This weekend, I’m celebrating another spin around the sun in this magical universe.
As I’ve done every year since I turned 28, I’m reflecting on all of the reasons my most recent year was memorable and worth celebrating. Last year, I shared 37 Reasons Why 37 Was the Best One of All. I mean, come on. It’s pretty hard to beat the year I married my best friend.
And so yes – 37 remains the best one of all.
But my 38th spin around the sun?
It was what dreams are made of.
This past year, we finally got on a plane together after seven years together. Yes, you read that right. We had the most epic cross-country honeymoon to Montreal all the way to Tofino, BC.
I spent a lot of my year getting up close and personal with all of my favorite sea creatures from whales to sea otters. THAT was a dream in the making since little Crystal did a science report on sea otters back in the early 90s.
And best of all – Dan and I bought a summer home on none other than Grand Manan Island.
I’ve gone on and on again about how much of a dream come true this was for me, but it wasn’t until I was going through some old journals from the last few years that I found an intention I’d written down in October 2019 at a goddess retreat in Portland, Maine that I was reminded of the power of asking the universe for the things you want most.
Ok, so our house doesn’t have a lighthouse view and it might not be our dream home yet. After all, it currently has no running water, the kitchen has been ripped out, and it’s in major reno mode.
But we have a pretty great ocean view from our deck, I can hear the ferry coming and going, the fog horn can lull me to sleep, and lastly, we our minutes away from the beloved Swallowtail Lighthouse and my favorite seaglass beaches.
So yeah. It is everything I was wild enough to dream about having one day.
This little note that I wrote to myself over three years ago reminded me of the importance of staying true to yourself, trusting the timing of your life, and telling the universe what you want. When I wrote this, my BIGGEST dream was to get engaged, which happened a month later.
This note above, was part of an activity where I wrote down where I saw DREAM Crystal in 10 years.
The universe works fast, my friends.
And yes, that is a seagull feather I found in an old journal.
So on that note – cheers to another spin around the sun, another year of making dreams come true, and another year of celebrating all of the little things that make this a beautiful life.
1. Some pretty big milestones happened in the last year, beginning with my PR company, Crystal Richard & Co., turning 5 in February!
2. After two years of avoiding large events and staying home, I had an amazing night out with besties and clients in Halifax, supporting a CR & Co. client, Easter Seals NS.
3. There is a reason this pineapple drink at Bar Sophia in Halifax made my top 38 list. Trust me.
4. Hubs and I had an awesome getaway at the Muir in Halifax. If you haven’t had a chance to stay at the Muir but have been thinking about it – I highly suggest the splurge! The experience is top notch!
5. I had my second annual solo retreat to Saint Andrew’s by the Sea in April. Fried clams, seaglass, spa trips, and a lot of writing – it was magical.
6. I got to experience the Hight Tea at the Montague Rose in Saint Andrews by the Sea. 10/10 would recommend. You can read ALL about the experience here.
7. In May, we celebrated Mom and Dad’s 40th Wedding Anniversary with a party by the shore.
8. We island-hopped to Grand Manan in May for a mini getaway AND to look at what would later become our island house. It was a hard secret to keep!
9. During our visit, we met our new friends Kim and John and got to try out their new island ebike business. We had SO MUCH FUN and continued to rent the bikes all summer long. These are a MUST if you’re on the island. Learn more here or visit them online.
10. This year, I became a Take it Outside Ambassador! And I’m so excited to share more of this fun partnership in 2023!
11. I’ve been obsessed with pirates and buried treasure since I was a little girl, so getting to stay at the Oak Island Resort with my fellow Take it Outside ambassadors, across from the world famous Oak Island, was VERY cool.
12. Back in January 2022, I wrote ‘the Ovens in Nova Scotia‘ as a wish list destination for the year. It wasn’t planned, but a last minute decision while in Lunenburg with the Take it Outside crew found us at the Ovens an hour later – it was EPIC, even in the fog. You can read all about it here.
13. On the first day of summer in June, East Coast Mermaid turned SIX!
14. After years of talking about it, I finally got to experience the incredible Corn Hill Nursery and restaurant and gardens with my friend and client Kate Wallace. Their pizza is AMAZING. I’ll definitely be back this year!
15. One word: Karl. Turning a seagull into an internet sensation was awesome. Stay tuned for a lot more Karl to come!
16. Remember I said I was obsessed with pirates and buried treasure growing up? Finding a ballast stone from the 1857 Lord Ashburton shipwreck off Grand Island was a HIGHLIGHT of the summer! I’m obsessed with it!
17. This past year included SO MANY WHALES and trips to sea with my friends, Lambert Family Adventures. I’m so excited for even more adventures this year but until then, you can see some of my photos from one of our sails this summer here.
18. I got to attend Ballet by the Ocean for a second year in a row with Mama Mermaid!
19. On August 5th, the day before our first wedding anniversary, we closed on our island home on Grand Manan Island. Best day ever.
20. Mama Mermaid and I attended the 4th annual Campobello Island Seaglass Festival and had the time of our lives! We made new friends, new memories, and are already booked for Labor Day Weekend again this year! East Coast Mermaid also sponsored this year’s Beachcombing Map and we had 250 printed for beachcombers!
21. I found my first piece of seaglass from a Frozen Charlotte! These dolls were made from 1850 to 1920, making them an extra cool find. I squealed, trust me.
22. We kicked off our cross-country honeymoon in Montreal and were absolutely spoiled at Chuck Hughe’s restaurant Garde Manger.
23. The next night, we saw one of my all-time favorite bands, the Killers, in concert at the Bell Centre in Montreal. It had been four years since we last saw them in Boston and they get even better every time.
24. We left Montreal and flew west to Vancouver Island, landing in Victoria. We stayed at the famous Fairmont Empress Hotel and let’s just say – it’s as amazing as everyone says it is. Easily the nicest hotel we’ve ever stayed at in Canada.
25. On our way to Tofino for the next part of our honeymoon, we stopped and experienced Cathedral Grove, a rainforest that features some of the oldest and tallest trees in Canada. It WILL take your breath away.
26. Getting to finally stay at Pacific Sands Resort after first hearing about it from Jillian Harris on Instagram years ago, was a dream come true. We’ll definitely be back!
27. Two words: SEA OTTERS! I’ve waited my whole life to see sea otters in the wild. It was worth the wait. They are ridiculously cute and I can’t get enough. I may have been even more excited about the sea otters than the whales.
28. Another marine life milestone – my first time seeing grey whales! I had really hoped to see orca whales but seeing grey whales and sea otters, totally made up for it.
29. Getting to go on a bear tour in Tofino and see black bears fishing and foraging along the shore at low tide. This was so cool and a fun adventure for Dan and I.
30. Eating Dungeness Crab on Long Beach at sunset with my husband and cousin Matty. It was better than any restaurant experience. A true Tofino experience!
31. I got to visit the famous seaglass beach in Sidney by the Sea. We also fell absolutely in love with Sidney by the Sea.
32. When we made it back to the East Coast, we got to spend Thanksgiving on Grand Manan Island with my parents. It was mostly spent on renovations but we squeezed in a takeout turkey dinner from the Seaquel and made memories all the same. We also experienced the most epic full moon rise together. We have a lot to be thankful for ❤️
33. My 38th year included two speaking opportunities in one week, including traveling to Cape Breton to speak at Swell Atlantic.
34. And then I traveled to Wolfville, Nova Scotia to speak and got the chance to squeeze in a visit to my favorite winery – Benjamin Bridge. I’ll definitely be back!
35. Dan and I dressed up as Eddie & Chrissy from Stranger Things for Halloween!
36. I hosted my very own Sip & Shop event at Take it Outside. Many of you came out to check it out and it meant the world to me!
37. No big deal, launched my own Seven Seas jewelry collection with local designer Beau Monde.
38. Lastly, we traveled to Saint Andrews by the Sea in early December to get in the Christmas spirit with their Sparkle by the Sea Christmas event.
I’ve got one more year before 40 to make all sorts of magic and I can’t wait to take you along for the sail ✨
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