Cheers to the Year

As 2013 draws to a close I can’t help but reflect on the year that has passed. This year has been full of amazing, happy, outrageous, sad, and sometimes unexpected experiences but I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Every New Years since I was little I remember people saying that “such and such year has been the best year of my life”. I never quite understood how every single year could be the best year of your life. It just didn’t quite make since. For me it was as if they were overly optimistic about the year that had just ended, because in my negative mind everyone has good days and bad days every single year, however, this year I get to eat my words and go along with what everyone else is saying. 2013 was the best year of my life so far and here is why:

1.   Lets just get this one out of the way, I didn’t have any unscheduled visits to the hospital and I wasn’t admitted once. I had 0 spinal taps, 0 surgeries, 0 IVs, and 0 medications. I mean that in its self could be my only reason and 2013 would still win.
2.    I graduated high school! I mean seriously, its not that big of an accomplishment in todays society but let me tell you what, it felt great to walk across that stage and hear my name called. It felt great to prove everyone who ever doubted me wrong.
3.  I have met the most amazing people this year. Yes, I do mean at school but not all of them I met after I moved. This year I have met people who I know I will stay friends with forever. These people include people my own age as well as people my parents’ age.
4.     I freaking moved to Utah. I love it there. I am at home in Texas right now and don’t get me wrong I love my family, but I honestly can not wait to go home to Utah.
5.   College. DUH! I mean lets be real, I have had one of the most amazing first semester experiences ever. I was very blessed.
6.   I bought a car on my own! Her name is Chloe and she is great! Also, if you’re wondering, I miss her because she is at home in Utah.
7.  This summer I had the most amazing job. You really can’t ask for more than that right out of high school.
8. I have found the person that I am and the person that I want to be. I attribute a lot of that to my moving away and having to actually decide who I am. Knowing who you are and who you are striving to become feels great!
9. I love myself. I know that sounds cheesy or cliché or whatever but in all honesty I didn’t always know what it meant to love myself. I am happy with the person that I am. I know that I am not perfect and I am working on some things, but I am me and that’s all that I can be, and that’s all that I need to be.
10.   I learned that it is okay to be alone. That has happened in the past couple of months actually. For the longest time I craved male attention. I thought that I needed it to prove something to myself and to the rest of the world. It is okay to not be wanted by every member of the opposite sex that you come in contact with. There are people out there who wont find you attractive, and that’s okay. You don’t need that attention to be happy.
11.     I have grown closer to my heavenly father than I thought I ever would. I think that this tops the list of reasons why 2013 is my favorite year yet. I know that this came from finally having to decide for myself what I want to do. I have always went to church because my family did. Don’t get me wrong, I have always had a testimony but I feel as if it were dependent upon the fact that I go to church, and growing up my family was not always as active as we could have been. Now I go to church every week because I want to, because I love it. It feels great to say that I have a testimony that nobody is ever going to be able to take away from me.

So cheers to 2013 and as 2014 approaches I have a few goals that I would like to make publicly known, just so that I can be held to them. This isn’t the kind of new years resolution that you give up on come time to go to the gym on Monday, this is the kind of thing that I have already been working on but I need to continue.

1.      I will continue on my journey to be physically healthy. If you didn’t know I have lost about 30 pounds since I started school and it feels great to be able to say that. I am proud of myself. I am not doing it to be skinny. I couldn’t care less what size pants I wear. This is for me, because I want to be healthy.
2.      I want to make it a point to find more ways to serve people. I think that is an area that I could use some work. “When ye are in the service of your fellow men ye are only in the service of your God” I want nothing more than to serve God. Plus it feels great when you help people.
3.      Number 3 is simple. I just want to be happy.