Hola queridos!

Firstly  I want to THANK YOU @anomadsoul for creating this amazing contest where we all can look back into our lives and reflect about it, because I believe we are too busy living our present that we don't take a chance to reflect on what we have done, what are the things we wanted to do and we didn't and also reflect about why we didn't accomplish those goals. 

So before I started let me tell you more about me. I changed my mindset and lifestyle 3 years ago when I quit my boring office job and start traveling. Traveling taught me that you can do what you love and also get paid for it. So when I went back home to Mexico I got a job that I truly loved, I was working in a hostel for a while, meeting new people everyday (beautiful people who become family),  laughing everyday, wearing the clothes I wanted, playing my own music, helping people to get around and to enjoy their stayed with us.

I still can not believe how much this job changed my life to better and also my perspective to many things, like you don't need a lot to be happy, the more simple the better. It also help me to understand people more and to live the life I want. So my life these last years is being pretty much about working hard, saving money and do things that makes my heart feel happy. Words can't describe how thankful I am for having the opportunity to live this way, also it's because I don't have kids, I don't own a house, car neither a credit car, I don't have debts, my family is healthy; the only things I own is my backpack, my money, my computer, my work (I said my work because I make jewelry) and myself.

My Achievements and Failures of 2017 

My 2017 started with the right foot. I started focusing my energy December 2016 when I wanted to get a job working for BPM (Beats per Minute, a electronic music festival that was rocking in the Caribbean every single january from the last 10 years, I said it was because this year was the last one. I still remember how funny it was that exactly the same day and of the interview for this job, that same day I had to work in a dive shop so I was running back and for from my job to check how long the line of people who wanted to apply was (There is always a lot of people applying for this festival because you can roughly make in 10 days what you make in 1 month or more).At the end things worked out and I got a position. I was very very happy. 

So by this time I was working 2 jobs and also selling brownies on the beach oh si I was busy, but I loved it and I also had a goal, save money to travel more around my country and also meet my other half And I did!

My first stop Mexico City, it is always fun to be in this place (I have a post about fun things to do here if you are interested)...

Then...

Las Grutas de Tolantongo

Mineral del monte and HUasca de Ocampo both magic and colorful towns with a lot of history...

Tula

After those  places I decided going towards the Pacific Ocean so I went to Oaxaca State, San Jose del Pacifico,  Puerto Escondido, Zipolite , mazunte and Chacahua, the place that become home for the last 3 months of my trip.

Chacahua is a beautiful and little place on the beach, a place where I have seen the most beautiful sunsets, where people is enjoying life outside doing something because there is no internet or tv. People is smart, people is happy and everybody is family.

It was in this place where I started learning how to make jewelry with macrame and rocks, the idea of

creating my brand came up here. After 3 months I went back to the Caribbean to see my family, friends and to save more money to Travel again but this time to NY, to finally meet my boyfriend family after 4 years dating.

I was so lucky this last time I went back to Mexico for having the opportunity to have my bestfriend as a roommate and also to connect with @lizanomadsoul, exactly in the same place where I met her, who also introduce me to this amazing guy @luzcypher, they both told me about steemit about 6 months ago. One of the best things I could do was to give myself the chance to be part of this wonderful community that has giving me a lot in many ways. Thank you thank you amigos!

After a few months working and saving in Mexico I finally made it to NY. I been around here about 4 months and NY state besides being so beautiful, it's so much fun too, I came right in harvest season, so I have had my first fall and winter experience here and also I have learned so many things.  

I love how many things you can do in the Big Apple. There is no debt that NY City has a lot to offer like the Afropunk Festival in Brooklyn, a festival full of colors and an amazing energy. 

But for me the countryside is my favorite place, I have learned how to cut wood to get ready for winter, how to cut a tree down, how to harvest greens, pumpkins, apples and onions, how to make an apple pie and also how cook the turkey for thanksgiving. I have learned that keeping the backyard clean in fall season takes some work, that playing golf is not that easy, racing go cars is ultra fun and that going to haunting houses in halloween, even knowing that is all made up, it does scare you. 

I love everybody in my second family, I couldn't ask for a better family than this. The love you feel around them makes you feel so good all the time.

I discovered one of my favorites trees is a willow tree...

And that Niagara falls are  more beautiful and impressive in person than on Television.

This year I also been working in my jewelry project. This makes me super happy, to see that finally things   are finally coming out as I had visualized.

 

Winter is not bad as many people make you believe, I'm still alive and I'm loving it. You just have to get the proper clothes and you will be fine. 

There is a lot of things to do on winter like ice skating, sliding, skying, snowball battles, a snowman, cutting the christmas tree, and more.

 Oh wow I'm so excited to do most of these things, I let you guys know about how it goes in my next posts :D

ACHIEVEMENTS

•  Be able to focus on my goals.
• Meeting my boyfriend family.
• Be able to improve my english even if i'm no 100% yet, writing and reading being helping me a lot.
• Experience fall and winter.
• Live a simple life.
• Starting on steemit
• Srtarting ArtesAna my jewelry project.

FAILURES

• Not be consistent in my exercises.
• Not being 100% in my healthy diet.
• No saving as much money I wanted to renovate my parents house but I will use steemit money for that.
• Not writing on steemit as much as I would like to.

Im so happy I'm writing this post right now, it has made me realize how much I have done and how much I have learned.  Cant wait to share what I know with my friends and family back home and also to learn and live more. I'm actually going to Mexico soon, that's going to be another good adventure!! I definitely keep you post amigos.

I really hope everybody is enjoying this contest and much as I do. Thank you to all this community for doing things like this possible. 

Cant wait for 2018!! What about you?

I wish you mucho love, peace and awareness. 

Ana.