Reader's Digest Version of My '09.

To start this off, let me begin by confessing:

the picture above is kind of what my entire holiday vacation has looked like.

i happen to be very, very, very lucky,

however...(this is where the confession sets in)

the other day i was in an absolutely wicked and terrible mood.

i didn't really have any good reason to be either -

especially considering i have constantly been seeing some of the most beautiful places on earth; unfortunately, my weaknesses still got the best of me,

and i made rather unpleasant company.

luckily, this confession has a happy ending,

because it didn't take long for me to start thumbing through my life in lists book -

and as i began a new list, i was able to gain a whole new perspective.

here is a part of that list.

the list of things i loved about twenty-oh-nine.
i love that i got to see my favorite city in the world. twice.

(especially when i got to visit valentines day with my dad)
boston, i will always love you.

i love the 1,001 memories i made in just 100 days of summer;
especially the night where i was halfway eaten alive by mosquitoes after jumping into a lake while wearing my yellow dress.

(i love that my best friend had to push me me in so i would actually do it too.)

i love that i discovered a new love for strawberry shortcake cupcakes.

and i love that my love for zac efron has never died. and i don't think it ever will.

i love that i took a nap in central park on a summer afternoon just two weeks before another school year started.

i love that i just realized i could cross 22 things off my

"things to do before i die list"

(including: flying over the northern part of New Zealand in a helicopter!

Freeeeak. So. So. Cool)

and yet I have added 78 things to that same list too.

i love my french professor still.
yes, monsieur lawrence, it is true.
i really, really loved you.

i love the sunday dinner tradition that was started this past fall with all my darling, charming but mainly dorky friends.

i even love all the jokes about "spells i put on the chicken" after food poisoning three people.

i love my best friends who always remained a phone call away,

even when they got married to their other best friends.

i love that thanks to taylor swift,

my friends and i have reinvested our friday nights into

making more silly music videos.

i love that i spent the last week of december totally sore and sunburned.

(kind of. this was me just trying to be super optimistic)

i love that even though i've had to say goodbye to people that i love more than anything,
i know that they're still there, and always will be.

i love that after all the tears it cost -

i will still take a years worth of important lessons with me.

i love that at the close of another year,
as i sat and tried to write the usual christmas card greetings,
i couldn't find the time to write everything

i wanted to say to everyone i love,
because i've been so blessed to meet so many good people.

and lastly...

i love that there was something about this year that i will never forget.
maybe it's because i grew up a tiny bit more,
or maybe it's just because i grew to love life
(no matter how hard, or how imperfect)
just a tiny bit more too.

and now that the end of the year has finally come,

a new decade is getting ready to begin.

in fact, considering my location this new years eve,

i will be among the firsts in the entire world

to celebrate the beginning of a new year,

(which merits me making a lot of wishes at midnight, don't you think?)

anyway, before i end i've come to one final conclusion:

there may be some parts of 2009 i'd like to leave behind -

but there sure is a lot, lot more i'd like to take with me.

and as for 2010...
well, i really can't wait for you either.