The holiday season is truly my favorite time of year! I love spending extra time with family and friends, decorating my home, exchanging thoughtful gifts, and taking time to reflect on the past year while dreaming up plans for the future. These traditions fill me with nostalgia, hope, and love – the perfect way to close out the year!
In the spirit of celebrating the holidays and taking advantage of this magical time, here are some San Diego events to get you feeling festive!
December 14th:
Festive 5Ks: Choose between Del Mar’s Red Nose Run along the beautiful beaches or Pacific Beach’s Santa Run in full Santa swag!
Oceanside Harbor Parade of Lights: Bring a blanket, some hot chocolate and pick a comfortable spot to watch this year’s celebration.
Mission Bay Parade of Lights: Kick off this holiday tradition with SeaWorld’s fireworks and a holiday boat parade on the bay.
December 15th:
Pancakes & Pajamas with Santa: Visit the Pendry in downtown for a festive buffet with Santa himself.
San Diego Bay Parade of Lights: A time-honored holiday tradition, the annual parade promises to dazzle and entertain bayfront crowds.
December 27th:
Holiday Bowl & Parade: The scenic, bayside streets of downtown come alive with the Port of San Diego Holiday Bowl Parade (did you know it’s America’s largest balloon parade?!), followed by Syracuse vs Washington State at Snapdragon Stadium.
Ongoing throughout December:
Jingle Terrace Live at the Moonlight Amphitheatre
Holidays at Legoland
Lightscape at the San Diego Botanic Garden
Coastal Christmas at Del Mar Fairgrounds
Jungle Bells at San Diego Zoo
For the past two years, I’ve kicked off January by writing down 100 goals I want to achieve for the year ahead. Throughout the year, I cross things off, and in December, I review what I’ve accomplished, what fell through the cracks, and what’s still within reach (I’ve got 4 books left to hit my reading goal of 12 this year – wish me luck!). I love this tradition because, even though I never complete all 100 goals, I always achieve more than I expect. It’s a great way to reflect and plan for the year ahead.
The first time I did this, one of my goals was to book a tour as a professional dancer. At the time, it felt like a long shot. But come August, I landed my dream job and was on a stadium tour with Karol G – still my biggest accomplishment to date!
Whether you believe in manifestation, a higher power, or just the power of a plan, I truly believe that writing down your goals puts them into motion. So amidst the holiday fun and local events this month, why not set aside some time to dream big and write down your next great achievements? You never know what might come true!
