Just over a year ago, a lot of changes occurred in my life in a very short time. I graduated college, moved to a brand new state, ended a long-term relationship, and landed a summer job at my ideal company. It was a stressful time that was filled with a lot of questions and anxiety.
Will I get hired full-time? Will I have to find a new job? Do I need to move back home? How long can I live with my aunt and uncle rent-free? How will I make new friends? Will I be on the overnight shift long-term?
You get the idea.
But I decided I was not going to let this anxiety overcome me. Instead I was going to use these circumstances as an opportunity to grow into the adult I wanted to become. I was going to focus on self-growth, yeah it's cliche I know, but I hoped that this would help open doors to create a happier and more confident version of myself.
Thus the idea for "My Yes Year" was born.
The premise of a yes year is to say "yes" more often to things that you may otherwise would have said "no" to. Simple enough, right? While some aspects of My Yes Year were as simple as saying "yes" to things, there were other aspects I found more challenging. My goal of this year was to step outside my comfort zone and just live life! Again I know it sounds cliche, but I think this is very important to do. A big milestone in my life was when my dad passed away when I was 17. It shook me to the core and caused me to make a lot of changes. The biggest realization I had is the simple fact: we only get one, short life. And I intend to make the most of it. No matter what.
Through My Yes Year I planned to live out that statement by stepping outside my comfort zone more often. I wanted to live in the present and appreciate the people and things around me.
A lot of positives came out of My Yes Year and I want to share them with you here.
Note: I like to think that the consequences of My Yes Year are all positive, but there is one negative aspect of living your life to the fullest: money. Saying yes to more things often means spending more money, whether you are going out to eat with friends, traveling, or buying bath bombs for a night of self-care. I am not in debt from practicing My Yes Year, and there are many ways to have a Yes Year of your own without spending lots of money, but I need to find that happy medium.
Below is a list of my top "Yes Year" Moments from 2019. Maybe they will help you decide it's time to start your own Yes Year in 2020.
I started this blog!
I have always loved to take photos and videos, and usually all of my work was used for school projects or portfolios. However, since graduation I quickly realized...what am I going to do with all these images? I didn't want them to live on a hard drive forever, so I decided to start up a blog!
The blog has been a great hobby for me, even if I don't get a lot of views, because it has become a fun, creative outlet! It helps motivate me to go out and explore new places, take photos, and finish editing the videos sitting in my timeline, because now I have a place to put them. I have designed the blog to help me reflect on various experiences I have had throughout the past year. My Yes Year has helped me realize I love to travel and I really enjoy writing blogs on the places I have been and want to go. I am hoping the blog continues to help motivate me to go out and try new things in 2020!
Solo Trip to Ireland
Let's start with my biggest accomplishment of the year...a solo trip to Ireland! I was actually inspired by my friend Mira, who traveled solo to France the year before, and I realized this would be the best time to take a solo trip! I had paid vacation time that I needed to use, so why not use it on something worthwhile? So in March I booked my ticket to the Emerald Isle (I had to book it early so I wouldn't chicken out) and in September I spent 10 days touring the country my mom's family had come from. To read exactly what I did during my trip check out my Ireland blog series here.
This was definitely a trip of a lifetime and I highly recommend that everyone travel solo at some point in your life. And if I learned anything, it is that you are never too old to take a solo trip! Many people I met on my tours, who were in their late fifties and sixties, never got a chance to travel when they were younger so they decided to do it now! I found this very inspiring...it is never to late to cross something off your bucket list!
Moved into my first apartment
After living with family for a few months, in the fall of 2018 I finally landed a full-time job in my company, and decided it was time to move closer to work. Looking for an apartment can be very stressful, and I certainly was feeling the pressure. In Portland, apartments are very expensive, and fill up quickly. So if you find something you love you need to lock it down! I was super excited that I found a place I loved quickly and was able to sign my first lease in January of 2019. I finally had my own place!
It took me a while to get, and finance, everything I needed for my new place...(I slept on an air mattress for way longer than I should have). But I have been living in my apartment for one full year now and it finally feels like home!
I said "yes" more often when asked to hang out with friends
This helped strengthen relationships that I already had while creating new friendships at the same time. For example, a bunch of friends were interested in going to a big country concert up in Bangor. Although I am not the biggest fan of country music, I knew this would be a fun weekend trip and a perfect excuse to see friends I hadn't seen in months. So I booked my ticket and this ended up being one of the most memorable nights of the summer!
I also accepted more invitations to go out to eat, which wrecked a little havoc on my waistline and my bank account, but I ended up with great friends so...who cares!? 😬
Initiated hangouts, instead of waiting to be invited
Like most people, I often suffer from FOMO, the fear of missing out. I want to be invited to certain parties or events, but don't want to sound pushy by asking for invites. So I started being the person to make plans. Whether it was to invite a friend out to dinner, or to initiate a conversation with a new co-worker, I figured if I opened up to someone first, I could make new friends or strengthen the friendship that was already there.
The perfect example of this is how the friendship with my work BFF, Chloe, originated. I was friends with a lot of guys at work, because they happened to be on my shift, but hadn't really found a girl my age yet that I clicked with. Chloe had been working with us for a few weeks, but she was really quiet and kept to herself while working. So one day I decided introduce myself and basically said something along the lines of: "I think we should be friends!" It was very blunt, and usually not how I go about meeting people, but I figured why not!? We got talking and realized we had a lot in common and had a nice conversation. When our shift had wrapped up I had a text from Chloe asking if I wanted to grab a drink that night. Because we both decided to put ourselves out there in some way, a great friendship was born. (We both take credit for being the one to initiate the friendship, I'll let you decide).
Ran the Beach 2 Beacon, my first 10K!
For those who don't know me, I have never been much of a runner. Yes, I was a collegiate athlete but I was much more motivated to run when I was chasing down a soccer ball, rather than running for fun. I picked up running 5K's in college to help me stay in shape but I was never interested in running any farther than that. However, my work was a sponsor for the Beach 2 Beacon and thus we got a few free entires. Since I didn't have to pay to sign up I figured, why not, and I put my name in to run.
The training was exhausting through the summer. I had never run more than three miles at a time, so it took a lot for me to break that wall and get up to six miles. I started to run four times a week, which is something I would have dreaded in the past. On the day of the race I was extremely nervous that a cramp or tightness would bring me down, but I was able to finish the race in record time (for me), and found myself smiling along the way! I felt so accomplished when I crossed that finish line, that I decided I would run it again next year!
Cooked more often and tried new recipes
Since I was living on my own I really wanted to try and become a better cook. For Christmas of 2018, I had received a gift card to take a cooking class at the Stonewall Kitchen Cooking School in York, ME. This provided me a fun way to learn about new cooking techniques. To read about my experience at the Cooking School check out my blog here!
My goal was to cook at least once a week so I would have food prepped for work . I looked to Pinterest quite often and found a plethora of great (and healthy) recipes! I found that I actually really enjoyed cooking and I loved being able to have a home cooked meal everyday.
Traveled more, especially in my new hometown
One of my bigger goals in My Yes Year was to travel more. Although I had done my fair share of traveling in my lifetime, it never was a priority for me. I always used my time off in high school and college to work a second job or find an internship. So it was a rewarding feeling when I realized I can actually use my vacation time to take a vacation!
The thing about travel is that you can travel without ever leaving your home state...the trick is to go out and try something new! Go explore a new town, a new coffeeshop, or even just a new driving route one day. During this year I explored a few new places in Maine including, the World Traveler Sign, the Desert of Maine, and a bunch of new lighthouses across the state. I also did my fair share of out-of-state traveling including two trips to New York City, Washington D.C., and of course...Ireland.
Went to more local events
In keeping with the idea of exploring more of your own state, I decided to go to more local events in Portland as well. I went to a Mardi Gras Food Festival, participated in "Walk the Working Waterfront Day,"celebrated with friends during Saint Patrick's Day and Maine Maple Sunday, and attended the final Old Port Fest. I also went to a lot of concerts in the area, for both local and national groups.
(Tried to) care less about what people think of me
This was one of the hardest resolutions, and one that most people struggle with. We all want to be liked and sometimes mold our life to fit the expectations of others. Whether you are working a job to earn a lot of money instead of pursuing something you're passionate about, or whether you hide your interests because they differ from mainstream interests. It is difficult to step out and be different from the rest, but this is a very important step in becoming who you are! For example, I used to not tell people that I loved musicals because I didn't want to be deemed as "weird" or "nerdy." But when you express your interests you tend to find others who are interested in the same things, and great friendships are born. I also had a lot of people make fun of my blog when I started it. It definitely hurt my feelings at first, but I realized not everyone has to like everything you do. What mattered was that I enjoyed creating this blog, and that is why I continue to do it. And if people think I'm weird...oh well!
As part of my Yes Year, one of my goals has been to try something new each week. Whether that be eating at a new restaurant, traveling somewhere, or going to a new event, I am trying to get off my couch and exploring at least once a week! Here is a breakdown of each month's activities
January
Stonewall Kitchen Cooking Class
Moved into apartment
February
Met up with an old friend at a new coffeeshop
Went to my niece's hockey game
Recreated Stonewall Kitchen Recipes
March
Visited Bug Lighthouse
Mardi Gras Cajun Cooking Contest at USM
St Patrick's Day with Friends
Maine Maple Sunday
Gave blood for first time
April
SJC Alumni Soccer Game
Freelanced at PBA Bowling Tournament
Gem Show
Red's Eats for Easter with mom
May
Weekend in NYC Solo
World Traveler's Sign
June
PBA bowling
Walk the Working Waterfront
Old Port Fest
Weekend in NYC with Leia
Josh Groban Concert
July
Washington D.C. with mom
Florida Georgia Line Concert
Acadia National Park
Alumni Weekend at SJC - Facets of Haiti Screening
Paddleboarding
August
Beach to Beacon - First 10 K
Became a high school soccer referee
Cirque du Soleil Show
Baycycle
September
Desert of Maine
Solo Trip to Ireland!
October
Apple picking with NCM
Saw Rent in Boston
Halloween
November
Super Weekend Workout with Autumn Calabrese
Hozier Concert
First Craft Fair
December
Spend time with friends and family
Pemaquid Point Lighthouse
BoothBay Harbor Botanical Gardens Aglow
L.L. Bean at Christmas
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