Looking Back on 2017: A Year in Review

It’s that awkward time of year between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, where many of us are trying to recover from the craziness of the holidays. There’s a meme going around that captures the vibe of this week perfectly:

That bit between Christmas and New Years where you don’t know what day it is, who you are and what you’re supposed to be doing.

So relatable, isn’t it?!

Ever since I started blogging, I’ve used the last week of the year as an opportunity to reflect. It just wouldn’t be New Year’s if I didn’t share my annual year in review blog post!

2017 was been quite and eventful year for me – both personally and professionally. 2017 was tough for a lot of people and while it had its ups and downs, for me, it was a great year overall. Here’s some of the highlights that came to mind, in looking back on 2017:

Professional

From a professional standpoint, the last few years have been eventful. I guess that’s one of the ways I like to keep life interesting.

After quitting my job towards the end of 2016, I spent the majority of 2017 as a freelancer. As you can imagine, working as a full-time blogger and freelancer had a lot of perks. My hours were flexible, I had a lot of creative freedom, there was no commute, I’ve had more time to focus on side hustles like my trading apps uk, and I was my own boss. That being said, along with the perks came a lot of challenges. One of the biggest challenges I faced as a freelancer was the financial uncertainty. It was an endless balance between “feast” and “famine.” I didn’t like the pressure I felt to accept paid gigs just for the money, even if they weren’t the right fit. I also missed the social aspects of office work and that I didn’t have somewhere to be each day. With my trading side hustles, success came with a price. there’s a lot of strategy work when thinking if investing in something like the nz stock market will pay off.

Alas, in September, I started a new full-time job. It’s been a big adjustment, but I’m happy with the decision and believe it was the right move for me.

Relationship

One of the reasons 2017 was such a great year is because of the memories I created with my boyfriend, Matt. You guys know, I’ve had a pretty tumultuous dating life. I’ve tried Interracial Dating sites, blind dates, apps, hookups, nights out, all with different levels of success. But when I met Matt I knew he was special.

I tend to keep a lot of the personal details of my life private, so I don’t know if I’ve ever shared how we met! We connected on Bumble and had our first date in December 2016. Since we met so close to the end of the year, I didn’t want to “jinx” anything by mentioning him in my 2016 in review post. Over the years, I’ve gone on many first dates, so I didn’t go into it with high hopes. We liked each other enough to go on a second date…and a third…and over a year later, we’re still dating! Matt is one of the smartest, nicest, most thoughtful, and most genuine people I’ve ever met. We can spend a bunch of time together and not get sick of each other. It’s just as much fun to go on adventures with him as it is to sit and watch Netflix together. I don’t want to sound overly mushy, but he makes me very happy and I can’t wait to create more memories with him 🙂

Travel

I’m happy to report that 2017 was much better for travel than 2016 was. I travelled to some new parts of Ontario this year, as well as to Montreal and Vancouver. The company I work for is based in Vancouver, so I got to travel out there for our company retreat. Though I was only there for a short time, I loved it! I definitely plan to go back – hopefully this year.

The best travel experience of 2017 was definitely my trip to the Cayman Islands with Matt. We celebrated my 30th birthday down there and it was incredible. I honestly couldn’t think of a better way to have spent my birthday. Our trip was the perfect mix of relaxation, exploration, delicious food, and fun. And of course, the island is beautiful! We went snorkelling, hiking and exploring all across the island. One of the most memorable parts of the trip was our 7km kayak ride across the Caribbean Sea to swim with sting rays. We didn’t consider the strong winds or current that we’d face on the way back. It was many hours of hard labour, but totally worth it!

Blog

In 2017, I created a lot of content that I’m extremely proud of for both my blog and Instagram. I worked on some incredible campaigns with brands that I truly love and believe in. Bloggers get a lot of hate for “selling out,” so I hope I didn’t ever give off that impression!

The blogging industry changes a lot throughout the course of a year, and 2017 was no exception. For me and many others, the biggest struggle has been with Instagram. With the changes to the algorithm, it’s been a challenge both as a creator, and as a user. We all miss the chronological feed! I hate that I don’t see content from the accounts I follow – and that lots of people are missing out on mine. I’m very curious to see how the industry evolves in the upcoming year.

What do I have in store for the blog in 2018? Who knows! I’m still trying to figure that out. I’m hoping to do a website revamp, but we’ll see!

Happy New Year!! 🙂

See Also:
A Year in Review – 2016
My Favourite Outfits from 2015
Favourites from 2014