A friend asked me what I’m looking forward to in the new year, and I realized that there’s plenty. In the first 6 months I’m headed to:

Portland, ME (Visiting family)
South Lake Tahoe, CA (Debauchery with friends)
Portland, OR (More friendly debauchery)
Austin, TX (Bachelorette party)
New Haven, CT + New York, NY (Reunion with childhood friends)
Myersville, MD (Wedding + reunion with my college roommates)
Zion National Park (Continued friendly debauchery)

I’m looking forward to so many local camping trips and weddings in that time as well.

I have a feeling that the upcoming year is going to be a lot of fun and a bit chaotic (in the best way possible). This made me happy, which made me think of all the other things I’m happy about, so rather than outline what I’m setting to accomplish in 2014, I want to reflect on a few things I’m grateful for from the past year:

• My and my loved ones’ health and wellbeing.
• All of the kind, intelligent, hilarious, talented, and fun-loving people in my life, some of whom I’ve now known for 20 years now! Woah.
• Costumes.
• Staying up too late for my own good.
• My landlord who has still not raised my rent, allowing me to continue to live in a beautiful and wonderfully bizarre city that I love.
• Amateur blogging.
• Getting engaged at the only Cal football win of the season.
• My new job and team.
• Taking my parents on their first vacation since 2000.
• Great reads.
• Honesty, on both giving and receiving ends, even when it makes me feel stupid.

Cheers to a fantastic year ahead!