Hi everyone! I can’t believe 2019 is almost over. It went by in the blink of an eye. In 2020 I will be graduating from undergrad which is something I’ve always thought was so far away and now it’s almost here. Today is a little bit more of a personal post than I usually do, but I think it’s important for me to share more of my life with you guys. 

The internet is an amazing place, but sometimes a fantasy world where everything looks perfect when it can be far from that. 2019 was by far the hardest year of my life. I’ve been debating for a while on whether or not I wanted to share a really personal thing that happened to my family in 2019. All of you have become such a huge part of my life and have helped me become the person I am today and I feel like you all deserve to know what has been going on with me behind the scenes. A few days into 2019 my dad was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer. He’s been handling his treatments well and is still as energetic as he’s always been. I will leave it at that and not get further into detail. He is the strongest person I know and I could not be more proud of him for keeping his spirits up on a daily basis and continuing to be a rock for our family. I am so lucky to have a dad like him and have someone to look up to as much as I look up to him. It’s been a very difficult year for our family, and hard for me to be away at school while my family is dealing with this at home. Some days I get sad and feel helpless and alone about the situation. My dads spirits always help to keep our family going. It’s been something that has completely shifted my plans for the future, and shows me how important it is to spend time with family.

Even with the lows, there were some definite high points during 2019. I recently finished my senior capstone and the toughest semester of my college career so far. During the semester there were countless long nights where I wanted to give up, but I pushed through and felt so accomplished at the end of it.

Even though school was extemely busy, there were so many moments throughout the year that were incredible. Here are a few of my top travels and moments:

Turning 21!

My 21st birthday was in 2019! It was so fun to celebrate with friends and family.

Montage Palmetto Bluff with Draper James

When I got the email for this trip I was jumping for joy (ask my family). It was a dream come true and I met so many amazing people during the trip. You can read more about the trip here or here!

                

Girls Trips with my highschool besties 

I feel so blessed to still have such an amazing group of friends from highschool. We always have so much fun together when we’re home and this year was full of so many great memories.

          

Boston with Vineyard Vines

This trip was full of wonderful people and unique experiences! We got to visit an Ocean Spray cranberry bog which was so cool. You can read more about the trip and see more photos here!

Christmas with the KJP team

It’s bceome a Christmas tradition to celebrate an early Christmas for their holiday shoot! This year we stayed in a beautiful cabin in the Adironacks. It was the perfect weekend and great to see everyone!

Princess Bermuda with my mom

I love to travel with my mom. We always make so many fun memories and I love being able to share these expereinces with her. It was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been, and staying at Princess Bermuda was an absolute delight. Find more about our stay here!

One thing I look forward to every summer is spending time on Nantucket! It is such an amazing place and I was lucky enough to visit twice in 2019. Being on Nantucket during the summer is the best, and I look forward to a trip this summer! More photos from the CBC Summerhouse can be found here!

 I am SO thankful for all of your continued support and cheers to 2020!