2015 in Review

Ay, 2015. You're done.


In 2014, I used the hashtag #2014creativity to challenge myself to be as creative as possible throughout the year, and it worked splendidly. I read a lot of books, I taught myself how to play guitar, I played keys in my church band, I made wall art, and I took a lot of artsy risks which were fun and enjoyable.


In 2015, I began the year with the hashtag #2015happy. It was the complete opposite of 2014. Without a physical representation toward which to strive, I failed. The year was difficult with a lot of big choices and big decisions and big disappointments but also some of the biggest, best things I never could have imagined.


I made the choice to work three jobs: radio, high school clubs, and vehicle merchandise photography. It was hard, but I did it. Later, I made the choice to leave media behind when I was offered my first full-time position as a receptionist nearly two years after graduating with my BS. It is disappointing to rarely use the skills I studied and worked so hard to gain, but times have changed.


I made the choice to pursue graduate studies to become a high school English teacher. I looked at local universities and tried to make one fit, but the school that is proving to be right for me is Western Governors University. If all goes well, I will begin my online program in March or April after completing my two pre-requisite classes. I am choosing to work toward my future and better my life.


I made the choice to apply for the book launch team of For the Love by Jen Hatmaker. Literally life-changing. The book reached huge success, spawned #FTLbookclub in which I gained new friends, created the greatest online community in the history of life, and reminded me of why I love Jesus and how that love is best shared with the people in my daily life. Since then, I have been on launch teams for (in order of release date) Through Waters Deep by Erin Shafer, Momma Loves You by Katie Hook, Out of Sorts by Sarah Bessey, Breaking Busy by Alli Worthington, and Even If Not by Kaitlyn Bouchillon. These authors, their publishers, the launch team members, and those who have read the books have been quite impactful in my life during 2015 in the best way.


I made the choice to step up with more responsibilities with the Little Egypt Chrysalis community. We are a community that holds two camp weekends each year with 15 talks on spiritual growth to bring youth closer to Christ. We also hold monthly worship services and have a board of directors. I became the secretary of the board in February, and I was chosen in May as the lay director of the next Flight (aka leader for the camp weekend coming up this month). I think that I am the youngest lay director in our community which is equally terrifying and such an honor. I am nervous yet excited to experience the Flight and see how the community continues to work toward loving each other and loving God in 2016.


And now to the fun stuff with silly opinions and things like that...


Artist of the year: Taylor Swift. Man, if ever T-Swizzle has rocked the world, it is 2015, and I mean that literally.


Music video of the year: Bad Blood by Taylor Swift. Is there even any real competition there? Taylor's squad continues to grow with the coolest people joining all of the time. Shoutout to Idina Menzel for performing Let It Go on Halloween. I am jealous that I was not at that stop for the 1989 tour.


Song of the summer: Cheerleader by Omi. Legit, chill, fun, blast it with the windows down. Perfect summer song.


Musical theatre album of the year: Hamilton. Duh. It's sweeping Broadway like crazy and taking all of the attention away from everything else, but it deserves it. The soundtrack CD comes in two disks with 23 songs on each, so it's like a full musical in each act. I have listened to the hip-hop album multiple times, and I catch new things every time. High five, Lin-Manuel Miranda. You did it.


Music controversy of the year: Zayn left 1D. Broken-freaking-hearted.


Music controversy of the year honorable mention: Taylor Swift (see, she dominated 2015) took on Apple Music when they did not plan to pay artists while customers used the service for free. Taylor changed Apple Music's plans and showed that anyone can change the world if she is loud enough.


Movie of the year: Sisters. Is it ok to say that when I just saw it yesterday? It was freaking hilarious. I have said for quite a while that Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are in my friendship circle and they just forget to hang out with me, and I think it's still true. This movie is, like, 2nd best to Mean Girls, so it's a hit. Uncontrollable laughter and moments that were too true made a great comedy.


Movie of the year honorable mention: Pitch Perfect 2. I can't help it but love a movie about music. It was predictable and fun with some comedy, and although it's not a powerhouse type of movie, it was written better than the first. And, I got the soundtrack for Christmas, so shoutout to my brother for picking a good gift.


Animated movie of the year: Inside Out. Omg, heartbreaking and funny and so real. The movie that gets in the feels of everyone is a movie that I consider a success. I saw it with a friend and her child, and while the little guy was only picking up the jokes, my friend and I were nearly in tears at parts. Growing up can suck, but it also brings good things, and accepting that moment of change is hard but necessary.


Professional musical theatre performances I saw this year: Rodger and Hammerstein's Cinderella, Kinky Boots, and Wicked (for the 5th time), all at the Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis. So much love for this theatre and these shows.


Traveling slowed down quite a lot in 2015. If 2014 was the year of travel, 2015 was the year of sedentary life. It was sad to not see new things and experience new cultures, but I still made huge memories. Travels to the Fox were great, and I also made a day trip in May to St. Louis to go to the art museum, walk through Forest Park, shop on Delmar Loop, and eat sushi for the first time. I consider it a win.


Fiction book of the year: The Shack by William Young. I knew nothing about the book before reading it, so I just thought some dude was going to a shack. I did not know about the biblical comparisons and the controversy surrounding the book, but I loved it. Imagining God as a black woman, Jesus as a middle eastern carpenter (oh, wait, that's real life), and the Holy Spirit as an Asian woman made perfect sense to me.


Fiction book of the year honorable mention: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's / Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. Is it ok to list this book for 2015? I know it came out for.ev.er. ago, but I just started the series this year, so now I'm a real Potterhead. I love fandoms, and I feel as if I fit into this one perfectly.


Non-fiction comedy books of the year: Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling and Seriously...I'm Kidding by Ellen De Generes. Both excelled in their humor and were fast reads, but they are funny in their own ways. Both authors are strong women who are #crushingit, and I admire them for balancing their humor and their effect on the world with the power they have gained.


Non-fiction Christian book of the year: Hands down, no comparisons, all else fails - For the Love by Jen  Hatmaker. I know I've already raved over the book, but I have read the book four times at this point which has never happened before and only come close by one or two books. The way this book brings together people is astounding. It brought together the launch team, it brought together the book club / Bible study of which I was a part, and it brought together a few friends who are now some of the closest friends I have (and our friendship would be incomplete without the wonderful Facebook Messenger group conversations running daily).


Non-fiction Christian book of the year honorable mentions: Searching for Sunday by Rachel Held Evans and Out of Sorts by Sarah Bessey. These two books handled similar topics of feeling as if she does not belong in the local church, leaving, and finding the way back, but Rachel and Sarah covered the topics in separate, very distinct ways which shows their similar passions but their various personalities. In a year of hardships, these books helped to pull me through, and my thanks for their vulnerability and honesty in their writings cannot be understated. To be on the launch team for Out of Sorts was wonderful because I could see the way it changed people and allowed them to open up and ponder more thoroughly about their beliefs.


So, 2015, I'm not sad to see you go. I look forward to the adventures ahead in 2016. My biggest goal for the year is to choose the right things for which I say yes and the right things for which I say no. Grad school will bring a huge time commitment, and I know that I cannot say yes to everything, even when saying yes would be easier than saying no.


This doesn't fit into a cute little hashtag, so I think I'll go with #2016adventure. I don't plan to go on big traveling adventures (you know, like LA and NYC in 2014), but I want to live my life as an adventure, seeking what I don't know and learning more about what I do know.


"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to."
"I don't care much where-"
"Then it doesn't matter which way you go."
-Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll