I turn 22 tomorrow. This time last year I was in the process of dropping out of college, obviously a bit of a big deal. I was also taking a creative writing course at Columbia, living on the Upper West Side, recently addicted to Equinox, and sleeping on my floor because I was too stubborn to install an air conditioner despite 100+F nights.

A lot of things have happened in the last 365 days. Most recently, I joined the Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG). My startup story has gone full circle. Starting in Abu Dhabi, where I met BrightCo’s founder, my roommate, and close friend Rebecca Kantar. Continuing through the building of BrightCo, first bicoastal-ly with Rebecca in Boston and me in Portland, OR, relocating to NY, getting an office, hustling, and then ending with this deal.

I am excited to be building a new product, Share, at GLG. We have an awesome team, a brand new office, and a great product to build and sell, and, for the first time basically ever, ample resources. However, my 9-5 isn’t all that I did all year.

I also worked on this blog. I redesigned it more times than I (and probably you) care to remember, added advertisements that I hope aren’t too obtrusive, and wrote a little piece that caused a whole lot of stir. Thanks mostly to you, my readers; I was approached with some amazing freelance gigs. This year I’ve been published in The New York Times Online, Huffington Post, Elite Daily, PSFK, and Thought Catalog. I also joined the editorial board of The FBomb.

In my personal life, I moved from a tiny apartment on the Upper West Side to a huge apartment in Soho that I get lost in sometimes. Griffin came into my life, which is a strange phrasing but I cringe when I say that I bought or adopted him because the idea that he could be classified as a thing available for purchase is now crazy to me. I opened a retirement account because; for the first time ever, I’ll be making a enough that I can proactively save. I can also buy dinner and a glass of wine on the same night and not feel bad about it.

Last year, I wrote about how I don’t really celebrate my birthday, but this year I decided that it was time to change that. Tomorrow I’ll be having a cohort of friends and family over for a dinner party with a very age-appropriate dinosaur theme. Yes, I planned my own birthday party. That’s the control freak in me shining through.

Tomorrow, on my birthday, is the launch of PippaLoves. The best birthday present you could give me would be to go check it out and, if you are compelled to do so, subscribe. Starting a new venture is always scary but having a community of readers and supporters has encouraged me to take more risks and be bolder in the coming year.

On that note, some goals for 22:

• To continue to work on being a better listener and communicator.
• To not give up on dating, even if it might seem scary sometimes.
• To monitor and manage stress more effectively.
• To proactively gather wisdom from those I care for, love, and respect.

Finally, we live in a world that is often dark and scary. Things are happening in far off places and in our own communities that can make it easy to be pessimistic. My greatest goal for 22 is to strive to see the potential in even the darkest situations. While I am quick to see the glass half-empty, it is only through a desire to find solutions that will be solutions be found.