There's an incredible moment at the start of the second season of Friends. Ross has just walked off the plane after spending time in China for work, and Rachel is waiting for him with flowers because she's realized she might have feelings for him. She sees him, smiles hopefully, then immediately freezes because Ross walks off the plane with another woman and kisses her.

That character's name was Julie. She was a paleontologist who went to college with Ross and they reunited while on the trip. She was smart and had funny lines and wore the same cool 90s clothes the other characters wore. She was also of Chinese descent.

Happy 2015! December flew by in a blur. Every year, the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas seems to go by quickly, and then before I know it...it's the new year. I barely remember the finer details of the month, except that it was better than December of 2013, but I do remember feeling overwhelmed and busy for most of it.

But not too overwhelmed and busy for some snapshots (for those of you who follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you know that).

If you're new to this "leftovers" series, it's basically a dumping ground for just some of the photos I took during the month that didn't make it to my social media profiles.

So here we go...!

Another year full of lessons and living. Looking back on this year, it was filled with both profound losses and encouraging gains. Jason asked us over the holidays if 2014 was in the top quintile of all our years, and I had to really think about that...was it one of the five best years of my life?


Ultimately, the answer was yes, but it doesn't mean it'll be forever one of the best years of my life. (The best is always yet to come!) I learned so much more about the person I wanted to become and set real goals to try to achieve that. And while there were many (many) stumbles, I think the important thing is that 2014 was a year where I learned how to prioritize and where I finally learned how not to let others define my priorities for me.

I still don’t have everything figured out (does anyone, ever?) but for the first time since college, I have a clear vision of where I want to be someday.

1. Take advantage of becoming an adult.
Having health insurance was a godsend this year. Not only did I have to get my wisdom teeth out, but I took my first steps to confront an autoimmune disease I've had my whole life, and seeing the costs of all the appointments, treatment, and medication after applying my insurance was amazing. I also bought a shredder and started budgeting better and stopped leaving books and shoes strewn across my bedroom floor that I (and the dog) would trip over every day. (I also bought a coffee maker and have unfortunately not been using it as much as I should be lately…)

2. Learning to be solitary in New York is rewarding.
Being alone can be nice, especially in such a crowded city. I wrote about this back in August, but I've learned to really value solitude this past year, and not worry about not acting my age. There is nothing wrong with falling asleep at 8 p.m. on a Friday night, let’s be real.

It's December!

I didn't do an October leftovers post because I did a lengthy post on The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, but I found a few photos across October and November that sum up the end of the season.

There were brunches and work highlights that didn't make its way into my viewfinder, and you'll find some of the prettier moments (first holiday Starbucks cup, fall in Central Park) on my Instagram, but life isn't always about the pretty moments, right?

In 2011, after several disastrous wind gusts destroyed my poor California-made umbrellas, I decided to buy a clear bubble umbrella in hopes it would shield me from future storms. As I walked around my DC neighborhoods, I got several stares and a few snide remarks, but I was dry and protected from the winds trying to invert my umbrella, even if I looked a bit ridiculous to others.

Then in 2012, Blake Lively was spotted with a bubble umbrella, and suddenly they were popping up everywhere (OK, perhaps the two aren't directly related). I swore--and still swear--by the plastic dome created to resist wind and give its user a clear view of the sidewalk ahead without intruding in other people's space.

Last week on my 5 a.m. walk to the subway for work, a particularly strong wind was blowing rain sideways and I could feel my bubble umbrella beginning to give. Something snapped and the frame on one side of the umbrella bent inward, smacking the clear plastic into my eye. By the time I made it underground, I was soaked and unhappy, and snapped the frame back into place. It's not completely broken, but it's bent enough to make me realize that after three years of happy ownership, I may have to buy a replacement.

Which was a more surprising realization than I think it should have been.