Top 17 of 2017

According to the Internet, 2017 was not what people anticipated it would be. Whether they were too optimistic after the "perils" of 2016 and refused to adjust their expectations, or truly just experienced a rough year, "leave it in 2017" seemed to be the collective societal theme of December.  On a personal note, 2017 was definitely a big year. I finished my first year of law school. I lost a friend too soon. I started my third degree. And, I still did not get around to watching Stranger Things. But after all the ups and downs, here we are in the incredulously futuristic-sounding 2018, a year I never even gave real thought to because it seemed so far away. 

At the start of 2017, I made a list of my top 16 of 2016. It was originally supposed to be 16 of my favourite photos that I had taken that year but, due to indecisiveness, it turned into 16 "moments" with (what I can confirm was) definitely more than 16 photos. So here we are again; one year older and one year bolder, but still indecisive when it comes to photo selection. 

Making this list is weirdly therapeutic and actually a ton of fun because it forces you to reflect on the year, and reminds you of how much actually happened (despite the fact that it felt like the weeks FLEW by). I highly recommend doing it whether or not you choose to broadcast it to the world. 

As per usual, I'd like to start off by stating that I realize how many of these photos are of food. So without further ado, here are my top 17 of 2017.

1) New Year's

The start of a new year, when my only concerns were 1) how to use the confetti poppers and; 2) which Boomerang to post on social media. 

2) Back to School Brunch

Coincidentally, this took place at School. We also decided to be stubborn and wait for a table for over two hours while lying down in the car, so it was one of the more memorable brunches I had this year.

3) Toronto Reference Library

Okay, so not a specific "moment" from 2017 (more like many loooong moments), but I spent too much time here to ignore it. I don't love this place by any means, but it's weirdly photogenic.

4) Trip to Cabo

I made a post with my photos from Cabo earlier this year because I loved the entire trip from start to finish, and couldn't get over how genuinely beautiful everything was. Like I said in my post, if you're looking for the perfect mix of sunbathing and actual cultural immersion, Cabo is the place to be. Also, how can a sun vacay in the middle of February not make the top 17?

5) Osgoode Hall

I featured this place in last year's post but I can never get enough. Whether it was for a school-related event, or just for "productive" procrastination, I was at Osgoode a lot this year. Every time I'm there I can't help but take photos, and I can never get over the fact that such a stunning building is just smack in the middle of downtown Toronto. 

6) Getting Into the MBA Program

In case you didn't know, I'm in the process of getting both my JD and MBA simultaneously, but applied for the latter while I was already in first year. For some reason this caused a lot of confusion, so to be clear, I didn't drop out of law school.

7) Finishing My First Year of Law School

Pretty self-explanatory. 

8) High School Reunion

a.k.a. the day I realized I am a literal adult. It was so much fun to catch up with everyone at once, especially post-undergrad when we are all a tad more confident in what we are actually doing with our lives.

9) Lola

SURPRISE! My dog is still photogenic and I still take a lot of photos of (and with) her.

10) Friends!!!

Last year, instead of New Year's resolutions, I made a list of 17 things I wanted to accomplish in 2017. One of them was to FaceTime/catch up with friends more often because, in my own words from a year ago, "so many of my nearest and dearest have taken their incredibly talented selves to different parts of the world". I'm proud to say that while I still have room to improve, I was way more diligent about keeping in contact. Besides FaceTime and generally just being better on my phone, I also went to New York City twice, and cleared my schedule every time one of my friends came home to visit.

11) Sailing

This is evidence that good things can come from inside jokes. My lovely friend Carly (who you might recognize from my Instagram) and her adorable family took a bunch of us sailing after work this summer and it was EVERYTHING. Also, we got a close-up of the ever-elusive Canada 150 rubber duck - what could be better that that?

12) Food

I honestly ate desserts from Adelaide Eats for lunch for a straight week this summer. Then, I promptly only ate vegetables for the following two weeks. Aside from that, I ate a lot of pretty cakes - the kind that are too pretty to eat but somehow you manage to eat them anyway. 

13) Harry Styles Live On Tour

If you don't know how my blog started, it's indirectly because of One Direction. Ask me about it one day.

14) Doggy Birthday Party

One of my fave dogs celebrated her 15th birthday, so her fab owner (read: my friend) a.k.a the aforementioned Carly threw her the bash of the year featuring these adorable handmade goodie bags. 

15) Niall Horan Flicker Sessions

See the writing on the Harry Styles photo above. Also, Slow Hands is still a BOP.

16) My 23rd Birthday

I love my birthday but because it's in late November, it always falls way too close to exams and final papers to do much. But, this year I made the most of it. I celebrated with my family, got my favourite cake again (that I can't seem to stray away from courtesy of Elle Dee Cakes), and my lovely friends at law school ordered a bunch of food/cupcakes to school to celebrate in the library. 

17) The Toronto Distillery District Christmas Market

The Toronto Christmas Market is my absolute favourite thing. Even though it doesn't change a lot year to year, it is truly the one event that whacks me over the head with Christmas spirit, and gets me to play Mariah Carey weeks before Christmas. 

While I hope I have 18 memorable moments in 2018, it seems a little ambitious. In any case, here's to a year full of yummy food, good vibes and even better company........and more photos to remember it all.