Without a doubt, 2017 has been the best year of my life.
From traveling the world from the Pacific to the Atlantic to discovering what I’m most passionate about through my amazing internship, I wanted to pay tribute to the best year yet.
Who Am I?
The ever burning question of who am I and what am I doing with my life was especially prevalent this year. Battling inner demons and insecurities proves to be a reoccurring theme yearly; however, I made strides this year, as I’ve discussed in previous blogs.
I learned to be easier on myself. To love myself. To be proud of myself.
Not only has it been easier to support myself and think positively, it also has improved my relationships with friends and family.
This summer was all about improving me, focusing on myself and what was best for me. No boys, no parties (due to the fact that almost all of my friends moved out of my town for the summer), no negative vibes, no distractions.
This summer, I found the confidence to believe in myself. After all, the only person you’ll spend your entire life with is yourself…might as well get acquainted now. 
A huge part of my personal success this summer was due to my life changing, career altering sales internship at Comcast Spotlight.
One Spotlight, One Family.
With little Sales experience and aspirations to go into PR, I did not know what to expect when I walked into Comcast Spotlight on June 5.
My boss, Kurt, and my O’Hare team challenged me, taught me, and inspired me. With an insatiable quest to learn all I could about the media sales industry, I immersed myself in my work. 
Scrubbing leads, helping create presentation decs, analyzing and synthesizing industry reports, attending sales calls, constantly searching for new leads for the Account Executives, brainstorming creative commercial ideas, giving my millennial opinion to clients… I loved every second of my internship and absorbing all I could from my extremely talented and seasoned team, especially my mentor Jean.
So thank you, Comcast Spotlight, for leading me to my passion, an industry that consistently consumes me, and enabling me to grow both personally and professionally.
I still take every opportunity to talk about this experience, with a strong smile playing on my lips, and a radiant sparkle in my eyes. I’m so lucky to have found a field that brings this much joy into my life, this early into my professional career.
Travel
Perhaps the most defining moments of 2017 include my many trips abroad. Prior to 2017, I had never left the US.
I can now say I’ve seen a lot of the world, and I also was so fortunate enough to visit my friends in Nashville and New York City, and vacation in Florida with my family (definitely the best family vacation aside from Barca/Madrid).
Rewind to January, and I found myself studying abroad in Vietnam for three weeks. Talk about culture shock – a south-suburban Chicago girl exploring the historical, beautiful Southeast-Asian country from top to bottom.
My parents gave me the world this year – three weeks in Vietnam and a semester in Barcelona, and for this I am infinitely grateful. I’ve seen ten countries now: Vietnam, Spain, Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, Morocco, Portugal, Czech Republic, and the UK, and been to 28 foreign cities abroad.
I made incredible friendships with people both from Elon and from other universities and cities around the world.
I lived with an incredible host family in Barcelona. They welcomed me into their life, their home, their traditions and holidays. The Riccis became my second family, my true home away from home. I am forever fortunate and grateful for the opportunity to live with them and become their third American daughter.
Traveling Europe showed me how fortunate I am to have opportunities like this, opportunities to experience other cultures, foods, traditions, cities. I found genuine kindness and good heartedness in new friends and continual warmth and love from the old.
Living in Spain during the Catalonia political unrest, in our world during this tumultuous time, under the roof of my generous host family, I learned so much about myself and what truly matters most.
Love passionately. Live happily.
Love your friends, your family, those people who wander in and out of your life to teach you something.
Love your job, love your life, love whatever you’re doing. Just make sure you’re happy. Life is beautiful, and it’s only so long, so we might as well do it right and make the most of every moment.
Here’s to the best year, with the best people, and the most unforgettable life changing memories.
I am forever appreciative to you, 2017.
ALWAYS ASHLEY 
Ashley, if anyone anywhere deserved the Best Year Ever, it was you, for finding so much in it ,appreciating it all and expressing it all so beautifully. Cheers , and actually i will bet anything 2018 will be your next B.Y.E.! XOXOXO
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