A Look Back at 30
Where did this last year go?!
Feels like I was just planning how to celebrate my 30th, then I blinked and 31 is on my tail! The past year has been exceptionally eventful and it has all really flown by. Like usual, before my birthday, I like to take some time to reflect on the year prior - adventures, vacations, memories, life changes, and everything in between!
Birthday Trip to the UK
Last year, I celebrated my birthday in the UK! Probably the best way I could ring in a new decade. Andrew and I spent over a week in London, York, and Edinburgh and we had an amazing time. Some highlights - having afternoon tea in London, walking along the York City Walls, and taking a tour of Edinburgh Castle.
If you’d like to see more of our UK trip, check out the video I made last year!
Traveled Throughout California
Throughout the year, we traveled around California for day and weekend trips. We spent a couple separate days in LA. We hiked Runyon Canyon, did the Echo Park swan boats, and visited the sandwich shop Something About Her. We also visited Joshua Tree and enjoyed some dog-friendly activities in Palm Springs.
Saw the Pandas at the San Diego Zoo
A big highlight for me last summer was seeing the pandas at the San Diego Zoo! I have since seen them multiple times. The two pandas, Xin Bao and Yun Chuan, came to San Diego via a partnership with China focused on the health and conservation of giant pandas and their environments.
Celebrated Our Anniversary at Yosemite National Park
Something I was looking forward to last year was celebrating two years of marriage with a weekend camping trip at Yosemite National Park. We were lucky enough to book a campground once it opened and we were excited to have two friends of our’s join us. Some of my favorite things we saw and did while in Yosemite - renting bikes and riding around the park, seeing numerous waterfalls on our hikes, and taking in the beauty of El Capitan.
Hosted Family in San Diego
I love when family comes to visit us in San Diego. My dad flew down last September, unfortunately on the hottest weekend of the year. Andrew’s parents visited in the fall and we did a few fall activities, including driving out to Julian and checking out Halloween decorated houses. My mom came down twice in the past year. Once for her birthday and the other time to support me during a race.
Visited Saguaro National Park and Spring Training
Last March, we attempted to attend a dog-friendly spring training game. Unfortunately, before the first pitch was even thrown, thunder, rain, and lightning rolled in and the game understandably got called. So this year we tried again. Thankfully we had beautiful weather and the Mariners pulled out the win! That same weekend, we decided to visit Saguaro National Park for the first time.
Ran TWO Half Marathons
You read that right - TWO. HALF. MARATHONS. Even crazier, I ran one in February and the second in March. The first half marathon took place partially in Disneyland, which was probably the coolest course ever. I had a great time and feel so lucky that I got to experience that. My mom also flew down for that and I loved having her, Andrew, and Buster there to cheer me on. My second race was the San Diego Half Marathon and this was my third time completing it. And, I achieved my fastest time yet!
TWO Solo Days at Disneyland
One of the perks of living in Southern California is the proximity to Disneyland (duh!) Last summer, I spent a solo day at Disneyland and had an absolute ball. As a little birthday treat to myself, I decided to visit the Happiest Place On Earth again!
If you’d like to see more of how I tackled Disneyland on my own, check out my solo Disney videos from August 2024 and April 2025.
Some other notable highlights from the past year:
Celebrating our collective 30th birthdays with friends and family in a Mariners suite
Having a girls weekend in Ocean Shores
Seeing Noah Kahan and Niall Horan in Chula Vista
Visiting the Safari Park for the first time
Spending the holidays back up in Washington
Doing the San Diego 7 Bridges Hike
I feel so lucky to have had a great year of being 30, full of many amazing moments. Here’s to a healthy and happy 31st!