Hey everyone! I’m so sorry I haven’t been able to update this in a long time, but it’s because I’ve been so busy! One of my goals for 2018 is to write more, so I hope you’ll enjoy this quick recap of some of my highlights from the past year.

New Years in Boston

I got to ring in 2017 with some of my best friends in a beautiful city! I got to stay for a few days and explored Boston: we took the Sam Adams brewery tour, went bowling at Kings, shopped in the Prudential Center and ate clam chowder at Quincy Market (which is becoming a tradition for me every time I visit). Boston is breathtaking in the winter!

Performing in Chicago

It was really bittersweet performing in my last college musical with the UMass Theatre Guild, but I checked another one of my bucket list musicals off this past spring! We had the privilege of performing in the Concert Hall in our school’s Fine Arts Center. This show in particular required a lot of hard work but we pulled it off and I had a great time being a “merry murderess” in the iconic Cell Block Tango number.

Graduated from UMass

You were, you are, UMass! I’ll never forget ya. Thanks for an awesome 4 years!

North Carolina Trip

I spent a week in Emerald Isle with my family. We stayed in a house with the beach in our backyard. It was fun kayaking, exploring Fort Macon, and enjoying the sand and sunshine. I even found a dog-friendly coffee shop called K9s and Coffee and ordered an iced latte with Buster. One of my best friends from high school who moved down there during college came to visit me too!

Kids’ Camping 2017

A huge thunderstorm hit that put a wrench in our plans of going rafting, but it’s always a good time when we get together. We played a big soccer game together and shared stories, songs and s’mores around the campfire. I even caught some fish in a lake near our campsite!

Performing in Spring Awakening

Spring Awakening marked my first community theatre show! I got to work on it all summer long with an all-star cast and I really enjoyed working with a rock score. Being a part of this show made the transition back home from school a lot easier and I’m glad I got to spend my summer doing something I love!

Lady Gaga Concert

This was easily one of the highlights of my LIFE let alone year. I saw her perform at Citi Field with one of my best friends and she did not disappoint! She played some classics that I fell in love with in middle/high school as well as some new songs from Joanne. I still am in complete shock over how good her voice was live! 10/10 will definitely be seeing her again in the future.

Finding My First Full-Time Job(s)

I finally had my answer to the “Now What?” question everyone kept asking me after graduation by early August – I had found not one, but TWO jobs to fill my gap year! I am now working full-time as an aide in a special needs school as a part of their transition high school program. I am paired one-to-one with a student and I accompany him throughout his school day involving life skills and vocational skills training. I really love going to work each day and spending time gaining really valuable experience in the special education field.

I also have been putting my acting skills to good use portraying princesses with a princess party company! I’ve been able to be a part of so many little girls’ special days and events and it’s so exciting to make their day a little more magical. Both of my jobs are super rewarding and I love doing them.

Columbus Day Weekend Road Trip to Vermont

This trip was so unexpectedly wonderful! My mom found us a re-purposed barn to spend the weekend in and we got to explore Woodstock, hike through Quechee Gorge and Moss Glen Falls, and drive from Montpelier to Burlington (where I wished we could have spent more time!) All of the leaves had turned beautiful autumn colors and it was the perfect time to visit. We unfortunately also didn’t have time to visit the Ben and Jerry’s factory but that’s #1 on my list to see when I visit again!

Performing in The Producers

My third musical of the year, my second community theatre show close to home and the first time I performed a show 15 times over the course of 5 weekends!  Needless to say, I’ve had a busy fall. I’m so glad I decided to do this show because it gave me the opportunity to work with such a talented and supportive cast. It was an honor to share the stage with them every night!

Applying to Grad School

Probably the most nerve-wracking part of this year, I’ve been working on my grad school applications! I’m applying for my Master’s in speech-language pathology and in between working and performing, I’ve been busy studying and taking the GREs, writing my personal statement, and making my applications the best they can be. I want to write a post or two about all of this stuff so expect that in the near future.

That’s a wrap on 2017! Thanks for being so exciting, unexpected and never boring. Here’s to an awesome 2018!