It’s always fun to go back through all the photos I took during the year and remind myself of all the memories I’ve made. This year definitely had its highs and lows. If you would have told me at the beginning of the year that I would be where I am now, I honestly don’t think I would’ve believed you.

I started the year in my last semester of school, which went by in kind of a blur. For spring break, I went on a class trip to New York. During that trip, we went on a tour of a bunch of fashion companies in the city to gain a better understanding of the industry. It was a really important trip for me because, after years of saying I wanted to move to New York City, I finally got a chance to determine if that was really the case (spoiler alert: it was). On that trip, I took the subway, walked through Central Park, and went to a Broadway show (Book of Mormon) for the first time. Among our many office visits, we visited a trend forecasting agency and spoke to one of the Senior Trend Forecasters there about what it’s like to work in trend forecasting. It was then that I realized how perfectly a job in trend forecasting fit my interests and skills set. Before this trip, I had never even considered trend forecasting as a potential career path, so this was definitely one of my biggest takeaways from the trip. Wow I just said (wrote) “trend forecasting” way too many times.

After that school trip, the semester finished up pretty quickly. I played my last college soccer game and organized a clothing sustainability event for my school. The 3-day event included speakers, workshops, and a movie screening with the intention of promoting awareness of clothing sustainability on the campus and in the surrounding community. In May, I graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. in Apparel and Merchandising.

This is when the real fun started – and when I say fun, I mean stressful, scary, and exciting. I packed up all my stuff, got on a plane, and moved across the country about a week after graduation. I didn’t even have a place to live lined up until like 10 days before I left. I ended up finding a place on Craiglist with two roommates who weren’t serial killers (thank gawd). Two days after moving, I started my internship as a trend forecaster in Manhattan.

My internship experience was surprisingly good judging by the number of internship horror stories you hear. I actually had two: one at a trend forecasting agency and one at a small sustainable apparel brand. I worked on the Beauty team at the trend forecasting agency, covering trade shows and festivals, writing trend reports, and creating mood boards. My internship at the sustainable fashion brand was a little more traditional. I helped out with digital marketing, e-commerce, color correcting, and photoshoots. I also did the less glamorous stuff like getting coffee, running errands, and returning Prada shoes (which was a nightmare and a story for another time – a true Devil Wears Prada moment).

After three months of interning, I accepted a full-time position at the trend forecasting agency! Of course, I accepted this position on the last day of August, giving me just enough time to realize that I didn’t have enough time to find a place to live in the city. So… I moved upstate to my family’s lake house (side note: I also spent July 4th here with my family which was really fun). Luckily, I was able to work remotely on my laptop during this time because I ended up staying upstate in between the lake house and a family friend’s house for two months before finding a place in the city and signing a year lease. Looking back, everything ended up working out really well and the lake was a nice break from the city – but not having a place to live for two months was just a little stressful (would not recommend).

Since I found a place in October, I’ve just kind of been trying to figure out my life in the city. My job has been going well. I’ve been able to establish a role for myself at the company and, although my job title is Materials + Textiles Editor, I have also taken on the role of UI/UX designer. I pitched the idea of an app and it was received really well, so I’m currently building it with a group of developers. I’m also designing client websites and marketing collateral. As far as my social life goes, the city can get pretty lonely, especially when you don’t know anyone out here. But, I made a few friends during my internship who are in the process of moving out here and I have a few friends that I studied with in Colorado out here doing their internships. Hopefully I can convince some of them to stay out here and hang out with me permanently 🙂

I spent my first holiday season in the city this year! I had never really spent an extended amount of time in New York City until I moved here and I, of course, was super excited to experience the magic that is the holidays in New York. I’m not gonna lie, it was pretty magical. I’m not sure if anywhere else does the holidays quite like New York City. I think the holiday markets – little farmer’s market-esque “villages” that sell all the Christmassy foods and gifts you could ever want – were my favorite part. I tried hot apple cider and apple cider donuts for the first time… they were pretty damn good. I went to the Lotte New York Palace Hotel and had my very own Gossip Girl moment. I also went ice skating at the Rockefeller Center which was a dream of mine!! Such a quintessential Christmas moment in New York!

I ended the year back home in Colorado and spent some quality time with my doggies! Surrounding yourself with family and being grateful for everything you have is always the best way to end the year.

And dog kisses are the best New Year’s kiss anyone could ask for 🙂

2017 was a crazy year of growth. I spent it learning about myself and learning about the world around me. I hope that learning never stops and I’m excited for where 2018 takes me!