Looking Back on 2015

I started this post on January 1, 2015, knowing how difficult it was to put together my 2014 post, but I have not been as good about updating it with significant events in the 364 days that followed, unfortunately. (So much for the foresight to avoid my current struggle.) Despite that, I can still tell you a lot of really big things that happened in 2015 because it was a significantly eventful year for me.

In the interest of time, here are some things I did in 2015 (without accompanying photos) (for now):

Took the GMAT after 15 days’ notice
Got into graduate school
- Withdrew my enrollment from graduate school so that I could say yes to a different opportunity
Reunited with my friend Tammy after having not seen her for over 10 years
- And again the day after Christmas! Meaning I saw her 2 times in 2015, which is 2 times more than the past 10 years combined!
Survived Valentine’s Day
- Cooked a surf ‘n’ turf meal of steak & crabcakes from scratch
- Attended a really kick-butt Valentine’s Day party
- Hit a bus (at ~3 mph)
- Saw a tree fall
Watched 50 Shades: The Musical Parody at the Warner Theater
Attended my first ever Instameet, courtesy of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Watched Anything Goes at the Warner Theater
Saw Chelsea Clinton at the American Heart Association ball
Met and had my copy of The Buried Giant signed by Kazuo Ishiguro
Listened to the NSO Pops and Lea Salonga perform live at the Kennedy Center
Saw my friends Megan and Don get engaged
Proved that blog friends are real friends when Christine and Karen visited
Went to Florida for my first proper spring break, stopping by:
- Fort Lauderdale
- Key West
- Sarasota
- Disney World
Started a new job with an exciting new DC startup
- Left that job
Watched Once at the Kennedy Center
Moved my stuff to Ben’s place
Ran my first Color Run (belated blog post to come shortly)
Resumed eating chips!
Attended Diner en Blanc DC
Saw Bo Burnham at the Lincoln Theater
Saw Stromae at Echostage
Started a full-time web development boot camp
Got food poisoning for the first time

I’m sure there are more significant events that happened in 2015 that I just never got around to writing down here. It’ll be March and I’ll suddenly jerk away with the realization that I actually did something super wicked awesome and need to put it on this recap before I forget it forever!!

As far as reflections on 2015… I’m glad that I was able to attend so many live performances! These experiences can get expensive but the Kennedy Center has made them so much more affordable than I previously thought possible. Definitely take advantage if you are 18-30 and/or active military! I really did try to say “yes” to more experiences this year, given how well that went for me in 2013 and how I felt the effects of not doing so in 2014. It definitely doesn’t hurt, although being a student and paying tuition did put a damper on saying yes to as many of these experiences.

It quieted down towards the end of the year when I started my full-time boot camp. But I’m really excited for what 2016 will hold because I am entering a new field and there are just so many new opportunities opening up for me. I just have to be brave enough to go for them.