Happy New Year, everyone! I realize that this sentiment is slightly delayed since 2013 has been here for a full two weeks now, but hey - like they always say, better late than never, right?
2013. Wow. Where has the time gone? This year marks 11 years since I graduated from high school, 7 years since I graduated from college (SEVEN?!? whew!), and 6 years since I first started my job at Norfolk Southern. It also marks the last year of my twenties...good grief. Wasn't it just yesterday that I was turning 21?
Sometimes it feels that way. Like 11 years ago was just here, a blink of an eye away. Like 7 years was a blur. And I guess, in the big grand scheme of things, it isn't really that long.
Sometimes, though, it feels like forever. When I sit down and think about all of the things that have happened to me in the last decade (plus 365), I realize how wonderfully full my life has been. I've been places, done things. Fallen in love. Found new friends. Lost touch. Mourned. Renewed my Faith. Learned new things (every day). I bought my first car, became a homeowner, adopted animals, watched my family grow. Got married. Taught myself to cook. Read a lot of books...a LOT of books.
Started a blog. Wrote a book.
Found myself.
I know that most of my blogs are typically short, sweet and to the point (and always contain a yummy recipe for you to try), but tonight, I'm not going to do that. Tonight, I'll just give you a little food for thought (ya okay, a little cheesy).
The last two years of my life have been a bit of a rollercoaster ride - a lot of ups, a lot of downs, and even some crazy loops every now and then. I came to a point in my life where I was really, really NOT happy, and there came a time when I decided that instead of moping around and feeling sorry for myself, I had to take the reins and take the horse down a different path, so to speak. I quit my job, convinced that starting a career in my "field" was the answer to the emptiness that I was feeling in my everyday life. But while I certainly learned a lot about myself through that transition, there was still something missing.
Passion. Somewhere along the line, I'd lost mine. Somehow, I let routine and normalcy and "life" take over the person that I'd always wanted to be. Honestly, it's no wonder I was so unhappy.
When I think about where I am now compared to where I was then, I can't help but think that this blog saved my life. That may sound dramatic, but it's true. This blog forced me to remember the things I enjoy in life, to focus on those things instead of getting stuck in the daily rut of work and chores and bad television. To branch out, to teach myself, and to try new things. And, more than anything else, it allowed me to do the one thing that I've always wanted to do, that I've always loved to do: write.
When I penned the last word of the first draft of my novel back in November, I suddenly felt...different. Lighter. Happier. Accomplished. Truly, I felt empowered. I'd set out to do something I'd always wanted to do, and I DID IT. I actually, finally did it. And it didn't matter to me how long it took me to reach that point - because in the end, the time it took wasn't relevant. All that mattered was that I set a goal for myself and I got there. And now, I'm no longer controlled by the routine. By the rules that society puts in place for us. Now, I know that I can do anything I want to do. I may never make a dime off of my book. But you know what? I didn't do it for money. I didn't do it for fame.
I did it for myself. And I'm really proud of that.
I implore you to make 2013 your year to do something big for yourself. Set a goal and stick to it. It doesn't matter what it is, or why. It doesn't matter who you tell, if anyone. Because in the end, you'll know. And that's what matters. Your happiness is entirely in your own hands.
I hope you'll come back often this year to check out my recipes, party planning tips and entertaining ideas. As I've recently gone gluten free (that's a story for another day, since I've already given you a book in this post), I'll be posting GF recipes that I come up with as well as adaptations of recipes that I find in cookbooks and my favorite cooking magazines. I can't wait to share more fabulous food with you!
Until next time...
Cheers!
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