2014: A Year in Review

As we gathered with friends and family over the Christmas holiday, we began to discuss what our favorite parts of 2014 year.  We went around a circle and each person shared what their favorite part of the past year was.  I think I got jipped (is that how you spell that?) because I went after Kevin who said the same thing I wanted to say.  Our favorite part of this past year was the fact that I moved to Grand Rapids and that we were able to live in the same city (not to mention the same state) for the first time since we graduated high school….in 2012.  I feel like our relationship really grew since I made the move and it's much easier to test out recipes on him when he can actually be present to taste them.

But with all of the favorite things come all of the least favorite events.

I spent a majority of 2014 being in my twenties which brought along a lot of difficulties in and of itself.  Twenty is the weird age where you are too young to drink and party and reserve rental cars but too old to go to the theaters to see pixar films and shop at aeropostale.  And being in culinary school where I'm learning how to make a reduction sauce with port but I can't practice it at home because I can't purchase alcohol yet.  I experienced a lot of growing pains this year, struggling to find the balance between finding my own way and being on my own in my own apartment and still leaning on my parents financially when needed.  But as I look back, I just feel blessed overall to have such an amazing man in my life who supports me and cares for me, as well as incredible family and friends.

Now looking forward, I am excited about many things.  Hopefully this year I will graduate from the program at the local community college that I am attending which will land me with my second Associate's degree (yay!).  Kevin and I will both be turing 21 within the next couple of months which is sure to bring a lot more traditional risotto dished to this blog.  Also, we just started booking things for our trip out East which is happening this summer.  We are super excited because it will be Kevin's first time on a plane and his first time out east! Now I can finally show him where I lived for a little over a year and he can meet the amazing friends I made!  I am also going to Italy for 10 days or so through a Study Away program at school where I get to make pasta in Italy! In preparation for my trip, I am learning Italian through Rosetta Stone (hopefully it works!).  Kevin will be starting his Senior year in the Fall of 2015 at GVSU which seems crazy to me!  It seems like just yesterday we were walking across the football field in our cap and gowns receiving our high school diplomas.  I'm sure that many other amazing and exciting things will happen in 2015 and I'm so fortunate to be able to experience all of these things with Kevin by my side. And I got a new cookbook for Christmas that I have already dog-eared several pages of recipes to try, so this year is sure to bring many new recipes and posts!

Cheers to the New Year!