This year was a real doozy. I entered into it with the utmost confidence and optimism, convinced that 2018 was going to be my best year yet. 26, set to head out on some of my biggest and greatest travel adventures, finally able to run like a somewhat normal person again. I had a brand-new planner, brand new pens, and was scribbling in upcoming flights and road races like a madwoman. I was planning how to broach the subject of leaving work for a while to my manager, and as the early months of the year wore on, my mind was steadily replacing the intricacies of data analysis with thoughts of itineraries, experiences, and, most importantly, all I was going to eat.
And then, of course, reality socked me in the gut, my hopes and dreams screeching to an unforeseen halt. I had put my house on Airbnb, and inconsiderate guests left me with an exorbitant repair bill. A tree fell into my yard, crushing my fence and leaving me without wifi for weeks. My boyfriend called me while I was in New Zealand to tell me that he had been carjacked at gunpoint, while driving my car. I had more than my fair share of tears, getting angry, feeling resentments. My favorite shoes, along with all my cross country gear from high school, had been in the trunk of my car, all gone. I was looking at a deductible I didn’t know if I could afford.
I had envisioned a year full of excitement, love, and joy. The universe threw a wrench into my plans, as it tends to do, and I realized, finally, that things aren’t always fair. Sometimes you can’t plan everything, you have to roll with the punches, and that’s okay. In truth, I finished out the year feeling nothing if not exceedingly fortunate to have been afforded all the opportunities of 2018. If I can look back on my year and feel that I have transformed as a person, even if only by a little, then I should consider the year a roaring success.
Here are my favorite highlights of 2018. Excuse me for a second while I brag about my year. Cheers to 2019!
January
1. Went on the longest brewery crawl ever in Beer Town, USA
Okay, maybe not THE longest, but being out drinking for nearly 12 hours at 8 different breweries certainly felt like somewhat of an accomplishment (especially since it was one of the only times I drank all year long). Asheville, North Carolina is known for having the most breweries per capita in the entire United States, and every year alternative hipsters travel there to indulge in a day (or entire weekend) of brewery hopping to taste some of the best craft beers in the country. To be clear, we are not interesting, alternative, or hipsters, but our time in Asheville was definitely a perfect way to start the year out right.
February
2. Finally saw Wicked
Being enthralled with musicals is probably one of the lesser known tidbits in Robin trivia, but cozying into the plush seats of a beautiful theater is exactly my cup of tea. I blame my grandmother, who brought me along with her to community theater when I was young, and encouraged me to partake in many theater camps over my summer breaks. After longing to be in the audience of a performance of Wicked for over a decade, I finally got the opportunity when my college friend Olivia invited me to Pittsburgh for the weekend for an off-Broadway production. It was everything I had hoped; I stared at the stage in awe unblinkingly for two straight hours. I spent the entire drive home singing Defying Gravity as loudly as I could and realizing I would never be on Broadway.
March
3. Got a promotion
2018 marked the 3-year anniversary of my first day at my consulting company as a data analyst, and I was surprised at my year-end review with a promotion to a senior position. Being naturally repelled by praise, and uncomfortable with unsanctioned attention, I had to hold myself together and try not to cry.
April
4. Started my leave of absence from work
I actually did cry here. When I went to my manager to inform him of my intention to quit so that I could travel the world like an irresponsible bohemian (unfortunately, mere weeks after my surprise promotion, which was terrible timing), his reaction was even less favorable than I had anticipated. It wasn’t quite anger, but it was such deep, crushing disappointment that I immediately left the meeting to call my mom and sob. Yes, even at 26.
A week later, I received an email from him that changed everything. It turned out that my manager was flexible, and we negotiated a six month leave of absence in lieu of leaving the company for good. And so began the most thrilling six months of my life.
5. Visited Ireland
Ireland has always been a remote dream. The expansive greenery, the Guinness pints, the sexy accents: it all seemed too perfect a place to be true. Upon leaving work on my last day, and bidding farewell to all my jealous colleagues, I headed straight to the airport to catch a flight to Dublin. It only seemed fitting that my first destination would be the destination of my dreams.
Ireland did not, in fact, disappoint. It took a little adapting, but I had rented a car and was driving on the left side of the road like a pro in no time, jetting off to all the best places Ireland had to offer. I was lucky enough to spend the weekend with one of my best high school friends who had recently moved to England, to drink beer in some of the Irishest pubs with some of the Irishest people you could imagine, and to see the most beautiful landscapes in the entire world.
6. Traveled to obscure places with old friends
My friend Rachel and I had been discussing traveling abroad somewhere for years, and we finally decided to do it this year. It was long overdue. Norway was our top choice, but due to the expense, we decided to go with the random-ass country of Slovenia (and I mean absolutely no offense to Slovenia, but I’m pretty sure I couldn’t even find it on a map a year ago).
Rachel and I, along with our friend Elise, met in Munich and embarked on a 2-week long Slovenian road trip, hitting everywhere from emerald green rivers, breathtaking mountains, serene lakes, and sunny, seaside towns. If ever given the chance, Slovenia is the place to be. The sheer variety of things to do in such a tiny country is mind-blowing (and doing it with two of your best friends makes it all the better). We’ve already discussed going back.
May
7. Traveled overseas with my sister for the first time
I will just start by saying that my little sister is the best person in the world. She’s been my closest ally and confidante for 22 years and counting, and I don’t know what I would do without her. Seeing her graduate from the University of Maryland in the spring, with a double degree in Psychology and Criminology, at the top of her class, made me feel like a proud papa. For years we’d been planning a giant trip through Australia and New Zealand, and the fact that it was finally time to set off to Melbourne was bananas.
Meredith and I had driven across the country in 2015 when I moved from Arizona to Washington DC, making a pitstop in Toronto for a weekend, and had gone on a family trip to Peru as kids, but this was our first trip overseas together, just the two of us, and it was a trip that we will probably still be talking about when we’re 80.
8. Took a road trip through Tasmania
If you’re wondering where the best place to go in Australia is, it’s Tasmania. It’s by far Australia’s most beautiful state, it’s a hiker’s paradise, and getting around the tiny island by car is a breeze. I think Tas is often overlooked by people who head straight to Sydney or Melbourne or Perth when traveling to Australia, and I am so glad that we tacked it onto our shoddy little itinerary.
9. Snorkeled in the Great Barrier Reef
An item that is most likely on everyone’s bucket list: the Great Barrier Reef. Getting to see the Reef is a real treat, especially since the damage caused to it by pollution and climate change has really deteriorated the coral and diminished the wildlife at an alarming rate. Efforts are being made to preserve and rebuild the Reef, but it is not expected to get back to what it once was.
Despite the faded colors and the limited fish, the day we spent on the Great Barrier Reef was one of the best of my year (possibly my life…is it dramatic to say that?), and we were lucky to have seen the largest living thing on Earth.
June
10. Went bungy jumping
HOLY CRIPES. Everyone knows that bungy jumping is going to be terrifying; even I was fully expecting to be scared shitless. But it isn’t until you shuffle to the edge of the platform and hear the whispers of the boys who strapped you in, encouraging you to jump, counting down for you, that you realize how absolutely, truly INSANE you’re being. Everything inside of you is telling you that you are an idiot and are likely about to die. But the adrenaline high lasted for days.
11. Devoured sushi and ramen in Tokyo
I could write a 500 page book on how enamored I am with Japanese cuisine, but I’ll spare you the intimate details. I thought that eating at a Japanese steakhouse in America was a sensual experience, so you can only imagine how I felt sitting down with freshly-made sashimi in ACTUAL GODDANG JAPAN. Our trip to Tokyo was more like a 3-day food tour of the city. Good thing it was only 3 days, because otherwise, we would have come back perfectly spherical.
12. Visited and raced in Alaska
Our aunt, my mother’s sister, has lived in Alaska for 15 years and we had yet to visit once. On our way back from Oceania and Japan, Meredith and I met our mom and brothers in Anchorage to finally see what The Last Frontier is all about. I am a mountain girl at heart, so it was heaven on Earth for me. The sun never sets, and you find yourself sitting around outside, enjoying the cool evening, at midnight, dazed and confused about what day it is. A horrific and relentless tonsil infection struck me down while in Alaska (more crying to my mom, IF YOU CAN BELIEVE IT), but luckily not before I ran a half marathon with 20 pounds of sushi in my belly and hiked through Anchorage’s stunning peaks.
July
13. Celebrated our 1 year anniversary
I won’t sit here and say that my Travis and I don’t have our fair share of issues. We bicker, we argue, we full-out fight. We both have a lot of growth yet to achieve. But there is never a time when we don’t come back and talk it through, and emerge on the other side even stronger than before. He has changed so much this year, and so have I, and I think that we make each other better every day. He is insightful and wise, complements me so well, and is one of my favorite people to do nothing with.
We celebrated our one-year anniversary in July, and I love him now more than ever (it doesn’t hurt that he cooks all our meals and is the handsomest man I have ever seen with my own two eyeballs).
September
14. Saw the Pyramids of Giza
After a couple months staying at home watching dogs to earn money (who knew that taking six months off from work and traveling all over the globe was going to deplete your funds so fast?? Probably most people, but I was naive, as always), I started planning my next big trip. There wasn’t even a question in my mind that I wanted to visit the Middle East, and despite my mother’s pleading to pick somewhere a little bit less treacherous, I was determined to make it happen.
Egypt has been on my list for a long time, but actually being there was completely surreal. I was nervous but excited, and leaving the airport felt like an out-of-body experience. And seeing the Pyramids of Giza? One of the coolest things I’ve ever done.
15. Floated in the Dead Sea
September was the month of the bucket list. Warmer and slimier than I expected, floating in the Dead Sea was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Even the stinging in my crotch due to my ill-advised bikini line shaving from the night before wasn’t enough to keep me from enjoying it.
16. Ate my way through Istanbul
There’s a reason that Turkey is said to have the best food in the world. I was mostly just excited to see what all the hype around Turkish delight was (having been curious since reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in second grade); little did I know I’d also be devouring stuffed mussels, kebab, and apple tea like it was my last day on Earth.
October
17. Ran my first marathon in 3 years
October 2015, Long Beach, California: the last time I finished 26.2 miles, blissfully unaware of the impending shit-storm I was about to endure. I was in the best shape of my life, and I felt invincible, neglecting my feet and joints because, frankly, stretching after each and every run is a pain in the asshole.
December 2015, Washington, DC: the first time I felt a twinge of pain in my foot, which was ultimately diagnosed as sesamoiditis and didn’t dissipate for months. From that day forward, I did not have a single healthy day for years, the injury working its way up from my foot to my ankle to my knee. Nothing was working, and it felt like nothing was ever going to work again.
2017 was the first year where I started to get my bearings again. I ran my first half marathon and could walk the next day (barely). When my mom suggested running a full marathon this year, I shrugged and said sure. What’s there to lose? I am already practically an invalid and my competitive running days are clearly behind me.
The day of the marathon, I felt so free. I ran slowly, but I ran with purpose, and we reached mile 20, mile 22, mile 24, and I wasn’t slowing down. Crossing the finish line was the most euphoric moment I can remember in a long time. After years of being told, by others and by myself, that I’d never finish another marathon, one of my favorite distances to run, I had done it, and I am only looking forward now to doing more.
November
18. Ran my first half marathon pain-free
Last year I ran this same half marathon, and when I finished, I limped to the car, my knee crying in agony. My half marathon in Alaska was the same, but not quite as harrowing. My half marathon in November of 2018, however, was a miracle. I finished in the fastest I’ve ever run the distance, and my knee felt fine. Actually, it felt totally normal. For a few minutes, I actually forgot that I’ve been an effective cripple for what’s felt like decades. All it took was time.
If I’ve learned anything this year, it’s that patience is a virtue. It’s a cliche, but it is important to acknowledge. Not everything will go your way, not all your plans will fall into place like puzzle pieces. It might take 3 full years to feel alright again after an injury. It might take months to dig yourself out of debt incurred from reckless traveling and an ill-fated grand theft auto. But everything will pass. And while you’re waiting, it’s nice to enjoy the ride and remind yourself that there are so many things to be thankful for.
