2018 REFLECTION

It is 2019! Most are celebrating a new start and getting excited for the things to come. I am excited for all of these things, but some really amazing things happened in this last year…

I started a blog. AbbieKay.com became a creative and fun outlet for me to talk about some of my favorite things, life, travel, cosmetics, and FOOD! I am so excited to start on year two and continue my journey. I learned that blogging is a lot more than sitting down at a computer and writing. It takes work, believe it or not. You have to plan ahead on what want to talk about so that the blog has a good mix of topics. Things that look effortless usually are not effortless, trying to take crisp/clean photos of the process in a recipe is not easy! (LOL) Let’s be honest, we all make a mess while cooking.

Being creative is SO fun but can be challenging, it’s all about balancing the right amount of work to fun ratio. If my blog becomes way too much work so that it’s not fun anymore, I’m not doing it right, and I’m no longer continuing the blog for the same reason I started it. I had been wanting to start a blog for so long but didn’t know where to start, I was also worried about what others would think of me. I finally stepped out of my comfort zone, and said “to hell with what people think, I am doing this!”

I started a new job. This was a HUGE step for me, I learned a lot about myself in the job search process. It can be so difficult to be confident when you get rejected interview after interview. Through all of the work and frustration, I maintained my composure to find the job I absolutely love; in the end it all worked out the way it was supposed to. I am still a Marketing Coordinator, but do more of the tasks I enjoy, such as: social media, website/graphic design, event planning, networking, and branded apparel/swag planning. I really love my job and am excited to see where it takes me.

I moved to Chicago. This is the first time I have ever lived anywhere other than Nebraska, it was crazy to leave all of my family and my friends behind to further my life/career. It is only an 8 hour drive and a 1 hour flight away, but nonetheless leaving was a bittersweet moment. Home sickness comes and goes, Chicago always has something fun going on and that helps tremendously. One challenge I have faced is finding new friends as an adult, in a new city. I don’t have any High school or College friends living here, so that makes it a little difficult. Thankfully, I have met a few friends through work and through other networking.

Not only did I move to Chicago, my long-term boyfriend and I moved in together. This could be a whole blog topic in itself… so I will keep it short. I have lived by myself for the last 5 years, and I loved it! Sharing every space with someone else is very different and takes some getting used to. If you are moving in with anyone, make sure you really love being around that person… because they don’t go away when you want alone time. I love my new living situation, so much so that we are buying a condo. But it didn’t start out that way, we obviously love each other but living together is a huge step. It takes a lot of patience and understanding. I am so excited that we took this step in our relationship and can’t wait to see what the future holds.

I sold my car. I had to make an adult decision and sell my car. I ride public transit everyday, I couldn’t justify the expense of keeping a car I never used. If you live in a big city, then you know how outrageous parking and insurance is. This was a heartbreaking decision, I saved and saved for this car. But it was time to let it go, I had to make the financial decision and not an emotional decision to sell it. This was a big “adulting” step for me.  

I reached 1k followers. I know this may not seem like a big deal, when so many other bloggers have hundred’s of thousand’s of followers, but it is a start! I have some great goals set for the next year and can’t wait to set out to achieve them!

My first collab! I had a collaboration with a few brands this last year, I was beyond excited when I was accepted as a Vestique Ambassador, then when a few other brands reached out to work together, I felt so blessed. To those of you who follow and support me, thank you so much! Sharing ideas and inspo really makes this whole blogging and social life so much more fun!

I have so many goals and aspirations for this next year, I can’t wait to share it all with you. I am working on balancing my work life, my blogging life, and my personal life.

What are your great aspirations for the next year? What have you achieved in this last year? I can’t wait to read your response in the comments below!