Year In Review - In Adventures!

Hello blog followers! I apologize in advance for the weird formatting of this post. I'm not sure what happened with it or how to fix it.     As the year comes to an end, I've been thinking about all that has happened: I graduated high school, had my first (and second) job, and I've made plans to go to Europe! And even though not everything this year has gone as planned, I am still pleased to have done all that I have and accomplished so much.     The past two years I've done a memory jar, writing a little something each day for the entire year, but this year I decided to skip it because although it is rewarding on New Year's Eve, it takes a lot of work. So, this year, sticking with the adventure theme of the blog, I've decided to do a mini year in review looking back at all the trips that I took and some other events from this year. So without further ado... January - The only travel adventure I can think of for January is spending New Year's Eve and day with some friends  in Twin Springs, Idaho. We laughed, played games, and stayed up really late having fun and going through my 2017 memory jar.     Another January event: The beginning of helping 4th-6th graders in an after school program to put on a production of Macbeth! All of the kids, although sometimes a handful, were really fun to hangout with and it was cool to see them all grow into little actors. I can't wait to help out with the program again this year! This year's play will be The Tempest. Shake It Up cast and crew 2018     I also started my biology class big research paper/project this month and helped a friend with a video clip assignment. Good times! February - No travel adventures this month that I can think of... But I did finish some big class projects! March - One of my favorite adventures: New Orleans!!! We got the chance to spend a week in New Orleans, and it was AMAZING!!! The humidity was not my hair's friend, but it was so worth it. We went on a bus tour of the city, went to the zoo, walked around town, and had fun exploring. We walked through Jackson Square, went to Audubon Zoo, tried some delicious food, including beignets, and even got to listen to a little jazz. Definitely somewhere I will be going again. :) April - Yet another month with no big travel plans...     Some highlights though: LOTS of filling out job applications, a few birthdays I helped celebrate, and...     Okay, so some years you forget that you have a gingerbread house to make, and then it's past Christmas. Does anyone else save them and decorate them for a different holiday, or is that just me and my family?     A few years ago we forgot to do our mini gingerbread houses in December, and around Valentine's Day we remembered that we had them, so we decorated them with candy hearts and other pink and red candies to make love shacks!     This year the same thing happened, we forgot to decorate in December, and then February...so instead we made what we ended up calling a Bunny Bungalow for Easter! We used peeps and pastel colored candy and even dyed rice to make spring time grass. Procrastination/forgetfulness at its best. :P May - Ah, the stress of exams. Gotta love it. I'll admit that I was stressing for no good reason, though. Hopefully those exam studying and taking skills transfer over with me when I start college.     Sort of a mini adventure: Senior Skip Day! As a class we decided to spend the day out at Sandy Point Beach. We had a little potluck, did some swimming and paddle boarding, played Spike Ball and threw a frisbee, and just sat back, enjoyed the sun and chatted. June - Celebrating my birthday, getting my first job, hanging out with friends that would be off to college in the fall or moving out of town, aaaaand....     I GRADUATED!!! Walking across that stage to receive my high school diploma was an incredible feeling. I did it. All of my hard work through elementary, middle and high school had paid off, and I was surrounded by family, friends and teachers that had loved and supported me along the way. It was bittersweet, knowing that it would be the last time that I would see all of my classmates in the same room and spend time with all of them. My little school family for the past eight years. I will always look back at high school and miss them. My Class of 2018 (I'm at the far left with the flower lei) July - The adventure of working! I worked long, hot, late shifts at the water park. All. Summer. Long. Good that I was making money! Bad that it wasn't my favorite job. But hey, you can't have the rainbow without the rain.     I also got to see more friends that would be going away to college, went to a s'mores party, and celebrated doing well on my exams! August - Outdoor movie night at the botanical gardens, the end of working at the water park and the beginning of working at Target, and coming up with the idea of creating this blog!!     I also got to see my lovely actress friend perform in a variety of scenes in a Shakespeare showcase after she had spent the summer apprenticing for the Idaho Shakespeare Festival.     Seeing everyone else my age going off to college and posting pictures of their dorm rooms was hard to see and made me feel a little gloomy, and not going back to school felt weird, but I got through it and reminded myself that by taking a gap year I'm giving myself freedom and time to figure out things. And I'll get there when I get there. :) September - Jason Mraz concert with my dad, created this blog, first blog post, and, as you already know, Seattle trip with my mom!! October - Reconnecting with an old friend, Halloween dress up fun and pumpkin carving, family trip to see Amanda Palmer and Neil Gaiman, and Silver Falls camping trip. November - Hanging out with a few friends that were in town for Thanksgiving break, talking to a travel agent about my Europe trip plans, thankfully I didn't have to work Thanksgiving or Black Friday, my uncle came to town for Thanksgiving, beating a nasty cold that I had for 3-4 weeks, creating my Patreon page and gaining two Patrons, building the LEGO Hogwarts castle, and having the opportunity to go to the Idaho Songwriters Association forum at The Sapphire Room. December - Present buying and wrapping, watching Christmas movies (including Die Hard 1 & 2 and Lethal Weapon), listening to Christmas music, giving and receiving gifts from friends, I gained two more Patrons (as of today), emailing and receiving responses from WorkAway hosts (more on that in my next post in the new year!), and, of course, putting up all the Christmas decorations. The Christmas highlights: I got a pair of headphones that will be nice for travelling, a Wilderness Explorer hat from the movie Up, and a diffuser and a nice new quilt that has peacocks on it, both of which will be in my dorm room when I go to college in the fall!     This month I also got to go on a weekend trip with my best friends to McCall!! It was nice to get out of town for a few days and have fun with my girlies. We went tubing, ate yummy junk food, watched some movies, exchanged gifts, stayed up late playing card games, and crafted, looming hats and crocheting blankets.     There ya have it: Zoe's (almost complete) 2018! I can't wait to see what will happen in 2019! It's going to be an exciting year: a solo Europe trip, some summer camping trips, starting my first year of college at BSU, and whatever else comes my way.     Since this is the last post of 2018, it only seems appropriate to end it with some new year resolutions. In 2019 I hope to read more, laugh harder, try something new every month, and go on many amazing adventures, travelling or not. Because everything is an adventure in its own way. See you in 2019!!!