2019

Hello everyone!

Wow. It’s the last day of 2019, and the year is actually about to end. I know, I know- it’s obvious. That doesn’t mean it’s not crazy though! This past year absolutely flew by, and I can’t believe we’re about to say hello to a new decade. I completely grew up and matured through the 2010s… in 2010 I turned 6, so obviously in 2020 I’ll be turning 16. As the title says, this is a year in review, not a decade; however, it’s still crazy for me to think of how fast the past ten years have flown by as well. If you want to hear about my journey through 2019, keep on reading!

January: When the year began, I honestly still wasn’t completely adjusted to freshman year. Winter break was a nice escape from high school, but as soon as I came back it was back to cheer and craziness (similar to this year!). I felt like my life was boring yet too busy, which is why I started to think about what else I would rather be doing with my time. I was still actually kind of into cheer at this point though, and I remember constantly stretching and going to tumbling classes. I feel like it was really too busy of a month to be significant, considering I don’t have any pictures from January in my camera roll and only a few with friends in my Snapchat memories. I had my first round of high school finals… I guess that took the most out of me.

February: Always a short but sweet month, this month was mainly marked by my freshman year cheer season ending. I had to be switched into offseason PE for 2nd semester which was a huge source of my angst at the time. I remember it being a pretty cold month by Southern CA standards at least, so I pretty much lived in hoodies and sweatpants. Now that cheer wasn’t taking up any of my time (unfortunately, PE was), I started to research extracurriculars and opportunities for next (this) year. This is kind of when I got on top of my game as far as planning for the future and realizing what it takes to get into college…aka stumbling upon College Confidential for the first time. Because of these things, my self-esteem took a little hit. To deal with that and to fill my time, I started volunteering at the local animal shelter which I still do and love today.

March: I volunteered a LOT this month to fulfill all my hours for Key Club. I did Rotary events with my dad, I went to the animal shelter every week, I volunteered at the YMCA, and more. It was honestly a great experience since I met so many new people at each place and got to do “normal jobs” that I hadn’t before, and I was so proud of myself when I fulfilled most of my fifty-hour requirement during this month. I had volunteered on and off before, but this is when I really started to get into it and realized how good it made me feel. Before I knew it, cheer was also (sort of) back in my life- tryout meetings and sign ups were upon us. I had a major breakthrough in strength in my tumbling classes though, so my self-esteem and happiness had increased quite a bit in this month.

April: Spring break offered another escape from the craziness of school. It was the peak of studying for my AP Human Geo test (a major feat at the time) and cheer tryouts were coming up quickly. Palm Springs with my friend was super fun though, and it stopped me from stressing too much over the break. I kept volunteering and finally finished my Key Club requirements as well. I also had a little phase of being into hiking and photography- I still enjoy both things, but I noticed when scrolling through my camera roll I did a lot of those things in April. Maybe it’s because the sun finally started coming out again.

May: Cheer tryouts time! The end of the school year came fast, and cheer took over my life (again). Everyone made the JV team and we immediately started two-hour practices after school everyday again. Between that and studying for finals, I don’t really remember anything else. I was just counting down the days until the beginning of summer and my Europe trip. I dissected a pig in biology and that was kind of the hot topic among my grade at the time.

June: SUMMER BEGINS!! After my second-ever round of high school finals, I could finally say I had survived my first year of high school. As soon as the school year ended, my family left for our first out-of-the country trip ever, to Europe. We spent most of the rest of the month there, and it was honestly one of the best experiences of my life- we went to Paris, and all over Italy. In fact, when I embarked on the trip, I started my blog! I had wanted to start a blog for so long, and having an exciting trip to cover encouraged me to finally do it. I’ve blogged extensively about the whole trip in the past, so I recommend checking out my first posts if you haven’t before. It was amazing and I felt almost like a different person when I returned; I definitely saw some of the most beautiful places I think I’ll ever see.

July: My grandparents stayed with us for a couple weeks at the beginning of the month, and while they were here I spent a lot of time taking my online AP Psych course and researching extracurriculars for sophomore year. I also started editing submissions at the literary magazine I still work with, and I got into writing a lot more. I also found out that I poem I submitted in spring to a contest had gotten selected for publication! It was a fun month though as I celebrated three of my good friends’ birthdays. We had a couple beach days and other celebrations. However, the second half of the month was crazy! I went to yearbook camp and got my first taste of being on the yearbook staff at Chapman University; it was actually SO much fun and I felt so independent living a mini and relaxed version of the college life. Right after returning, it was back to summer cheer practices and conditioning, and the last couple days of the month I left for cheer camp at Knott’s Berry Farm.

August: The month began while I was still at cheer camp, which was sadly less than pleasant, but luckily August 1st was our last day there! Before I knew it, it was time to go back-to-school-shopping. My birthday is August 14th, so I also celebrated my 15th birthday- a VERY low-key affair. I also happened to get my braces off, so that was great. The next week, sophomore year started, and I had no idea what was about to hit me. Football season kicking off was a nice start to the year though. I kept volunteering, I began tutoring in my school’s history center, and I joined Youth and Government. Between all my new hard classes, yearbook, and all the other new activities I had joined, my schedule was absolutely loaded.

September: I felt pressured to overload my schedule even more, so I tried out a bunch of different clubs and activities and settled on a few more. I joined Spanish National Honors Society (making me a tutor in our school’s language center!) and English National Honors Society, as well as a couple leadership programs outside of school that I applied for. The first few tests in each of my classes were trying, but I was (kind of) getting the hang of my new busy schedule. I had my first in-class English essay, which was a very over-hyped experience. Honestly, the thing sucking the most energy out of me was cheer practice and football games, and I was beginning to fall out of love with it more and more. I had a lot of breakthroughs in tumbling class, which was weird since I wasn’t even enjoying it as much- something I learned I needed to let go of.

October: Homecoming month!! The first couple weeks of the month were all just hype leading up to homecoming week. Our homecoming game was actually quite fun, and the dance was much better than last year. I think it’s just a lot less overwhelming of an experience as a sophomore. I also got way more into Youth and Government during this month, as we had our first mini-conference/bonding experience. I was definitely still overwhelmed and felt like the year had just begun, but I was having a lot more fun of a time.

November: November was an absolutely insane month filled with fun and crazy experiences. I had my first official Youth and Government conference in Fresno, which was absolutely surreal. It made me fall in love with the program and realize what an amazing thing I was now apart of- I definitely could see myself pursuing a government career someday. I also got sick, which unfortunately coincided with my Post Malone concert that I got tickets for in August. The concert was still a cool experience though since I’ve loved his music for so long. I’ve saved the best for last though: my Thanksgiving break trip to Seattle with my mom. We spent almost the full week in the city and I absolutely fell in love. I could see myself living there someday for sure, and now I can’t wait to explore more places in the U.S. currently unknown to me. School stuff was definitely still stressful, but it finally took a backseat in my life for this month.

December: This month absolutely flew by. I didn’t even get to decorate much or go ice skating before break started. I had SO much schoolwork bogging me down, but now that I’m on break I’m relieved to have another escape. It was super stressful but luckily I barely had cheer so I could focus on other things. I’ve had a lot more fun with friends and family than I did in the past couple months though. However, there was also a lot of prep leading up to what will be a crazy January with basketball season and finals!!

I know I went through the months as if they were a list, but it’s only for ease of clarification. In my mind, this year went by so quickly that I barely even remember most of it. The main thing I know is that it was one huge learning experience- I figured out lots of things I do and don’t like, and I explored so many interests I didn’t even fully realize I had. I’m so grateful to have had the opportunities to travel more and experience things I never thought I would before- thank you 2019.

If you made it to the end, I appreciate you and thank you for sticking with me. I would love to hear about your 2019 journeys and realizations as well, so feel free to share them with me! 2019 was a year of growth for me, and I can’t wait to see what 2020 brings- bring it on! It’s crazy to think the new year’s here, but it’s even crazier to think I’m going to become an adult, go to college, and grow up ~for real~ in this decade. I know, I know- I’m getting ahead of myself. But hey, the roaring 20s are here 🙂

Happy New Year,

Brooke

Hello everyone!

If you have been following my blog since the beginning, you would know that my first posts were all about my trip to Europe this summer. Let it be known that even though this year I had a couple big trips and traveled quite a bit, in the past, I’ve never taken more than one trip in a year. There were a lot of different reasons why I traveled so much more this year, and I’ll dive into these reasons when I talk about each destination. Also, as another kind of disclaimer: I know this may not seem like a lot of traveling to some people, and to others it may seem like an insane amount of travel. Whatever your perspective is, just know that I am immensely grateful for every experience I’ve had and for any of the traveling opportunities I’ve taken advantage of.

I’ve always wanted to travel more and see different parts of the country (and the world!), and this year, I actually did. I explored parts of three different countries (technically four if you count Vatican City), going out of the country for the first time. I had a couple weekend trips away from home where I got a taste of independence, and I had an insanely busy summer filled with travel. If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ll recognize most of these- if you’re new, then welcome!

Palm Springs, CA (April) – Over spring break of freshman year, my friend invited me to come to Palm Springs with her family for a few days. We stayed in a beautiful Airbnb in La Quinta with a pool with a couple other families (her family friends) and literally just relaxed the whole time. Funnily enough, my favorite memory from the trip was the bike rides my friend and I went on- it wasn’t actually that hot when we were there and the neighborhood was beautiful (and huge!) so we went on a few three-mile rides circling the neighborhood. I really needed the relaxation and quality time with a friend.
Paris, France (June) – The beginning of my first trip to a foreign country/first time in Europe, Paris did not disappoint. I had never been out of the country before since my family doesn’t travel often, but my dad had an international Rotary conference in Germany so my mom, my brother, and I planned to meet him afterwards in Paris. Whenever I thought of going to Europe in the past, Paris was my #1 destination. Seeing the Eiffel Tower in person, especially lit up at night, was probably the highlight of my year. The city was absolutely gorgeous and didn’t even feel real; I felt like I was in a storybook. There was some bumps along the road with my dad getting pickpocketed, but I LOVED the city and would love to go back and see more.
Sorrento, Italy (June) – This was actually my favorite city in Italy, and it’s not even a city. When we got off the 2-hour flight from Paris into Naples and drove into this beautiful beach town, I knew this was the place for me. It was a perfect few days of relaxing inbetween the bustling cities of Paris and Rome; our hotel was super nice and right in the middle of the main square. The beach was a short walk away and the Mediterranean Sea was so warm and beautiful- the food we ate in this city was probably the best of all too. I would love to return and see the rest of the Amalfi coast- no complaints at all here.
Rome, Italy (June) – Actually quite disappointing compared to the expectation I had, but still insanely picturesque. My favorite memory of Rome would either be sitting on the Spanish steps overlooking the square and shops around, or the night that we watched the sunset at a restaurant across from the Colosseum. I felt kind of unsafe in Rome due to the mass amount of scammers on the streets and the sketchy train station, but we didn’t actually have any problems there. Our hotel was amazing and we got upgraded to a suite, so that was nice too.
Florence, Italy (June) – A truly immaculate city, it sounds silly but I loved how clean everything was. The Duomo was bigger than I could’ve ever imagined, and seeing Michelangelo and all the other artwork was very cool as well. My favorite part was probably walking down the Ponte Vecchio and going into all of the fancy jewelry stores. I wish we had stayed for another day- our stay here was only two nights.
Venice, Italy (June) – Our last stop on the Europe trip, Venice was very different than I imagined it would be. The weather was really bad with lots of rain on our last day so we mainly stayed indoors, but it was beautiful when we came in. Since it’s actually a very small city, I didn’t expect how cramped it would feel. The canals were gorgeous and my highlight of this stop was definitely our gondola ride at sunset. The city just oozes with beautiful historic architecture.
Buena Park, CA (Knott’s Berry Farm, July) – Only a week after returning from Europe, I went to Knott’s Berry Farm for four days for cheer camp. We got to spend one day in the park, so that was obviously the highlight; I had never been before and the rides were quite fun- not too intense for me, but still a thrill. This definitely was my least favorite trip of the summer just because cheer camp was brutal, but it was nice to have a change of pace and go to an amusement park.
Orange, CA (Chapman University, July) – Continuing the crazy business of my summer, a week after cheer camp I headed off to stay in the Chapman University dorms for four days for yearbook camp with my school yearbook staff. This was surprisingly one of the best memories I have of summer- we were completely independent in the dorms and the camp was a little bit more free-form, so it was a true dorm life experience. The campus was super cute and small so I felt like I knew it like the back of my hand by the time we left. Also, the actual camp was SO much fun and as a newbie to my school’s yearbook staff, I got to know people a lot better.
Fresno, CA (November) – I know Fresno’s not exactly a vacation destination, but I went there for the weekend for a Youth and Government conference. The city is definitely…interesting… but I had an amazing time at the conference held in the Fresno Convention Center, and I met so many amazing people from across the state. It made the four-hour bus drive very worth it. It was also another taste of independence since my roomies and I were responsible for getting around to our sessions and everything.
Seattle, WA (November) – My mom and I planned a girls’ Seattle trip for Thanksgiving break because we had both always wanted to see the city, and I wanted to visit the University of Washington. We stayed in the center of downtown, right near the Space Needle and the Pike Place Market. We had amazing food everyday and packed so much into the few days we were there, including a full day touring the college. I LOVED the city, but unfortunately did not feel at home at UW. That being said, I absolutely fell in love with Seattle and could totally see myself living there for a job one day.
Victoria, British Columbia (November) – My mom and I realized we had a day with nothing planned during our Seattle trip, so we impulsively decided to take a three-hour ferry to Victoria (Canada!) for the day. I’ve always wanted to go to Canada, so now I can say I have. Victoria’s an island and the capital of BC, as well as the “city of gardens” so there’s a ton to do and see there. It was beautiful (must sees are the Fairmont Empress hotel and the Parliamentary Buildings, as well as the Bouchart Gardens thirty minutes away) and it made me want to return and see other beautiful parts of Canada. I wish we had more time to explore Victoria as well.

As you can tell, my 2019 was full of super exciting experiences and I went to so many places that I had never been before and never imagined I would get to visit, especially in one year. This year went by so fast, and sometimes I forget all of these different trips all happened in 2019; so much was packed into this past year. I don’t think I’ll be traveling nearly as much in 2020, but we’ll see! You never know where life will take you. 🙂

-Brooke