This has been an incredible year of firsts for me! As of May 18th, I have been in San Diego, California, for a full calendar year. Time has flown by! They say it does that when you are having fun. I believe them. It feels as if my husband and I just yesterday finished our cross-country move from our sleepy South Georgia life and unloaded our SUVs and U-haul trailer, stuffing-full our tiny shoebox apartment on 67th Street in the big city of San Diego.

Since that bewildering trek— I have hiked my first breathtaking cliffside beaches, experienced my first wildflower super blooms, seen my first west coast sunset, celebrated my first anniversary as a married man, partook in my first Día de los Muertos fiestas, ate my first torta and a myriad of other mouth-watering and new-to-me cuisines. I have also had my first jury duty experience, got my first vehicle Smog Check, filed my first joint tax returns, and moved into a much bigger apartment. It is almost all a blur!

At every turn this past year I found new sights and new experiences that have all allowed me to grow in different areas of life. I transitioned from a small-town life and into a metropolitan beach city lifestyle, I got married and turned my focus to building a thriving life with my husband, and I evolved professionally in my career with my new position. Now that I am settled into San Diego and have a good grasp on where I want the trajectory of my life and career to go, I can see a lot more firsts to come.

In fact, when my U.S. Passport arrives in the mail, I will embark on another first by leaving the U.S. for the first time to meander Mexico. Why not, it is less than 45 minutes away!

In short, this year of firsts in San Diego has been amazing. Almost every week I find myself experiencing something new, something fun and different. I am excited to ride out this southern California wave. I look forward to more exciting firsts and to further evolving myself personally and professionally.