2014 Favorites

2014 has been a crazy year for me, filled with tons of changes, both good and bad. My goal for the year was to figure out what I really want to do with my life and while I can't say I achieved that  I can ultimately say that I am probably the happiest I have ever been. It's difficult for me to admit but I'm pretty sure that is worth more than ticking boxes off of my to-do list ;) Since it has been such a wonderful year, I thought it would be fun to a short list of my favorite things from the past 12 months...

1//England - I spent more time in England this year than ever before and I love it more and more every day I spend there. Oxford specifically is the most amazing and magical places I have ever been. Moving there is definitely on my bucket list; not sure when or for how but it will happen one day! Looking forward to more visits in 2015!!

Beautiful Oxford

2//Books - 2014 was the year I fell in love with reading again. Books have always been important to me but I hadn't been making much time to read them the past few years. This year I read some really wonderful and inspiring books and, most importantly, remembered how much I truly love the feeling of losing myself in a good story.

Some of my favorite reads this year.

3//My Mother-In-Law - Along with spending more time in England came spending more time with Claire. When I quit my job and spent the whole month of May living with her on the Isle of Wight, I had no idea that her time was limited; it wasn't until July that we found out that she was sick. Regardless of what ended up happening, I was so fortunate to be able to spend more time with her this past summer and get to know her better but, considering what did happen, I feel even more lucky. She was a truly phenomenal woman and I feel lucky to have known her and to be part of her family.

Wedding dress shopping with my mother-in-law, sister, and best friends.

4//Learning - I started taking some community college classes in January and continued over the summer and in the fall semester. It has been amazing to have something to study and throw myself into and remember how passionate I am about learning, just for the sake of knowledge, not necessarily for a degree. While I do ultimately want to go back to school for a Master's degree, it has been and continues to be a great reminder that I don't need that in order to further my knowledge.

One of my choices for a Master's degree.

5//Work - I started off 2014 with the decision to leave my job and try and find something that made me happy. It definitely took more time that I expected, I didn't start my current job until late October, but I could not be happier. I love the company I work for, the people I work with and the actual work I do. It's amazing to feel like I am learning new things everyday and to feel valued at a company where I actually have potential for growth.

Incase anyone wanted to know how awesome my new job is...

A video posted by Elena Drake-Knight (@elenatamsen) on Oct 10, 2014 at 11:28am PDT

6//Badminton - Attending Badminton Horse Trials has been a dream of mine since I was a little kid. This year, my father-in-law bought me tickets and literally made my dreams come true. It was honestly one of the most amazing experiences of my life; it almost feels unreal. My friend, Emily, went with me and we just decided to go again in 2015!!! Definitely the start of the best tradition ever.

Can you tell how excited I was? Photo op with the one and only, William Fox-Pitt.

Cheers to a great year 2014! 2015, I can't wait to see what you will bring!!

xx, Elena