2018 in Review

2018 was an insane year for me. The first eight months were spent in London. I saw so many shows and spent six months doing my dream internship at the Donmar Warehouse while also finishing my Master's degree and doing my dissertation. I went to Paris and to Disneyland Paris, in addition to Scotland and some English towns and also had family and friends visit me in London.

In September, I moved back to the States and spent a month at home before moving to New York in October. In perfect honesty, things have been a bit of a struggle since moving to New York as I haven't had the easiest time adjusting. But there have still been some fun times spent with friends and I've seen a couple of amazing shows, in addition to some great time spent back home in North Carolina over Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I'm so excited to see what 2019 will hold, but it's hard to see how anything (ever?) could top the first eight months of 2018. x

January 
I started out the year at home trying to finish my essays for the term while battling a horrendous virus. But then I got a little more time at home once I was feeling better because my flight had to be moved because of snow! Once I was back in London, my cousin Kristi came to visit for a week. And on January 22 (yes, I found the exact date), I started an internship in the Development Department at the Donmar Warehouse (and saw Belleville and met James Norton that night!!). 

February 
In February, my wonderful friend Stefanie came to visit and we had so much fun traipsing around London and out to Warwick Castle and Oxford. In February, I was really finding my feet at the Donmar and was so excited to be a part of everything going on with The York Realist, undoubtedly one of the best plays I've ever seen. February 23 was the fateful day that I went to see The Grinning Man (with Rhiannon) for the first time. And if you follow me on social media or on here, you may know I ended up seeing it six times!

March
March was full of high and lows. After having been gone for much of February traveling in Europe, my best friend Corinne stayed with me for a few days before moving back to Australia. I can honestly say that saying goodbye to her was one of the hardest things I did this past year. But then, I went to Paris for my spring break with my friend Patrizia which was amazing. I got to see so many sites I've wanted to go to for a long time, like Victor Hugo's house and Voltaire's tomb. 

April
April was such an exciting month. I went to my first concert by myself and while sit-down small gigs are much more my thing, it was so fun to see dodie perform live. I also got to attend the press launch for the revival of Company and met Patti LuPone and Marianne Elliot which was incredible. Most excitingly, I attended the Oliviers to do social media coverage for BroadwayWorld UK and even though it was chaotic and rainy, it was so amazing to be on the red carpet and in the press room. I met everyone from Imelda Staunton to Carrie Hope Fletcher! Finally April was rounded off with a visit home which definitely refreshed me. 

May 
In May, I went to the final closing performance of The Grinning Man and cried my eyes out. I also went to Louise Pentland's book signing and discovered that a quote from my review (here! on this blog!) was chosen to be amongst the review quotes in the paperback edition. I will never forget the moment that after spending the most fun day with Rhiannon at the Tower of London, we discovered that a quote from my review for Red had gone up on the Wyndham Theatre. May was truly the time that it sunk in that I was a proper writer. 

June
In June, I saw all three of RADA's summer shows and spent a lot of time there (my best friend Rhiannon studies stage management at RADA; I'm not just a massive groupie). I also got to attend West End Live for the first time which was so amazing especially because Killian Donnelly did a surprise performance with the Barricade Boys. June was also the month of Tartuffe posters everyone...with my quote at the top! 

July
In July, I traveled up to Scotland to visit my friend Julie who was there for awhile over the summer and we had the best time. Back in England, I fulfilled my dream of seeing Anne Boleyn's childhood home, Hever Castle, thanks to Rhiannon's parents driving us there. (I also spent the nicest weekend at her house.) Perhaps most incredibly, I got to meet my favorite actress Lily James after attending a charity screening of Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again. Sadly, my time at the Donmar ended but my family came for a visit which kind of made up for it. 

August
After an amazing visit with my family, I left for Disneyland Paris with Rhiannon. I've wanted to go there for so long and we had the best time! Then I came back to attend Summer in the City, the big YouTube convention in London, for the first time which was amazing. (My now roommate) Kimmy came to visit me for a week and a half and we had some great adventures. In August, I also finished and turned in my dissertation! 

September
After seeing Jeremy Jordan in concert and getting to be at the first night of Heathers in their West End transfer to the Haymarket, I moved home to North Carolina. Luckily, my dad came to help because it was quite the ordeal to get everything all packed up. I got to spend some amazing time at home before going up to New York to apartment hunt. 

October
I got to attend my first film festival, Film Fest 919, in North Carolina where I saw The Favourite and Boy Erased. Mid-month, with the help of my whole family, I packed up everything and moved to New York City. Much of the later part of the month was spent job hunting and trying to adjust to the city. 

November
I started working a part-time job selling merchandise at a handful of theatres. After lots more job hunting, I had a couple of successful interviews and was finally offered a job. I spent my last full day of unemployment at the Met Museum. After going home for Thanksgiving, I started my job at Spektrix, a theatre software company. 

December 
In December, my most-anticipated film of the year Mary Queen of Scots (directed by the Donmar Warehouse's artistic director Josie Rourke) was released. I've already seen it not once, but twice. In theatre news, I went to see Clueless the Musical, which I found rather charming, and even got to meet Dove Cameron at the stage door after. Before long it was time to go home for Christmas and we had wonderful celebrations. 

What were the highlights of your 2018? x
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