Last year, I wrote a breakup letter to 2012. It had been an OK year overall — with a few more unpleasant bumps and twists and turns than most — but I had learned from it and was ready to move on.
This year, I don’t want to write a breakup letter.
I want to celebrate.
Sure, 2013 wasn’t “perfect” — nothing is. But I laughed until I cried (and/or couldn’t breathe) on numerous occasions. I began spending less time stressing out about mundane things and, instead, spent that time meeting and becoming closer with people I truly care about. And with the help of this year’s experiences, I’ve learned a lot and become more comfortable with and confident in myself than I’ve ever been.
That — living, laughing and loving — is really what it’s all about, right? At least, that’s how that cheesy quote (that the cheesy person I am loves) goes.
But anyway.
2014’s looking pretty good, and I’m incredibly grateful for all that I have to look forward to.
I’m excited (and anxious) about spending the next five months on a continent I’ve never been to and studying in a country in which words such as “color” are spelled with a “u.” (England, that is — I’ll be at the University of Manchester. No, you’re not crazy if you thought I was going to Australia. It’s a long story.) I’ve already started making my bucket list for travel, and the city of Manchester is giving me a warm welcome. I’m going to attempt to blog weekly, if you’d like to follow along.
Then, I’ll head back to the Midwest for “Dow camp” and an internship at The Kansas City Star. I’m excited to spend the summer with two lovely Mizzou ladies (and fellow former Missourian education reporters) and be close to other friends in the Kansas City area and Columbia. I’m also hoping to continue my traveling — will this be the summer I make it to Chicago? We’ll see. (Maybe I can visit Caroline’s beloved “Fayettechill” I’ve heard so much about.)
But no matter what might happen, I know it’ll be a year of invaluable new experiences, and I hope your 2014 is filled with the same.
Cheers, friends, to a year of adventures.