{A Year Looking Back}

Because New Year's Eve is just around the corner, I figured I'd get a jump start on talking about all that I've learned in the past year, changes that were made, and lessons I've learned...blah, blah, blah. It's amazing what a year can do. The friendships that you had a year ago verses today, the new relationships and milestones that have entered your life and that you have reached, and the new goals that you seem to have set for yourself.In the past year, friendships have come and gone and I've started to understand the meaning of friendship...the underlying definition to be clear. Friendship isn't sharing a drink or sitting together in class, those scenarios are the beginning of a nice acquaintance relationship. Friendship comes when you meet someone randomly either through an occurrence, friendship, or other means and they are there for you and likewise, you for them. The friends that I have now are ones that I hope to have for a lifetime. Though few and far between, they all mean the world to me. A lesson I've learned about friendship is that it's better to have a few amazing friends than to have a lot of great acquaintances who, if the situation needed, would leave you in a heartbeat. The friends that have remained the past year or few have seen me through it all...the good and the bad. We have been through tiffs and struggles but I can't imagine going forward without the amazing people who had stood by my side. The past year has brought me my wonderful fiancé. A year ago I didn't have any idea who James was or who one my now best friends (who introduced us) was. It wasn't until an art class with my friend Rebecca, that James even started to have any knowledge of me. And it's amazing how a year can make a friendship blossom and grow. And a relationship mature and become something more special than anything you've ever known. I am very blessed for all that friendship and the relationship with James has brought me and look forward to everything 2014 has in store for our engagement and marriage. Over the past year, I finished my second and third semesters at Liberty after transferring from Virginia Commonwealth University. Each taught me something different. Spring semester taught me how to let loose a little again and fall semester counteracted that with me becoming focused on an internships with The Southern Blog Society (which I love) and with my job at The Farm Basket (an adorable Southern shop with good food, cute clothes, and great housewares...and more.) I have been so blessed to get these opportunities and am so very appreciative for the people who have given them to me. They took a leap of faith and allowed me the responsibility to manage certain areas and help to grow communities. My job at The Farm Basket allowed me to work my first ever holiday season in retail which I would deem successful. It wasn't easy but with the team I work with, it made it all go by quickly and with a bit of excitement. The team I work with provided me support when needed and guidance when I sought it. I couldn't be more blessed to be a part of it. Jessica and Cathy from SBS took a leap of faith in me by making me their first intern. They have been such a great set of bosses and I have learned so much at their hand and because of their blogs (My Style Vita & Poor Little It Girl.) I can't wait to see what 2014 has in store for both my job and my internship! Both are such big parts of my life and I can only hope for great things. It's funny how a year can go by and what you wanted for the future can totally change. Besides being engaged to James and planning the wedding, what I want career-wise after graduation has completely taken a 180. Instead of working entirely in the fashion industry as my major would indicate, I want to work as a social media manager. This job would allow me to manage different ends of social media for different companies and/ or showing companies how to set up and manage these pages on their own. I am good at this and I know how to help communities grow and once I graduate and can dedicate more time to social media, I know I would be amazing at it. Though this seems so common, it is really something not too many people have a nack for.  This time next year, I'll (if all goes as planned) be a college graduate and a wife. Crazy what can happen in a year right? What has happened in your year? xoBCC