2013: The Year That Changed Everything

When the clock strikes 12 tonight it will mark the end of arguably the most influential year of my life, so far. A year of laughing, traveling, learning, crying, and growing. A year of hello's, new friends, snapchat addictions, and heartbreaking goodbyes. 2013 meant time zone changes and daily gratitude towards both the internet and mother nature. And it meant nearly 100 hours in airplanes. 

A year ago I was exploring Singapore, riding elephants in Thailand, zip-lining through the jungle, and petting baby tigers. 

On my 21st birthday, instead of the traditional bar crawl, I traveled from wat (temple) to wat with my family, received a blessing from a buddhist monk, and payed homage to the buddha of my birth day of the week, Parng Rumpueng, so I might have a year of good fortune and blessings. 

In February when I left for Sydney, taking one last look at my farewell flowers before I headed out the door, I had no idea that my life had just truly begun. In Cairns, I danced. I cried holding a Koala, I laughed feeding kangaroos, and I marveled at the vast and incredible ocean while snorkeling, but mostly, I danced. I broke free of the sadness I had not known was engulfing me. I shed the insecurities that had been closing in on me. I found a joy to overpower every fear that plagued me. I was free of all that could restrict me. I was free.

In 2013 I left a large chunk of my heart in Sydney. It's right there next to the sail boats and luna park, around the corner from Darling Harbour, somewhere between the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House.

 I came to know three incredible roommates, found a few amazing travel buddies, and laughed until I cried a the lighthouse theatre. 

I learned to surf, learned to truly travel, and I saw beauty I could not have even imagined. 

This was the year that I realized that I really and truly was a city girl. That I want to travel on my own. That I can. 

I jumped out of a plane. Jumped OUT of a PLANE. 

Everything changed. 

I threw the plan out the window. I considered going to Europe and working just enough to travel to every country I could. I found Social Work and became interested in the Peace Corps. I knew I had to do what I loved, but travel doing it. I felt a freedom in these imaginings that I never thought possible. I found bliss in this freedom that I never knew could exist without the white picket fence "American Dream." MY dream came charging into view, and it was the world.

I strutted my stuff on stage in my new Queendom, I climbed the Harbour bridge with my parents, and I watched the sunrise over the harbour with Dad. 

I pulled an all nighter in Sydney and walked out of the terminal in Cleveland to a bouquet of flowers from my parents that still brings tears to my eyes. I was home, but it would take weeks for the smile in my eyes to catch up with me. 

I watched my beautiful sister get married to the best brother in law I could ask for and watched them start their new lives together. 

I fully immersed myself back into life as a buckeye and started another unique and fulfilling year in Columbus, with an amazing roommate to look out for me.

 I took some of the best classes of my life, worked two jobs, had two officer positions, two volunteer positions, mentored, interned, and hardly slept. 

As I held my 2 week old nephew in November I realized that I had burned myself out and told myself to slow down. Not that I'd ever listen. 

I couch crashed a lot this year. Feeling the strong urge to be with the people I love as much as possible. Knowing that with graduation comes uncertainty, and thus cherishing every moment. 

And in December, as I finished final papers, earned a 4.0, and was accepted to the University of Michigan's School of Social Work, I realized that I've learned more in the past year then I could cram into 17 years of standardized education. Some of it did come from classrooms. Classrooms of professors who cared and wanted nothing more than for us to see this world in a different light. But so much came from the people who surround me, the places I've been, and the adventures I've pushed myself to take. 

I was reminded time and time again of the incredible people who surround my life with laughter and love, and for them I am so grateful. 

The most important lesson I've learned? Every day can be an adventure, all you have to do is open your eyes.
Here's to 2014
Happy New Year

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