What. A. Year.

2018 was full of major milestones, amazing adventures and the best people.

The only word I can think of to sum up this year is: thankful.

This year was filled with major milestones for not only myself, but my whole family. My sister turned 21 and graduated from Chisholm Life Skills Center. My brother had his double digits birthday, 10 going on 30. My dad turned the big 5-0 so we threw a surprise party for him and filmed all the special people in his life sending him the best happy birthday wishes. We moved into a new, beautiful house. I celebrated a sixth year spent with my guy. I turned 23, which only means I have one year left before I get kicked off of my family YMCA membership. I got the most exciting news and found out my best friend is having a baby girl in May of 2019, making me an honorary aunt. And last but not least, I graduated from Wichita State University with my bachelor's degree in Integrated Marketing Communications and a minor in Women's Studies.

The year was also filled with so many fun adventures. As avid concert goers, Cody and I had one of the best years yet. We saw Kevin Hart, Russ, threw it way back with the Ying-Yang Twins (*twin, only one actually showed up), Petey Pablo and Chingy, and the saved the best for last--Migos and Drake. I went to my first NFL football game and watched the Chiefs beat the Cardinals. We saw the Jayhawks play and beat Tennessee in none other than the Brooklyn Nets arena.

I traveled near and far from places like Kansas City, Oklahoma City and Tulsa to Geneva, Switzerland and New York City. While in Geneva I worked the Aerion booth at the European Business Aviation Conference, where my grandpa was then CEO. I was able to see first-hand what he was hard at work developing and man, was it incredible. New York City was a dream come true. I have always dreamt of a Christmas-time trip to the big apple and it did not disappoint. The trip was filled with insane sights, absurd amounts of food and memories that will last Cody and me a lifetime.

I spent the year working at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society as a Campaign Specialist where I took on the first Students of the Year campaign in Wichita, raising over $60,000 for LLS. Working at LLS was a humbling, fulfilling experience where I got the chance to meet some incredible people and raise funds for an incredible cause, making it such a hard place to leave.

A lot of chapters were closed this year. I said goodbye to my time as a collegian in Gamma Phi Beta and closed out my time with my PC '14 sistas with a senior celebration. I took my last classes in the Elliott School of Communications and was awarded academic honors and a merit award for best IMC portfolio at our end of the year banquet. I said goodbye to the campus where I spent the last four years studying hard, eating Chic-Fil-A in the RSC, cheering on the Shockers and making some of my forever friends.

As 2018 comes to an end, I'm taking time to truly reflect all that this year has had to offer. The happy times, the sad times, the stressful times and the times that had me filled with tears from laughter have all taught me something different. The places I saw, the people I met and the memories I made have made it one of the most incredible years yet. I have grown this year without even realizing it. I've tried my best to practice self-care, wash my face twice a day and wear more sunscreen. The gym was a habit I've yet to nail down, but I'm adding that to the list for 2019. I've also found myself surrounded by the people who truly care and want the best for me. Next year I want to continue to build upon my growth with loving big, being mindful and cultivating the habit of being grateful, kind and present. 2018 will be hard to beat, but my hope for 2019 is that it's filled with incandescent happiness, personal growth and new adventures.

Here's to the indescribable feeling that is a fresh start! I'm coming for you 2019.