Dear 2016,
Je t'aime.  Thank you for...

JANUARY: First Nights in Boston // Freaking Disney on Ice // Late nights painting a room // Bath tubs // Birthday boys // The best street tacos one can find in Pittsburgh // Baby skillets // The color pink

MARCH: Beautiful art // Shadow and light // Museum selfies with stone dragons // Easter festivities with the roommate // Flights home with friends // Window seats // Crappy cups of coffee // Cozy afternoons // Bright colors // Nicknames // Cut-outs at ice cream shops // Good books // Pittsburgh at night

  APRIL: Happy endings // Sisters for life // Sad move-outs // Last days of school // Warmer weather // Friendship and memories // Music // More beginnings

MAY: Peaceful mornings // Day light coming through the windows // Cherry blossoms // Quiet observational doodles // Twins till the end // Little breakfast outings // Silly performances // Gal pals with the best advice // Cathedrals of Learning // Audio tours // Going home

  JUNE: Self healing and restoration // plants (which have sadly since passed away...RIP little ones!) // Cotton candy skies //  Nature in all its glory // Whenever swims in the pool // Dark streets with bright movie theaters // The best place on earth // Home in the mountains

JULY: Sister selfies as bears // Bears // Walks in the woods // Catching the sun rise on a mountain // Family reunions // Bowling with hometown friends // Being sucky at bowling // Liberating haircuts // Day trips to the local museum to pass the time // Letting time pass slowly 

  AUGUST: The North End //  Finally finding a good bowl of Pho // Asian supermarkets // Back-to-school shopping // Sunny days with the cat //  Washington D.C my kind of Disney World // THE BEST DONUTS YOU WILL EVER EAT // Day dreaming at the Smithsonian

SEPTEMBER: Secret art Downtown // Light up fruit signs // Fried dough? // Farmer's markets // Making friends with the hummus man // Pop-up shops // Surprise art competitions

 

OCTOBER: Being born in this lovely month // My wig Penelope // My favorite costume ever // Never being dropped //  The greatest experience I've had so far at school to be part of art // My fourth floor family forever // Cute ice cream shops (notice a theme yet?) // Strawberries that still give me allergic reactions after hiding dormant for years 

NOVEMBER: Tiny apartment Thanksgivings // Lack of counter space // Misty tea houses // More squirrelly hills // I touched the butt // Doing weird things for art // Two turkeys at Thanksgiving // Homes away from home // Drinking all the orange juice in the exhibit //  Clean apartments // More light-up nights // Squirrels plummeting to their death to plummet you to your death on the streets of Oakland  // Tea time // Figuring out you're really a Hufflepuff

DECEMBER: Realizing you are in the home stretch // A newfound hope and love of Shia LaBoeuf // The Polar Express // All the Christmas-y things // Always having a back to jump on // Going home again // Surprise birthday parties // The girls of 307 // That time I accidentally messaged the wrong group chat // Boston in the winter // Cat cuddles // Being able to read books and watch movies in mass quantity // Visiting the frozen in time sanctuary of The Isabella Stewart Gardner museum // Christmas // Writing again

Thank you for bringing me a year of joy, unforgettable memories, and friendships. 

- ML