2013 is my year.

{Print by SS Print Shop, whose blog I love}

I always find the first post of the new year a little overwhelming. There's a deep desire to start off on the right foot, with something powerful, with meaning. Something that'll stick to the ribs as we say in the South. But the purpose of goals or resolutions or whatever you want to call them, is to just do something. To start somewhere. Taking small steps each day until you've climbed the proverbial mountain. So while I don't have any big epiphanies for you about the future or any Pinterest quotes that'll change your life I can tell you this...

2012 was amazing. Incredible actually. Come to think of it, are there words with bigger meaning than that? The laughs that were had, the parties, adventures, the travel, the people we met, the all around good times. I will forever cherish this year as one filled with love. Do not be fooled, we faced (and still are) a huge challenge this year. The details would bore you, but from it, I learned to let go - of lists, of expectations, of the need to control every thing I possibly could - and it felt amazing. I gave into outings with friends in lieu of a clean house. Conversely, I ditched plans in favor of a good book and a nap. I did things that made me happy for the right reasons, because I know these moments won't last forever. I guess you could call it some serious soul nourishment. Maybe it was just part of my life journey, or maybe it was in preparation for exciting things to come. Which brings us to 2013...

First of all, I'd like to state how elated I am that we're the year twenty THIRTEEN! (Hello, who's your biggest fan?) (For the record, I was professing my love long before a Miss T. Swift could even count that high.) But I digress, we're here and it's wonderful. And I can't help but think that this year has some magical moments in store. A few things I'm looking forward to: world travel (I'm leaving in 2 days!), a 10 year wedding anniversary, and hopefully lots more amazing memories made with people I love spending time with. So I'm declaring 2013 my year, because it just wouldn't make sense not to. (And there's just no other favorite number I care about. ;-)

Of course, I do have a few goals in mind, but this year they're more centered around internal growth and fulfillment rather than eating less coconut or something crazy, because we both know that for this girl, that's not gonna happen.

• Practice patience. Stop rushing. And stop being irritated at having to wait.
• Put down the smartphone. Seriously. 
• Listen and remember. Stop nodding and saying "uh-huh".
• Make some time for all those magnificent mani's.
• Purge! For every item in, another goes out.

And for recap purposes, I'm pretty pumped about the completion of last year's list. Besides mastering the art of macaron making (I had one good batch) I feel pretty accomplished!

Wishing you magic and awesomeness in 2013!


P.S. Even if no one reads it but my mom, I love posting in the new year because it's so darn fun to reread past goals. Here are 2010's recap and 2011's list if you're curious.