Greetings from the island of Hawai’i! Today I turn 27 years old. Time went by so fast this year, I swear. In retrospect, I would say this has been one of my most successful, productive, and busiest years in my life. I’ve never had a boring year, that’s for sure… but this year was just… wam bam - thank you ma’am, one task after another.

1) Moved from San Diego to Indiana
2) Bought my first home (4 BR, 4 BA with over an acre… sweet!)
3) Spent months furnishing my first home with much needed furniture. Everything in the house is brand new except one couch. All bedroom sets, rugs, tables, etc. all new.
4) Swapped my Eclipse for a brand new SUV
5) Quit smoking (had 3 cigs all year, when used to smoke over a pack a day)
6) Quit drugs (completely. wow.)
7) Quit drinking (well except for 2 nights of binge drinking) Lost over 100 pounds
9) Stopped taking OCD medication and gradually overcame over 20 personal phobias due to lots of determination and self-hypnosis
10) Went to London and saw Westminster Abbey, Parliament, London Bridge, and soooo many landmarks! Wow!
11) Went to Hawaii… twice. (Oahu & Big Island) - once to see cousin Leanna get married!
12) Went to California… twice. (LA, San Diego, Santa Ana, Newport Beach)
13) Went to New York… twice.
14) Experienced my first bed and breakfast at the Victorian Villa in Michigan
15) Helped my mom get conservatorship of my brother in court (HUGE NEWS!)
16) Helped the 8 kids I sponsor by upgrading their living situations compared to last year. One kid, Kennedy (and his brother - name unknown), now sleep on beds instead of the concrete floor… and a few other kids now have electricity paid for a YEAR and this is their first time using any electricity EVER cause they couldn’t afford it. The photos they sent me were priceless - the looks on their faces next to a lit lamp were just… wow.
17) Doubled my income. (I’ve doubled it every year for 3 straight years now)
18) Fell in (and out) of love with slave m… but the point is that I let my guard down and was willing to love. That was a big step for me. I don’t regret it for a moment. It was worth every second.
19) Recorded with Lycia, Alexandra, and Deidre all in the same year!
20) Saved up for months to be able to afford my own sauna, gym equipment, and lots of electronic trinkets.
21) Learned how to cry. Really cry. For years, I’ve held it in and didn’t know how to let it out. This year I learned how to do it without beating myself up for it. I’ve found that crying is actually quite therapeutic. Who knew?
22) Began a daily workout routine - all year — and stuck to it. Never in my life did I think I would have been able to do it. This year, I was determined and FINALLY learned the importance of fitness and exercise.
23) Earned an NLP certification (now working on master)
24) I’m tempted to post my involvement in a few people’s marriages and their newborn babies being born, but those are THEIR achievements, not mine.
25) Raised thousands of dollars for various charities.
26) My first signs of facial wrinkles are appearing. I have them around my eyes and two faint smile lines. I also tried botox for the first time ever.
27) Although I was perfectly content with my $10 mexican pouch, I bought my first designer purse (Dior and also Chloe). I also bought my first pair of designer shoes (Dior), and designer jewelry (Gucci). I’m still content with the cheap stuff though.

I know I’m forgetting a shitload of things and events but these are the only ones at the top of my head.

– I wonder what next year will be like.

Love
Isabella
xoxoxox

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