we never know how much time we're really going to have. This past year, I continued to take it upon myself to make my life everything it could possibly be. Am I exactly where I want to be now that 2018 is ending and 2019 is fast approaching? No. But am I pretty darn close? A resounding yes. LA has been and continues to be the place that makes me feel like my true, best self.

My hope for all of you is that, as 2018 ends and 2019 begins, you feel like you're on the path toward being happy, healthy and both who and where you want to be.

Please indulge me as I take a (not so) quick walk down the memory lane of 2018. (Spoiler alert: there are a LOT of photos!) Here's to everything 2019 has to offer -- happy new year!

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Salon and Spa Directory Meets First Look Fridays Interview Series: Cupping at Massage SoCal with Paloma Sanders

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Having a Ball at Partywith: The Latest in LA Experience Popups

Most people in my life know how I feel about experience popups -- which is that I LOVE THEM. For example, I visited The Museum of Ice Cream not once, but twice in the span of a few months! I also had to check out Happy Place, Candytopia and The Museum of Illusions. So, when I was invited to an exclusive preview of the newest experience popup to hit Los Angeles, Partywith, you KNOW I jumped at the chance.

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Today is My LA-iversary! Here Are My Top 5 Loves.

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My Latest Mani: Deborah Lippmann I'm Not Edible from the Spring 2013 Staccato Collection

There are just those nail polishes that grab you. The ones that pull you in time and time again. The ones that, even if it's been years, you always return to with a smile and a sense that they've brought you home. That's how I feel about Deborah Lippmann I'm Not Edible.

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