The new year is approaching, which means it’s time to reflect. Like I said in one of my previous posts, a lot happens in a year. You know, there’s always the good, the bad, and the dull moments in-between. While thinking about everything that’s happened this year, the positive memories are the ones that stick with me the most. So, here’s a recap of 10 awesome things that happened in my life in 2017.
1. I became a cat mom.
I got my own furry bundle of joy in June. He actually came from my parent’s acreage. One of our cats usually had two litters a year, and Fritz was the last little guy left. I had always thought about getting a cat—obviously—I was just always a little hesitant. Being a young adult, I wanted to make sure I was ready for the commitment. Once my mom threw out the idea of me taking him, that’s all I could think about!
2. I became an aunt for the first time.
Being an aunt is SO amazing and rewarding. Emilia joined our family on July 12th at 3:55 p.m. I’ll never forget the day! I drove from Des Moines to Lincoln just for the day to meet her right when she was born. I’m obsessed and can’t wait for Kali to have more and my sister Megan to have her first (what are you guys waiting for!?).
3. I hiked through the Grand Canyon at Havasupai.
In late July, I took a trip with a few friends to the Havasupai Indian Reservation in Arizona. It was something none of us had done before—about 25 miles of hiking round trip. Great people, the outdoors, crystal clear waterfalls, and beautiful scenery. I would highly suggest this trip to anyone! You can read about my whole trip here.
4. I rocked out at Lollapalooza.
A large festival like Lollapalooza was something that was always on my bucket list. My sister Megan was actually the one who finally said let’s just do it! Her, our friend Danielle, and I bought 4-day passes. We have a friend that lives in the suburbs, so we stayed there. It was a lot of fun, but I learned that going three days in a row might be a little too much (at least it was for us!). I got to see Blink 182, Lorde, The XX, Cage the Elephant, The Head and The Heart, Rae Sremmurd, Glass Animals, Vance Joy, Tegan and Sara, Jon Bellion, and Kaleo. Unfortunately, I had to miss out on seeing some artists/bands I also really wanted to see because so many concerts were going on at the same time.
5. I took a girl’s trip to Denver.
Over Labor Day weekend, some of my girlfriends and I took a trip out to Denver to see one of our good friends. The extended weekend was filled with craft beers, a Broncos football game, a Rockies game, laughing, exploring, eating (lots of eating), and going out. It was great to have a lot of my friends together in a new place! You can read about the full trip here.
6. I started a new job.
I started at my current position as an Associate Content Manager at Meredith Xcelerated Marketing right after Labor Day weekend. Leaving Casey’s was hard to do and a very bittersweet experience. This has been such a positive for me because I feel like I’m learning and growing so much as a young professional in my first year of working!
7. I saw one of my favorite bands and artists in concert again.
Besides Lolla, I did go to a lot of concerts in 2017, but these two were my other favorites. In March, I got to see The Lumineers in concert for the second time. The show was in Des Moines at Wells Fargo Arena and I went with my sisters. Of course, it was an amazing show—I’d expect nothing less! Then, in August I got to see one of my other favorite artists, Gregory Alan Isakov, in Des Moines at Wooly’s. My friends and I made sure to get there extra early so we could be front and center—yeah, I’m one of those people. This, too, was an amazing show. This was my third time seeing Gregory, and first time seeing Blind Pilot, who opened for him.
8. Blogging became a part of my life again.
Shelbierenee.com was born in late September. Some of you know, I used to blog with my two sisters, but life got busy and the blogging slowly stopped. I had always wanted to continue, but wanted to make sure to start again when I knew I would have time to dedicate to it. And here we are!
9. I took a trip to LA.
My friend Emily and I took a trip out to Cali in November to see some of our good hometown friends. We went to concerts, attended a Gala that Usher was at, hiked, went out on the town, and best of all, got to catch up with our friends we don’t get to see all that often. That’s the third time I’ve visited and it’s always a blast. I think it needs to become an annual thing! You can read about the full trip here.
10. I bought a new car.
So, this just happened about a week ago! For those of you who don’t know me personally, I’ve driven the same car for the past eight years. Let’s just say it was time for an upgrade.
Closing the book on 2017 is kind of bittersweet. But I'm ready for all of the great things 2018 will bring. Happy New Year to you and yours!
Shelbie Renee
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