Driving down Highway 1, I looked out over the ocean on my way to a dinner with friends. It was a week or so before Thanksgiving in 2017, and I had just returned home from a beautiful wedding weekend in Palm Springs with Karson Butler Events. As I drove up the coast, I remember so vividly an overwhelming sense of gratitude. Gratitude for the life I was living, for the opportunities that came my way, and for the people who filled my days with joy and inspiration.

As I sit here, typing away, it’s hard to believe that it’s been almost seven years since that crisp November. I stumbled upon this old story saved in my library, created only a few weeks before the “archive” and “highlight” features debuted on Instagram. I remember laying in bed playing back the memories, excited to share the weekend with friends. Now it is a glimpse back into a chapter of my life that was brimming with excitement and possibility.

In those days, I was knee-deep in the world of event planning, working alongside the talented team at Karson Butler Events. Each wedding was a masterpiece in its own right, a vision of creativity that never failed to leave me in awe. And as I navigated through those whirlwind weekends, I found myself falling deeper in love with the art of celebration.

But more than just the glitz and glamour of the events, the video reminded me of something deeper. It reminded me of the pure joy I found in creating and sharing moments of beauty with others. It reminded me of the friendships that bloomed and the lessons learned along the way.

Life has a funny way of moving forward, sometimes faster than we can keep up. In the years since that weekend, I’ve embarked on new adventures, faced new challenges, and grown in ways I never thought possible. Yet, as I look back on that time with fondness, I’m reminded that some things never change.

That feeling of wide-eyed excitement, that hunger for new experiences, and that deep-seated gratitude for the journey—those are the constants that anchor us as we navigate the ever-changing tides of life.

So here’s to that wedding weekend of 2017, and to all the moments, big and small, that shape who we are and who we’re yet to become. May we continue to create, to share, and to dance through life with hearts full of joy and gratitude.