2014 was a blur of excitement, achievement, exploration and self recognition. I think the easiest way to reflect on the past year is to break it down by seasons, starting with Winter!
Winter: #HIKEIT
I started 2014 off being newly engaged to my partner now of 8 years! Kinda of a crazy feeling... because as a kid I never thought I would ever have that chance. Oh amazing!! In Feb I had the chance to fly home with Caleb to MN where he got to finally experience "cold" (I mean -25 cold) and became godfather to my nephew. What a crazy feeling to lay in your childhood room with your nephew.. where has the time gone (but we can save that for another blog lol). During these months I also discovered a new passion for hiking. We bought a year pass for the so cal state parks and started hiking! I call them "Airplane Mode Sundays" and giving myself a mental break from social media/technology and just finding yourself in the woods is needed!
Spring: #22
Kicked off spring with a bang by having Spring breakers down from MN aka #22! I love having people down and exploring San Diego as if for the first time. Really gives you a sense of how lucky we are to live in this city! But it wouldn't be spring break with out some bing drinking and drunk trolley rides from downtown to la mesa. #22. As soon as the livers recovered it was time for a smokey camping trip for Caleb's bday! So the gay's packed up their lives and headed to the woods for some sleeping on the ground, cooking over a fire, and hiking. Nothing like laughing and bonding with your friends over a fire and not showering for 3 days... oh the memories (but we will leave those stories in the woods). This leaves us with my favorite month of Spring, May! My sister, nephew and her husband came down to visit for 10 days, then soon after was my bday & my mom came down. May was a month of family and adventure! I took my mom to Palm Springs for the 1st time in her life and showed her the "resort life" as we floated with drinks over my bday weekend. Really just perfect.....
Summer: #WERK
When I was a kid, Summer was nothing but relaxing at the lake in northern MN and working on your tan. Now, Summer, is my busiest months of the year for work. I kick off June with Out at The Fair (award winning event) & the OATF Pool Party. This years OATF was incredible!! We set out to prove that we can handle this type of event and blew peoples expectations away! 2015 OATF is only going to be that much better! Right after OATF I jumped on a plane and flew off to Key West for the 1st time in my life. Let's just say it left more then an impression on me.... finding myself on my own island (14 miles off the coast in the middle of the gulf) with just my partner and 2 friends was insane. Taking that moment in life to just light up, relax and enjoy what you have done already in the first 6 months. But as soon as the vacation ended it was time to get back to CA for a crazy month of July! Not even on the ground for 48 hours and back in a DJ booth for 4th of July.... then a week break before the biggest launch yet! Pride 2014 wasn't only amazing for my DJ career (16.5 hr DJ day Saturday of pride) it was time to release Hillcrest Social to the public with a parade viewing party at Flicks. Let's just say with the positive reaction we got something started that day.... something BIG! In between OATF and Out at the Races I had a chance to sneak home and help my sister move out of her apartment and start a new adventure in her life. It was kinda of amazing to show her no matter where I am you can count on me. Out at the Races or OATR was a huge learning process for me. Sad to say there were some horses that passed this season and some in the community took to Facebook to bash me in contrast fb posts about the Races, how this event is horrible, and how the lgbt community shouldn't support it.... with haters comes success. As I stood at OATR under a HUGE cabana, with our own private bar, betting booths, Todd Gloria, our own concession stands and a 3/4 full tent I thought what a success. But it wasn't done there...... there was still the DJ Steve Aoki concert where I danced and partied in a crowd of 17,000! I jumped and danced while he played FREAK & stared up to the sky thinking... this was incredible!
Fall: #THECHANGE
With only 3 weeks of planning and 2 weeks after the OATR I managed/planned the 1st ever DJ Stage at South Bay Pride in Chula Vista. I used part of the OATF team to booked 5 Djs from Hillcrest, 4 drag performances, 2 hosts and help run the stage for the day. The event was waterfront on San Diego Bay and a beautiful back drop of downtown. I had never been to South Bay Pride but I really enjoyed it and hope to do it again next year. After the excitement of Summer was whining down we went full force into Hillcrest Social and creating a brand that would excited and empower the LGBT community here in San Diego. Deciding the best way to gain users is to put in the foot work we got a few photographers to go out weekly and capture the nightlife in Hillcrest. Giving people a real feeling of connection with the app. Giving you not only a place to find whats going on, to be able to share your pictures, chat with people from all over, and help promote local talent (this section is gonna blow people away). But don't worry I still got to sneak in my Halloween party... the last big party in La Mesa before the move. But if you would have told me that night I would be moving soon after I would have told you, you were crazy! haha But it happened and I love it... worth the stress. To be able to start the new year and have a Christmas in a new place was a great feeling.
2014.... I gained some new friends this year and grew apart from some old ones. Nothing against the people who move out of your life, but it happens for a reason. For me personally I felt like I have a path, goals, ambition and can't keep letting the constant negativity pull me away from my goals. I am not jumping into 2015 with any crazy fitness goals because every time I try I end the next year looking the same lol. So instead I decided I want to walk 10,000 steps a day and lift something more then my DJ bag 3 times a week. I eat really healthy and pretty much have cut fast food out 95%... minus those taco shop nights. I want to blog more, share recipes, answer questions and just explore blogging more in the new year. I also want to fly some where international.... so I am on the hunt for a groupon. Here is to 2015, may the year be filled with joy, success and exploration for everyone! Happy New Years. #LastSelfieof2014
