hello!!!! i wanted to do a post sharing my favorite memories of the year (or something of the sort), but i couldn’t think of any good moments. it made me realize two things: 1) it was a terrible year for me haha, 2) most of the best moments are captured in everyday things. so, i present to you, 2017 in a nutshell – sorta:

january

in january, i was feeling motivated and excited – as most do with the new year. i had a few auditions, but i was mostly just excited to go to New York the next month for the remainder of them.

february

while in New York, i was hoping to get an apprenticeship with a ballet company (or something of the sort), but didn’t have much luck. there’d be 200 to 300 people auditioning for maybe one job offer, and often times directors would be looking for a certain “type:” someone tall, someone small. it wasn’t that bad, but mostly just tiring. it was also much colder than in Los Angeles (OBVIOUSLY) and i was overjoyed to experience a real winter. highlights: eating By Chloe, SNOW!!, lining up way too long for cookie dough, and watching too much Gilmore Girls

march

the rest of my auditions rounded up and i finally (finally!!) headed home! but before that, i met up with Willa from Willa’s Ramblings and Jess from Infinite Golden Floors!! i saw them at the Victoria Schwab event, and again later before i left. this month was better than the last, and i was actually glad to go home – despite my love for New York. before i left, i vlogged a bit and was snow very happy about the weather. :”) when i got back, my family got a new car (whoo!!) and i pierced my ears!

april and may

for some reason, things always slow down when i go home. april and may blurred together in a hazy mess. i was beginning to feel more and more tired and unproductive, unfortunately. BUT i started going to yoga more often, and fell in love with everything about it. in terms of the ~twirling pages world~, i was doing more things (echm giveaways, co-blogger applications, and more!). also, there were too many amazing books released at this time of year. (echm LORD OF SHADOWS). before i left, i also caught up with my friends over korean comfort food and other great things. :))

june

early in june, i returned to New York for a ballet summer program. i went a few weeks early and took open classes, explored the city, and watched way too many ballets at Lincoln Center. i also met up with Nikki (remember her?) while she was in the city! i also got some ice cream with Willa before our busy summer consumed us.

july

july was filled with long days dancing the city. for independence day, i went to the beach and enjoyed some reading, which was nice. i also got a chance to watch Balanchine’s Jewels for the first time and it’s now one of my favorite ballets I CRY. it’s probably because it was performed by some of the best ballet companies in the world and I’M STILL SHOOK. when i wasn’t dancing, i ate a lot of frozen fruit (via pressed juicery & chloe’s fruit), and experimented with other forms of activity (boxing and yoga). i also caught up with Jess one last time before the summer ended, and went to the Met Museum! even though i’ve been to NY many times, i’d never been to the Met before.

august

FINALLY!! home!! but nearly right after i got home, my family took a mini vacation to Las Vegas. there wasn’t really much to do for me, but it was fun to walk around and eat good food. the major thing of the month was that i’d decided to get bangs!!

september and october

with summer being over, i was slowly getting back into the swing of things. i started to cook more often – usually following recipes from High Carb Hannah. i also got a gym membership and tried exercising some more (it only worked for so long; still have the membership but.. yeah). most importantly, i got a new phone, the Google Pixel 2!! it made me more motivated to take pictures and like, live a little. rehearsals for The Nutcracker also began around this time.

november

november was mostly dedicated to Nutcracker lol. that is pretty much it. buuuuuuut i actually recapped that month/season. i was too overwhelmed the prior months but was starting to get out of my shell again.

december

ahhhh we’re finally here, aren’t we? i didn’t accomplish any of my goals for the month or the year, but i’m okay with that. i did more of the things i enjoy. i danced a lot, read more books than i have in a looong time, went to my favorite yoga classes, and met up with my favorite friends.

this past month i’ve been trying to be more forgiving. when i began writing this, i was certain there was nothing notable in the past twelve months. now i realize there are bits and pieces of 2017 i appreciate. if there was a word to summarize the year, i’d choose change. on the surface, it seems like nothing has changed; i still live with my parents, read books, and create internet things. i didn’t lose 20lbs, travel the world, or do anything too drastic. as i look back at the person i was in january, i realize that person was… so small. that person had so much to learn. as painful this year was for me, i’m eternally grateful.

xoxo,

alexandra

how was your 2017? let me know in the comments!