Cheers to the New Year!

Wow. So another year has came and went. It's hard to believe that time passes by as quickly as it does. It's finally time to say goodbye to 2013 and welcome in a brand new year filled with hopes, wishes, and dreams coming true.

This year was a pretty big one for me, one of my best so far, I think. I had a lot of new experiences and milestones that I'll always remember. I graduated college, left the country for the first time, travelled abroad and experienced three completely different cultures, made new friends, went swimming and tubing in the Mediterranean Sea, took roadtrips with my friends, started a new job, visited a place I've always dreamed of seeing, travelled to the west coast, dyed my hair for the first time, swam dipped my feet in the Pacific Ocean, spent time with distant relatives, got a new puppy, saw the Transiberan Orchestra, took a roadtrip with my Grandparents, went on my first cruise, planted a garden and had an internship in a field I discovered I love.

Despite the minor setbacks and mildly poor experiences that I experienced in 2013, it was overall pretty fantastic. As for 2014, I'm making steps towards my career goals, bettering my quality of life and maintaining positive relationships with the ones I love.  Here's to another great year with tons more memories and great things to share.

Monday Mantra: Make Memories

It's way too often that we get caught up in the daily responsibilities we have, that we don't have time to actually enjoy life.  We spend all of our younger years going to school so we can come out with a job, then work until we retire, and then what?  It's a cycle that leaves no room for fun.  So, I've come to the decision that from now on I'm going to do my best to have experiences.

However cliche this may sound, life really does go by too quickly.  I work so hard, but do I really want to be spending all of my money on clothes that I'll grow tired of next season?  Hm, no.  I want to go on a road trip with my friends, pigging out in the car and singing at the top of our lungs to the radio.  I want to travel the world and visit all the places I've only seen in textbooks.  I want to go to a concert to see the band I've loved since I was in 15.  I want to make memories.

Spring break is coming up.  Normally, I would fill up my schedule and work as many hours as I possibly could, to make the most out of my time.  But this time it's not about the money, it's about having a life that I can look back on with a smile, and everyone should have the same opportunity.

So today, think about what means more to you: blowing your paycheck on that outfit you have to get, or having the most fun you can let yourself and being able to look back with a smile?