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Well, it’s the end of the year… A time that most people take to reflect on what has happened in the past and what you’re looking forward to in the future.
I’ll be doing a few posts along those themes, starting with a classic: A roundup of my best work in 2016! Since I split my writing in between journalism-style pieces and personal essays, I thought I would do the same thing here. Below are my top 5 stories and top 5 essays. Enjoy!
Stories:
1. The 6 Healthy Food Trends You Should Be Trying Right Now (via Brit.co): The best part of this story is that I got to interview a good chunk of fabulous food writer and blogger friends. There’s TONS of great info here, and it’s still relevant to today. And for 2017, too!
2. 10 Reasons why getting older is actually a GREAT thing (via MamasLatinas): With my Map Your 30s project in full swing this year, I learned a lot about turning 30 and getting older… And some of those fun lessons are all here. And you don’t have to be as old (or young) as I am to enjoy this one.
3. 14 Traditional Cuban Recipes That Will Wow Your Tastebuds (via Brit.co): I’m Cuban, so is there any wonder why this was such a FUN piece to write? It’s a collection of some of my favorite foods, and easy recipes for everyone who’s willing to give this food a try. Empanadas are going to be big in 2017, so go ahead!
4. 14 Spanish-language movies (with subtitles!) to watch on Netflix with your love (via MamasLatinas): This actually took a LOT of research. I ended up basically falling in love with each movie as I slowly went through my list, and added all of them to my own Netflix account too. Still waiting to finish watching these, but working on it…
5. Recipe: Cuban Meaty Potato Stuffing (via The Kitchn): This is probably my proudest piece of the year in terms of finally breaking into a publication that I have admired for years. If you’re not familiar, The Kitchn is one of the best sites out there for home cooks and I was absolutely thrilled to have my Thanksgiving recipe featured.
Essays:
1. What I Learned Struggling to Get Sober (via Dose): This was probably by far the scariest piece I wrote this year, and it was first born right here when I finally confessed that I have been in recovery for just over a year. It was terrifying to hit the “publish” button, but received tremendous (and positive) response.
2. The Difficulty of Accepting Generosity When We Date (via Dose): This is a piece that I first wrote here too, actually… And came about during a particularly encouraging and inspiring moment in my then-early relationship with Adam (more about that below). My editors loved the piece, so they reposted it.
3. I’m a Bisexual Latina Immigrant. I Can’t Wait to Vote. (via Dose): This is probably the most important piece I wrote this year, in terms of what is going on in the larger world and how it is affecting people like me. I also wrote a response after the election, which wasn’t quite so optimistic at all. But I’m just doing what I can to give voice to marginalized communities.
4. My life turned into a rom-com cliché and I’m okay with it: This is likely the most fun piece I have written all year, and it’s one that I have come back to over and over and happily re-read. It’s a sweet piece about how I moved out of New York City thinking that I would take a yearlong “break” to figure out my next step, and instead met the love of my life.
5. Here is the full story of my 100+ pound weight loss (plus some resources): I’ve written about my weight loss before, but it’s primarily been in bits and pieces. This blog post is a full account of how I lost weight, along with some resources for others. There’s still more to say on this topic, so don’t be surprised if you hear more about it.
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