2018, it’s been real and a little too real if you ask me. Usually, I’m sad to see a year go, along with its unique trends and quirks, but I think I’m ready to part ways with 2018. I’ve never been more exhausted, overwhelmed and astonished then I’ve been in 2018. This was one of Matt and I’s most challenging years, to say the least, yet I feel like we’ve been placed in such a good position as we head into 2019 that I can’t help but look back and thank 2018 for pushing us to be where we are today. 

On that note, I have to wrap up 2018 by thanking YOU and every member of our TCC Crew current and past. Since our move back to New England, we’ve been able to refocus on crew members, meet so many of our readers in person and often get joyful honks and screams from readers as they drive by our photoshoots. Each honk, wave, and meet-up means so much to me because I wouldn’t be able to do any of this without your support. So on that note, thank you and buckle your seatbelts because I can feel that 2019 is going to be our best year yet! 

Now before I get ahead of myself with 2019 goals, here’s a recap of what happened in 2018: 

January:

In January, Matt and I headed back to Dallas with the uncertainty of when we’d be moving back to New England, or if we’d have the opportunity to move back in 2018 at all. As we started to spend more time in Dallas we decided to make the most of whatever time we had left in this southern city. We shared our guide to the Districts of Dallas in the post, along with our favorite fried chicken restaurants to visit when in Dallas as seen in this post. As we started to carve out our 2018 routine in Dallas, Matt and I woke up on January 15th to a few water stains on our ceiling, and within hours were dealing with a completely flooded apartment. We soon had to move out of our apartment and live in a hotel for over three weeks, as we waiting for our apartment complex to fix our unit and allow us to move back in. To read about the flood and why you need renters insurance, head over to this post…it’s a good one! 

February:

After feeling out of sorts, without a home, and overwhelmed with our flooded start to 2018; Matt and I decided to literally run away for a weekend. We had a few extra Southwest points saved up, and we quickly decided to visit my college friends in the beautiful city of San Fransisco. We booked a photographer, local to the area, and figured this trip would be the perfect opportunity to shoot our Valentine’s Day content in one of the most romantic cities. While out shooting, our photographer’s car got broken into resulting in ALL of our luggage, along with the entire first half of our photoshoot day images, got stolen. Matt and I felt like we were being kicked while down, and while we still had a great trip, we were definitely feeling the worst of luck with the beginning of 2018. Read our 48 Hours In San Francisco Guide here or watch our San Francisco Vlog where we share all the details about our stolen luggage here. 

March:

With a rocky start to the year, my Mom and I decided to travel to one of our bucket list cities, Charleston. Originially we planned a week long stay, but due to a freak March snowstorm, we ended up having to shorten our trip to four days. We spent our time in Charleston exploring the cities’ coffee shops, resturants and Southern Charm routine shooting spots. It was such a fun trip and if you’re planning on heading to Charleston this year, make sure to check out our Charleston Spring Break Itinerary  or watch our Charleston Travel Vlog here.

April: 

In April, my family and Matt’s family decided to do a joint vacation to Costa Rica! It was an adventure to say the least and a much needed distraction as Matt and I fretted over when we’d get notified of his transfere and where we could end up. If you’re interested in visiting Costa Rica in 2019, I highly recomend checking out this blog post and this one where we share our vacation vlog! 

May:

In May the fretting stopped and the moving began. Within three weeks we found out that we were being relocated back to Connecticut (phew, as options like Seattle, California and Rhode Island were all being mentioned at the time). With the exciting promise of being home with our families for good, we quickly packed up our stuff and headed back east. Matt had me leave in May to start looking for homes and living options as he wrapped up working in Dallas. While at home Tessa and I took advantage of our time together and filmed several hit Youtube videos including, 5 ways to wear a silk scarf in your hair and what to plant in your New England summer garden. 

June: 

In June I turned twenty four and visited some of my favorite New England summer cities like Mystic, Stonington and Newport. See our New Engalnder’s Gudie to Newport here !

July: 

In July, Matt and I officially announced our move and left Dallas. It was an exciting, stressful and exhilarating time. I drove my car from Texas back to Connecticut, in May for the final time, and flew back in July to Dallas to say bye to the great state of Texas with Matt. To add stress and excitement to this situation, our move, which was organized by Matt’s company, was scheduled on the exact same day, of our family’s planned European cruise. My parents had planned this vacation two years prior, and it just so happened that our red-eye flight to Barcelona was the same day as our move. So in the blink of an eye, we were moved out of Dallas and landing in Barcelona. Read about our trip to Barcelona here and our European cruise here. 

August: 

In August, I landed in JFK after two weeks in Europe and headed straight to Nantucket for a sponsored trip with the PopSugar Team. It was my first sponsored trip and first time ever going to Nantucket, so I was actually nervous. You can watch my Weekend In Nantucket Vlog here. It was way outside of my comfort zone, but that kind of seems to be the theme of the year, and I am so happy this year pushed me to fill up my schedule, meet new people and travel for work. It was a pinch-me moment for sure. 

September: 

Fall,..This was Matt and I’s first fall back in many, many years so we were beyond thrilled. Between trips to Gilette Stadium to having the opportunity to explore Provincetown, Cape Cod; this month was by far my busiest. All and all, Matt and I juggled searching for a new home, while getting into a routine at our parent’s homes. Oh boy though, Matt and I are so grateful to our parents for letting us move back in with them. Especially as closing on our frist home took way longer than anticipated, but more on that to come soon. 

October: 

In October 2018 raised the stakes again. Matt and I closed on our first house and took the train into NYC for a Good Housekeeping Event all within the same day, UNREAL. We landed dream collaborations and decided to take on a true blue fixer-upper, all within my busiest time of the year. To say I was overwhelmed was an understatement. Thank gosh for Tessa, Robbin and her team at RPR for helping me stay on task and produce the quality content I set out to create. On that note, I’m definitely thinking about taking on a part-time copywriter, editor or assistant in 2018. With our house project speeding up, I’m already falling behind and 2019 hasn’t even started; however, I have to say I’m beyond thankful for these growing pains in my business and life.

November: 

I blinked and November was over. It was my busiest month to date, and I’m so thankful for that. I finally felt like I had the financial means within my business, to hire freelancers to help with areas like invoicing, graphic design and video editing. Woot Woot. 

December: 

It’s the most wonderful time of the year and the best way to end 2018! With our house in full renovation and a move in date of early February we are beyond excited to bring you all along for 2019! With that being said, below I’ve linked some of my favorite purchases from 2018 and in terms of 2019 goals…head over to Instagram for all the details. HAPPY 2019! 

Shop This Post: