The Year of Unexpected Blessings: Recap of 2018

It sounds so cliché to start off a blog post saying, “Wow, I can’t believe how much this year flew!” but to be honest, it almost felt like yesterday when I wrote down a bullet point list on my kitchen table about all the goals I wanted to achieve for 2018.

When I was writing down my list for 2018, I didn’t really put much thought into it. I just scribbled down a bunch of stuff that would fit inside my ideal “perfect life.” Despite the fact that my curated Instagram feed made me seem put together, what I went through during 2016-2017 made me tolerate my life rather than feel fulfilled by it. So, my goals were written with no game plan nor for the law of attraction to do it’s job; I just wanted to distract myself from my adult responsibilities, you know?

…it almost felt like yesterday when I wrote down a bullet point list on my kitchen table about all the goals I wanted to achieve for 2018.

While I can’t say that 2018 was the best year of my life, I can say that many of the most exciting, joyous parts of my year happened from opportunities that practically landed on my lap. It was those experiences that made me think, “Wow, this actually happened to me” at the end of the day. Although I can’t explain why, that surreal feeling happened one too many times!

I’ve avoided creating end-of-the-year recap posts in the past because I didn’t like the idea of displaying my life in an ostentatious way. However, I feel like every single one of my accomplishments this year happened because of you, my dear readers. I want you to know that this post is about us celebrating together and thanking you for the doors that opened in 2018.

MY 2018 BLOG RECAP

In the beginning of 2018, I ended up traveling solo again for my 25th Birthday! I didn’t think that solo traveling would become an annual coming-of-age activity for me, but I find so much peace when I celebrate in solitude. My favorite moment was when I saw the sun set while I was exploring the Red Rocks Amphitheater.

When I returned to Houston, I was able to do a consistent amount of sponsorships and projects with hotels and local businesses. It was the first time where I felt secure with my blog business, and I’m happy to say that every single one of my clients are like family to me.

I visited New York City and was able to truly explore the city on my own for the first time. This trip was special because I was able to reunite with an old friend (who also graciously allowed me to stay at her place), and I enjoyed other spots outside of Manhattan for the first time, such as Queens and Brooklyn.

The following weekend after I returned home from New York, I was off to celebrate my blogger bestie’s birthday at South by Southwest in Austin, TX! It was definitely an adventure visiting all the fun booths and companies while we created amazing content together. During this trip, I was also able to reunite with another old friend from high school, and the entire weekend made me so uplifted and motivated to finally rebrand my blog.

While I was preparing for the launch of my new site, I took a quick trip to Chappell Hill, TX with my close friend to take a look at all the beautiful bluebonnet fields! Being able to bask in the sun and enjoy the small country roads was pure bliss, and I was so thankful to have had my friend accompany me since she’s someone I truly admire and respect.

Early May, I was able to take a week-long trip in California and work with The Kinney Venice Beach! And I must say, this was the cutest hotel I’ve ever stayed in, don’t you agree? This was the first time I was able to do a hotel sponsorship independently outside of Houston, and I was thrilled to have worked with such an iconic hotel company! Staying in Venice Beach also gave me a true glimpse of the LA coast life: surf, sand, and amazing açaí bowls for days, haha! During this trip, I was able to visit my relatives for the first time in years, and it was great to enjoy the Anaheim area with them.

During the summer of 2018, I finally relaunched my blog with a new name and site makeover! After the endless months planning Reesa Rei and the long nights spent watching tutorials on WordPress and Adobe Lightroom, I was on Cloud 9 to see that all my work finally paid off!

At the end of July, I was invited to represent NOMOON Travel at Facebook Headquarters! Road tripping across California with Betty, the Founder of NOMOON, and checking out her favorite spots in the city was such a great experience. Plus, I had a great time meeting the Facebook staff and getting an inside look at their office!

In August, I decided to further my creative skills by becoming a DJI pilot! A funny moment when I was purchasing my drone was when the cashier said, “Are you buying this drone for your boyfriend or something?” to which I replied, “Nope. This drone is all mine.” Haha, can any female drone pilots out there relate to this?! You may have seen some of my drone work via Instagram Stories, but I’m still learning slowly on how to incorporate my own style into videography…which I hope to share more in 2019!

September was crazy busy for me since I started the month traveling to Minneapolis for the first time! My trip would not have been as fun if it weren’t for hanging out with Kristen (also met for the first time after following each other for years on Instagram)! I was able to check out the best murals in the city and dined at some of the coolest food spots because of her and her sweet family. During this trip, I was able to work with AC Hotels Minneapolis Downtown and check out their amazing service and amenities.

During September, I was able to take a week-long trip to Arizona and go on a huge road trip! This was easily the most challenging trip for me in 2018. I went through lots of struggles being in the middle of nowhere with low GPS connectivity which resulted in having one too many hangry moments…but when I was able to finally reach my destinations around Arizona, it was all worth it! At the end of my trip, I was able to work with another company, Stay Alfred, while I was in Scottsdale!

At the end of September, I was offered to be one of the leading girls for a commercial shoot with the BLVD Place, which ended up being released early October during the Opening Night of Houston’s Rooftop Cinema. This was easily my favorite project in 2018 since I was able to shoot alongside my fellow blogger friends and a creative film team! The experience really inspired me to do more commercial work in 2019 and to refocus my efforts in creating videos online. If you want to see my commercial on the big screen, please watch a movie at the Rooftop Cinema located at the BLVD Place (it’ll run during the previews)!

During October, I had the pleasure of staying in Houston all month long to continue working with various clients for sponsorships and projects. It was fun getting to create images for brands for their seasonal content and also be one of the first people to try out some of their new products – many of which were food (#neverhungry). I also had lots of fun scheming up a cute Halloween duo costume with my pet, Rajah! Who doesn’t love Scooby Doo?

During November, I took my last trip of 2018 to Denver again. It felt like my year of traveling came to a full circle as I was able to work with Stay Alfred once more and enjoy new wintry spots around the city. My favorite moment was when I spontaneously took a detour to Golden, CO and got to enjoy the city views at Lookout Mountain.

To end my last month of 2018, I decided to spend time with my family. It was great bonding with my parents regularly and to catch up with the rest of my relatives, such as attending my cousin’s wedding. I have no regrets celebrating the entire holiday season with my family, and I can’t wait to ring in the New Year with them!

That’s a wrap! Again, I can’t thank you enough, my fellow readers, for following my crazy ride in 2018 with me. I hope to continue learning and growing in 2019 for you and to enjoy where ever the world wants me to be. Until next time!