This year has been a year full of adventures, travels, growth, love, and friendship. I have had a great year! I try to always learn something even when life is determined to be frustrating. It has all been worth it! 

 Here are some of the things I learned in my 36th year. 

1. Even “mild” winters in the Northeast are rough for a Texas girl. 
2. Five hour flights, seated between teenage boys who do not belong to you, are tortuous. 
3. The sun is an important ingredient for sanity. 
4. Adventures with my son trump any other adventure. He will always be my favorite travel buddy. 
5. It does not matter where you meet someone if you have a real connection. 
6. I underestimate my abilities frequently. 
7. The peace I feel staring at large bodies of water is a spiritual experience. 
8. Loyalty does not mean I can never move on.
9. The same goes for appreciation. 
10. My family will always support my dreams. 
11. Just because he is dreamy and hot… does not mean he is not riddled with douchebaggery.
12. Too many first dates in one week leaves me drained and ceases to be fun. 
13. Bruce Springsteen is the most amazing performer ever. Which can set you up to be blindsided by his other fanatic fans. Just enjoy the show. That’s all you need for a magical evening.
14. A good waiter makes a fantastic meal even better. 
15. Sometimes it is okay to splurge on the ridiculously expensive purse. Well, only if you really love it. 
16. Meeting new people requires a willingness to engage in conversation. 
17. Binging on Netflix documentaries can make me a little crazy. (Keep in mind the filmmakers have their own agenda.)
18. Red lipstick makes me feel like a million bucks. (Although, it’s important to keep in mind the fact it transfers when you are kissing someone. Oops.) It’s okay- it was totally his color. 
19. It’s okay that I completely changed my entire belief system. It’s also okay that I am still learning about what I believe. 
20. I still idolize newsmen. Spotlight was a phenomenal movie and I geeked out seeing journalists as heroes. 
21. 20 minutes is plenty of time to spend looking at one of the wonders of the world. As long as you get a selfie. 
22. Good natural light beats a filter any day. 
23. Sometimes you see a picture of a dog and you know they belong in your family no matter the price or distance. 
24. Honesty and open communication allow for amazingly intimate relationships. 
25. The people who love you are not trying to fix you. They love you for who you are at that moment. 
26. Good friends keep life interesting and keep the loneliness at bay. 
27. Yoga hurts. Yoga speaks to me. Yoga haunts me. I have mixed feelings about yoga. Obviously. Sigh. 
28. The miasmic hospital air cannot ruin your life if you find interests outside your career. This sentence is every bit as pretentious as I want it to be. 
29. I will never be lost if I know where my home is. It’s with my family and the other people I love. 
30. I have a lot of different definitions of love. I don’t owe anyone an explanation. I get to do it just like Sinatra taught me. “My Way.” 
31. It’s perfectly acceptable for my career to be about having a job. It does not need to define me. 
32. My mother is still the first person I want to call with any big or little news. 
33. I can’t stop buying and reading books. It’s an addiction for me. One I won’t give up. 
34. Rental cars pretty much suck. Oh, and 100 on signs in Montreal does not mean mph. 
35. Writing is still my favorite thing. I am still finding my voice and learning how to be authentic.
36. You can’t tell the ones you love how much you love them often enough. Don’t save it for drunken ramblings… That diminishes the power of the statement. 
37. And one to grow on: The comma still frustrates me immeasurably. Damn punctuation. 

All in all- it’s been a great year! I am pretty sure this year is going to be just as exciting! 
*I really like black and white shirts. It may be time to branch out more color wise.