2019

Hi friends.

Here it is again; my end of the year recap that nobody asked for but I’m writing anyway. It’s early because, let’s face it, I was not graced with the gift of patience. If I don’t get this out of my head soon, I’m going to go crazy. It's been bouncing around in there for a week now.

I like doing this because I do tend to be more of a negative person-especially regarding my own life. I don't do well with change and there's going to be a lot of it, so this is the perfect time to look back at the times that made me smile. It lets me look back at the happiest points from my year instead of anything bad that happened. So here it is: 2019 through my eyes. Be prepared, half of it doesn't make a lot of sense.

January 

I don’t have much to share from January. It was probably the least eventful month of the year. The highlight was definitely NYE, which doesn't even count toward January.
Skating and laughing at the teenagers laughing at us for being so dressed up. New year, same curly haired girl EXCEPT she can (kind of) skate now. Games at the apartment. The best time. Look at my cute friends.

February

Finally went to my first ever Mardi Gras parade. Floats and colors and bands. Katy and Zach. Flying wads of beads and moon pies. Cheering. My scared face. 4.5 years later. 

The battleship. Climbing through what felt like tunnels and taking in the bay. Submarines. The Terry's.

My son, Milo. He was beautiful and a punk and liked when you talked to him. He liked Taylor swift and Beartooth. He had a tumor. 

Pensacon with Mikie. Sean Gunn and Joey and the Red Power Ranger. So many people. The best Spider-Man I’ve ever seen. Pokemon shirts and laughter.

March

March was another pretty quiet month. A trip to my favorite little town with my favorite little people. A new tattoo. "Family Bonding" Trampoline parks. Cold weather and rain.

Sometimes you need a little reminder.

April

Katy's birthday. Breakout and Mario Cart and pasta and After. Thrift shopping. Cringing in the movie theater. Yelling at each other over Wii Sports. Ballets. 

Road trip to Universal. Roller Coasters, no water pressure, "lol I got soked." Butter Beer-God's gift to mankind. Accidentally calling 911 on a water ride. Jurassic Park and Transformers and Harry Potter. Hogwarts. Old Town Road on repeat. Gave up on my bangs.

May

My brother graduated college. Cheering and falling down steps. Pride.

Nashville and The 1975. Road trip and ice cream and downtown. Cafes. Screaming lyrics in a pit full of people all feeling the music to their core. No Rome and the cute band member. The best concert of my life with my best friends. "Somebody Else" on repeat. Watching the videos for the next week.

2 years of Battle Scars feat. Helen 

June

Another road trip to my favorite little town with my favorite little people. Water parks and water slides. "I don't like it, I don't like!" Bouncy houses and hide and seek. Toy Story 4 and Forky. An adventure for sporks. Dyed my hair blue/green. Don't dye your hair blue/green.

Met my sweet friend Libi. If you don't know her, you're missing out. She's a gem. 

June 30th party. Swimming and pictures and fireworks. Swan float. Water volleyball. Rain. "Just get in, you losers!"

July

Friends that pierce their left ears together, stay together. 

Fourth of July with Zach's family. Party for the kids at work. Fireworks and Taco Bell.

'Papa John'. That's it. That's the whole thing.

August

Definitely the most eventful month.

My birthday. The beach and a bushwhacker and "SHELBY A GOAT'S ESCAPING!" 

Haley's going away party. Bittersweet. Our London writer. So proud, so jealous, so excited. Living the dream. 

SWERVE's first show at the Artel gallery. A wild roller-coaster of a day from start to finish. Some of my favorite people to dance with.

Taylor Swift's new album Lover on repeat. 

Another tattoo. Dorito. Handling my problems like the adult that I am.

September

Road trip with Mikie. Backstreet Boys in Birmingham. 20 years later. Screaming to the entire Backstreet's Back album. Cute shirts.

 Hannah's birthday. Dying my hair violet. True friendship and arcade games.

Georgia Tech Six Flags Night round 2. "Have a Six Flags day!" Air bnb shenanigans and donuts at 1 AM. Aquarium, penguin march, dolphin show. Baby Shark dodododo. 

Robertsdale fair and Sonic. That boat ride, man. 

October

My absolute favorite month.

Decorating, bats, spider webs, "This is Halloween." Classroom 5 decorations. 

Creepy Hollow Woods with this group. Bobo the Clown, weird slime, chainsaw guy, and pizza. "Zach, you're a wiener!" 

Giselle the ballet with my best friend and our moms. Googling the plot to keep up. Ghosts and broken hearts and dramatic flower toss.

Tickets to the one and only Lover Fest East. Shout out to Katy and her parents for waiting in the online queue for 3 hours.

Blonde hair.

Halloween with my Behavior Bees. Hocus Pocus.

"Skeletons" by This Century on repeat.

November

A random Halloween party to close out the season. 

Arts Fest. Cold air and sunshine and rehearsals. Food trucks. 

Artel round two. Fire and Rain. New dances, more people. 

Camping Year 3. Geneva the lake dog. Spooky podcasts, classic horror stories, the most amazing shooting star. Cute river. Breakfast burritos and pasta. 

Atypical Season 3. My absolute favorite show. Cried the whole way through. Freaking Casey, man.

The Mandalorian. Baby Yoda, a precious gift who should be protected at all costs.

Thanksgiving. Time with my family. Everyone in the kitchen. Late night target runs.

December

So far this month, I discovered the love of my life (other than Baby Yoda), AKA Yungblud AKA Dom. I mean look:

Precious. His music on repeat. 

Christmas decorations. Hank Aaron Stadium light show. Geneva and 'Let it Go'

Harry Styles' new album. Beautiful.

Dyed my hair rose.

So close to finishing a new book. So close. 

I'm sure there's so much more for this month to give me, but I couldn't wait any longer. Maybe I'll add to this later. It's nice seeing all the happy things that happened this year. It's easy to get caught up in the moment when things go wrong and feel like those times are lasting a lifetime. 2019 had a lot of ups. Here's to 2020.

Honorable mentions include:

Anytime I watched/visited/puppy sat Geneva.

Anytime I cat sat Katy's cats.

Anytime I used my typewriter.

Finishing my paint by numbers.

Milo's existence.

All the times people have brought their dogs to work.

Every time my 'little sister' at work says a new word or insists on sitting next to me and holding my hand.

Skids, Spoopy, and Houdini 

Cooper the Shop Cat.

Xo, Shel