Photos by Brandon Hill

Happy 2018 guys! This outfit is something I would have considered wearing if I had actually gone out for New Years Eve. Instead I spent the evening in sweatpants on my couch binge-watching Lost until midnight with Austin. Neither one of us are really big on going out, plus we are experiencing a major cold front right now (it’s been in the 20s here) so we were both like yeahhhh… NOPE.

When we made the decision to stay in, I briefly thought about how many years we went out just because we felt like it was what we were supposed to do. Don’t get me wrong, we definitely had fun and have some great memories! But, over time it has become extremely clear that we are both introverted homebodies who prefer a quiet night in to a wild night out—and that’s ok.

As I’ve been reflecting back on 2017 over the past few days, it hit me what a huge year it was for me. I graduated from college, survived my first bit of adulting in the “real world” and got engaged to my best friend. But, even bigger than all of those things, this past year I finally stopped giving a shit and started doing what was right/best for me even if it wasn’t the norm—and I learned to be cool with it.

This simple thing (which is much easier said than done) has positively impacted my career, my relationships, and ultimately my overall happiness. It seems to be a somewhat common sentiment for those of us in our twenties, and maybe even thirties. But, if haven’t reached this point yet (especially all of my younger readers; wish I had learned this sooner!) it is my sincere hope that you will in the upcoming year. Cheers to 2018! Let’s make it the best one yet.