In January, I started my second travel assignment in Nashville and fell in love with a new city. I met my travel roommates and we quickly became inseparable. And I began the journey of eating and drinking my way through 2015!
March was a month full of visitors in Nashville! Everyone from my family, to my best friend since 5th grade, to my college roommates and work friends came to explore my new favorite city! We saw more live music than I can count, pretended to be tourists, and ate and drank until we couldn't stand it, then repeated it all the next day! I also tried a brew-bike for the first time, or in this case, the Sprocket Rocket- best idea ever! By the end of March I had also made the decision that my next stop would be Seattle!
April was spent back in Texas with my family and friends. I got a new tattoo with my sister; it was her first and I'm sure won't be her last! My best friend got engaged! I ate tons of crawfish, went to a few Rangers baseball games, played some golf, and took my cat on walks (yes, don't judge me). It was a nice relaxing month before taking a road trip from Texas to Seattle! But the very best part of April was finding out that I was going to be an aunt!
May was another exciting month! There was lots of exploring Seattle, which quickly surpassed Nashville at becoming my favorite travel spot. I had to quickly learn how to adjust to life working nights and enjoy all that the PNW had to offer. I met so many more travel nurses that quickly became friends I'll cherish forever! I almost missed a flight home (in which my mother would have killed me if I did) but made it just in time to enjoy the Bayou Country Fest with my family in Baton Rouge.
In June I turned 26, and instead of feeling sorry for myself because I'm getting old, I celebrated. And celebrated some more! Then I got another tattoo! I also discovered my love (and sometimes hate) of hiking! I embraced the beautiful Seattle summer and spent at 99% of my time outdoors. I went to San Francisco with my roommates, where we rode bikes over the Golden Gate Bridge, drank wine in Napa Valley, and had a $300 Uber ride to the airport- oops!
July was spent traveling all over the Pacific Northwest. I spent 4th of July at Lake Chelan with new friends, where the travel nurses won the competition of best/most American meal! There was a mini "Texas in Seattle" reunion with some friends from college and we saw Zac Brown Band play at the Gorge Amphitheater- top 5 best concert experience! Next I went to Canada for my first time, where we had to use a full size map of Canada to navigate our way around Vancouver. It was comical, if nothing else! From there I went to Orcas Island for my first camping trip since I was little, hiking, and whale watching! Next was a trip to Oregon for some hiking and beautiful waterfalls along the Columbia River Gorge. Oh and I bought my first DSLR camera!
August was, in my opinion, the best month of the year! I started out by taking a trapeze class, which I've always wanted to do! I hiked more, watched more baseball games, and soaked up the last of Seattle. Then my friends threw me the best going away party full of beach volleyball, smores by the fire, and some tearful goodbyes! But then I came back to Texas to the sweet baby boy that made me an aunt! My nephew Hunter Ford Holly was born August 19, and I've been over the moon ever since! To be honest I don't think I did anything the rest of the month but snuggle him!
October was slightly uneventful. There was some hiking, some brewery touring, but that was about all! Portland wasn't my favorite place, and I think it had more to do with the not-so-great work experience than the city itself. But they play off each other so what can I say?
In November I took a surprise trip to Albany to see my college roommate Casey! Or it would have been a surprise if she didn't drag it out of her husband to tell her! ;) We continued on our tradition of getting into shenanigans and got our noses pierced! Then I went back to Seattle for another trapeze class where I mastered the catch! After that was a trip home for a few days to see an old friend get married and more baby snuggles, of course! I also hosted my first Thanksgiving along with my roommates, and we cooked a full spread for some fellow travel nurses!
December saw the end of my stay in Portland, where I saw lots of Christmas lights and played in the snow on Mount Hood with my roommates. It was a bittersweet time, because it marked the end of our traveling together. We all decided to go our separate ways for now, but there are many plans for trips in the coming year! I made my third road trip for the year, this time with my dad! We drove my car through a tree, drove through floods and snow storms, saw more sunrises and sunsets in four days, and have the wonderful memories of our trip together! Once I was back in Texas, it was time for Christmas celebrations with family. Although Hunter is only 4 months old, the holidays are even better because of him!
