2016 Memories

What a year! They say time flies when you’re having fun – and 2016 was a whirlwind – in a good way. As I’m feeling a little sentimental heading into the new year, I wanted to share some of my favorite photos and memories from 2016.

2016 Travels

2016 was another epic year of travel. There’s something about living overseas as an expat that inspires wanderlust like no other. The proximity to so many amazing destinations certainly doesn’t hurt!

I welcomed in 2016 in Berlin (photo above), a beautiful but freezing experience! From Christmas markets, to New Year’s Eve at a trendy warehouse club, I always love visiting Berlin – I just prefer doing so when it’s a touch warmer!

After a great New Year’s in Berlin, I traveled back to Boston in March for my Dad’s birthday.

During that trip, I also got to go visit my old stomping – er sipping – grounds at the DD Mothership. Pictured here with one of my fave former colleagues, John, it was so great to pop back in and see everyone!

Also incredible? That one time Virgin Atlantic bumped me up to first class from BOS-LHR! It was a pretty epic moment and I could easily get used to first class. A little too easily ;)!

In April, I took a trip to Ireland with my dear friend Ekaterina. We drove around southwestern Ireland for four days! One of my personal highlights of the trip was discovering Valentia Island – gorgeous and just enough off the beaten tourist path!

 

In May, I spent a weekend in Bruges, Belgium. It is a stunning town filled with canals, cobblestone streets, medieval buildings and lots of insanely good chocolatiers. I would recommend that you go in a heartbeat!

In June, I took a family trip to London and Barcelona and it was a great highlight of 2016. It was so nice to show my parents around my new hometown and then jet off to Barcelona for plenty of tapas, sunshine and sightseeing!

If you’re planning a trip to London in the “summer” (I used quotations as the above photo was taken in early June!), you can read my recommendations for a 7-day trip here.

In July, it was off to the French Riviera for a road trip exploring the area’s historic and medieval villages. While many people travel to this area with visions of yachts and beaches, we decided to take the path less traveled. And yes, it did make all the difference!

 

 

 

 

Later in July, I jetted off to Canada – Fredericton, New Brunswick – to be exact. While this was for a work trip, it ended up being a lot of fun. I had never expected to visit Fredericton, but it was a charming small town with nice restaurants and a beautiful river. Also exciting? My first time ever on a 16-seater prop plane!

 

In late September, I took another epic trip with my friend Ekaterina to see Budapest and Vienna. While there are differences between the two, I loved how both cities are known for their architecture, rich food and historic attractions. To start, a few photos from Budapest.

 

 

Next, it was off to Vienna to admire the city’s many cathedrals, palaces…..and of course cakes!

 

 

My final trip of the year? Back to the U.S. for Christmas of course! Read all about my trip home here.

 

 

2016 Life In London Updates

In 2016, I made an effort to explore more of London. From parks, to gardens, events and more, there is so much to see and do in London!

As you’re probably aware, I adore parks and gardens, so venturing out to Kew Gardens was a wonderful trip and one I highly recommend.

I also loved exploring Holland Park. Holland Park is not only beautiful, but they allow peacocks to freely roam the grounds. What an incredible sight!

I would also be remiss if I did not mention my all-time favorite park, Regent’s Park. I spent much of 2016 wandering the park’s beautiful grounds. Here are some of the best shots I captured. It’s hard to whittle them down, but I did my best!

 

 

 

 

It just so happens that one of my favorite annual events, The Taste of London, is held in Regent’s Park and attracts some of London’s top restaurants for a fun day or evening of food and drinks! As seen below, I also love a good wacky photo booth moment!!

Another highlight this summer was an invitation to the finals of the Queen’s Club tennis, where I watched Andy Murray defeat Milos Raonic. What a great match – and experience!

Often times, it’s the little things that make you smile. As an expat, I had such a wonderful time with my fellow American friend, Meg, when we went to the Mondrian along South Bank to eat cheeseburgers, hot dogs – with beers of course – in celebration of July 4th. And yes, I do see the irony, but hey…

I was also thrilled to be invited by London & Partners to London’s Autumn Season preview at the Museum of Science. It was so fun to wander around the museum after hours, and my dear friend Suki and I also got to see previews of the autumn cultural attractions in London. There was also a wonderful welcome speech from London’s Mayor, Sadiq Khan. #LondonIsOpen

 

Last, but certainly not least, I absolutely loved the Christmas lights and festive squares in London this year. From Carnaby Street, to Oxford Street, Regent Street, and more, December is a wonderful time to see London all decked out! For more festive holiday photos of London, check out my blog post here.

2016 Professional Updates

A great surprise of 2016? Seeing our book, The Power of Visual Storytelling, come out Chinese and Korean! While our book has been our for a few years, it is still incredibly popular and it’s very much a “proud author” moment to get copies of the international editions.

2016 was another year filled with many conference talks – too many to list! One that I was very proud to speak at was Silicon Beached in London! The event featured a dynamic all-female lineup – check out the recap here.

I also spoke in front of 400+ people at SearchLove London – another incredible moment!

In addition to my time on the speaker circuit, I also launched Startup Stir London, a monthly event series featuring startup founders and industry innovators. We hosted four events during the second half of 2016 and have an incredible 2017 lineup for Londoners to look forward to!

I was also honored in 2016 to be named one of the top female speakers you should know by HubSpot. To see the full list of 150+ incredible women speakers featured, click here.

Final Thoughts

All in all, it was another incredible year as a jet-setting expat in London. It’s still somewhat hard to believe that I call London home, but I  feel so lucky to have this experience. So, what will 2017 bring? While I’m not one to make strict New Years resolutions, expect to see more of my travel bucket list checked off, more frequent blog updates and lots of healthy (or healthy-ish) recipes to come!