Here's to another year.

I'm sitting here reflecting on this past year, thinking, writing, and listening to my Friday Night Lights Pandora station--I should add that I'm also getting weepy and emotional...wtf is wrong with me?? HA! I think I'm sub-consciously thinking about how much I aspire to have the relationship that Coach Taylor and Tami have...What can I say?

I find it crazy how the years of my life seem to pass by increasingly quicker. 25 years of my life are gone. I'm on the cusp of another year, looking forward to another year to become a little bit better. Even though nothing "huge" happened in 2013, I have grown as a person. I have done incredible things. I have lived most days, the best I could have lived them. I had bad hair days. I tried to help others. I loved others. I was more aware. I traveled. I met new people. I experienced cultures besides my own. I was in tune with myself. I fell down (many times). I embarrassed myself. I forgave. I experienced pain. I pushed myself. I saw some beautiful I got out of my comfort-zone. I felt. I exercised self-control. I was stupid. I worked. I threw myself a party. I failed. I was true to myself. I did a few things I'd never done before. Yes, I'm still the same me, but I know I've changed. I have a whole new bag of life experiences to carry me through another year. Bring it on 2014. I'm stoked for you.

I have mixed feelings about New Years. Yes, of course it's a fantastic opportunity to start fresh, and set goals...On the other hand, I feel like LIFE in general is about progression. It's not just a new year--we're given a fresh start every day. It's easy to slip into a pattern of seeing life as 'monotonous'--un-eventful, or boring. Although our days may be "the same"--we are given those days to live and breathe, and once they happen, they're over. I've tried hard this year to have a passion for life that a lot of people fail to ever un-leash. A passion for LIFE--not just longing for the "big things" but loving the "small things." I've tried hard to relish the moments that don't come often. Just the other day I had the chance to help out a friend at work who was having a tough day. I made her come with me to the mall at lunch and get a manicure. Big whoop. Why don't I do things like this more often?? I remember the feeling I had when she gave me a hug after, and just said "thanks so much Monica." It's because most of the time I'm too caught up in myself to pay attention to how others may be feeling. It's little things like these, that I want to do more of. There are opportunities all the time.

This year, my goal is not to "lose 10 pounds"--because let's be honest...won't that be on everyone else's "New Years Resolutions" list? (and it will be there every year). I want to move forward--because we all know how easy it is to stay in the same place, and maybe even gradually slip backwards. Life is constant baby steps in the right direction. That's what I want. Baby steps forward. It's not a month of leaps and bounds, and then a few months of stagnancy. Life provides us with opportunities each day, to become great. We become great, through simple decisions. Each day of our lives, we are given opportunities to make choices. Opportunities that help us to in small ways, improve our lives.

I've sat here for a while, thinking long and hard about a few life goals I really want to work on: 

NOT BE AFRAID TO LOVE, AND BE FIERCELY LOYAL TO THOSE I LOVE

LIVE IN THE MOMENT, AND LET MY SOUL STIR A LITTLE MORE IN THOSE MOMENTS

KEEP A MORE THOROUGH RECORD OF MOMENTS THAT I FEEL HAPPINESS & JOY

BE MORE GRACIOUS IN WORD AND DEED TO THOSE AROUND ME

BE QUICKER TO RECOGNIZE GOD IN MY EVERY DAY LIFE 

SURROUND MYSELF WITH THOSE WHO BUILD ME UP

INSPIRE OTHERS 

FEAR GOD MORE THAN MAN 

CONTINUE TO DEVELOP A LOVE FOR LEARNING 

BE A BETTER FRIEND--CREATE LASTING RELATIONSHIPS 

Who is it that you want to become? Don't just set goals to DO things. I have some of those too, but I really don't think life is about what we do. I want to become someone this year. Someone greater. 

Here's to another year. I'm stoked that I've been given this long. I have been blessed way more than I deserve, and I hope to be able to continuously live with a sense of gratitude and passion for life. Cheers, and happy New Year everyone !

I've thrown in a few of this years' highlights in photos. There is a story tacked to each experience, but nonetheless these are some of my favorite moments of 2013. Life is so fun.