Here's To Twenty-Six

I took the day off today to spend some time relaxing and celebrating another trip around the sun with my fiance and his family. These are some pretty strange times that we’re living in, and it’s easy to get bogged down by the day-to-day of quarantine life. Celebrating my birthday, though, brought me to thinking about all of the blessings that my 25th year held, and the things that I am most looking forward to in the next 365 days.

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Blessings That 25 Brought Me

Adopted my sweet Demi girl

As you may have seen in recent posts or on my Instagram page, my fiance and I adopted a very sweet 7-year-old corgi mix from the Kitsap Humane Society in December. I have always been an animal lover (especially dogs) and had the sweetest family dog growing up. I always knew that I wanted to get another dog after I left home to pursue my career, but I just never quite found the right opportunity until we moved to Washington. She brings us so much happiness, and I really think that we do the same for her.

Moved to Washington with my fiance Moving to Washington had been a dream of mine since my undergraduate years. I love the vibe of the pacific northwest, the scenery, and the availability of outdoor activities to take part in. My fiance is from Seattle, and he has a ton of family in the state, so I am incredibly thankful that we were able to work out a transfer with my company to get us here. I have loved every minute of our time in Washington so far, and I am really looking forward to exploring more of what the state has to offer once our stay at home order is lifted.

Started the Sich Style Blog

I had always been interested in starting a style blog/Instagram page, but never felt that a) I had enough time, or b) that anyone would care. I struggled with confidence, and I really didn’t feel like anyone would give a hoot what I had to say. I have been so incredibly thankful for the community that I have become a part of since starting the Sich Style blog, and I am proud of how far it has come in such a short amount of time. It’s a great creative outlet, and it allows me to get to know and share my passions with like-minded people!

Remained healthy during the COVID-19 crisis

While there have definitely been some aspects of my life that have been negatively impacted by the pandemic, I am incredibly thankful that my fiance and I have both remained healthy throughout everything so far. I have been working from home and I have the man that I love most at home with me. So, overall, things are actually great.

Got to see some amazing parts of the United States

In the last year, I got to see some parts of the United States for the first time. I was living in Pennsylvania for work at the beginning of my 25th year, and I was very fortunate to be able to see both Pittsburgh and Philadelphia while traveling for work. The two cities are incredibly different, but I loved them both for different reasons. I also got to go to Georgia for work, and spent time in Atlanta and Savannah during that trip. I had never been to Georgia before, and I was completely in love with both cities.

I also got to visit three of my favorite cities in the last year, which was very fun and exciting even though it wasn’t my first time. My family is from the Chicago suburbs, so we actually got to go home and spend some time with my family and go to the city a couple times. I have always loved Chicago, and I find a new reason to love it even more every time I visit. We have made many trips to Seattle as well, doing things from shopping, to sightseeing, to hanging out with friends. Seattle is such a beautiful, clean city, and you really can’t beat the scenery! Finally, we planned a special trip to spend our anniversary in NYC last October. We got a room at a hotel right between 5th avenue and Times Square, and I really feel like we did that trip right.

Ran my first half marathon

Since I was in Pennsylvania for work, I signed myself up for, trained for, and completed my first half marathon. I ran track in high school and early college, but had some knee injuries that required surgery. I had always wanted to run a half marathon, but I felt that those injuries would stop me from being able to. I am so glad that I gave it a shot - I ended up beating my goal time by approximately 2 minutes per mile!

Blessings That 26 Will Bring

Marrying the love of my life Due to the pandemic, we had to cancel our May 30 wedding. We reschedule it for August 22 of this year, and I couldn’t be more excited. All of our vendors have been amazing and accommodating, so all of the planning is essentially finished. Now, I just get to look forward to seeing my fiance ugly cry as I walk down the aisle!

Continuing to build the Sich Style Blog As I said, I have been blown away by the community that I have found. I am so excited to continue to be a part of the community, as well as continue to share my thoughts, ideas, and passions with you. It is something that makes me genuinely happy!

Spending time with family: old and new The pandemic has really made me come to realize how much I value my family, as well as my fiance’s. Even though his family is only about an hour and a half away, we haven’t been able to see them very much due to the isolation order. I miss them, and I can’t wait to spend more time with them. This is true in an even greater sense in regards to my family. They all live in Illinois, and there are some days where there is nothing that I want more than to spend some time with them. I can’t wait until we are able to fly again, and I will definitely be planning a trip to see them soon.

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Even if it’s not going to be your birthday any time soon, I challenge you to reflect on all of the positives in your life right now. You will surprise yourself with how much positivity you find, and it will help your overall view of life as it stands right now!