Happy 2012, my dears.

New Year’s Eve was interesting, to say the least. This was the first year I did not celebrate with my family as I have for the last nineteen years. There was no lumpia, spaghetti, or egg soup. (This was a strange concept to me.)

Instead, I was surrounded by good friends and booze. My drinking stayed fairly classy and I managed to dance around in four inch heels all of the evening. Without going into too much detail, it was a very fun night…until I had to shepherd the drunklings, but that is a different story.

Now, winter quarter at UW has started and I have to be responsible again. Damn.

So, as my first post of 2012, I thought it only appropriate to type out a few of my goals for the year. As my goals are fairly broad, I feel that they might be a bit easier to tackle as opposed to the typical “lose fifteen pounds by spring” or whatever the hell New Year’s resolutions are supposed to be.

1. Make being happy with myself (as opposed always making others happy first) more of a priority.
2. Continue working at becoming healthy again. Healthier food and more yoga! With this goal in mind, I must also remember not to be too restricting. Indulgence is a good thing once in awhile.
3. Decrease stress. See #1 and work on/complete school work earlier in the day.
4. Reach for creative outlets more often than the internet. Being disconnected is a good thing.
5. Take long walks more often and once I have a bicycle, go on bike rides.

That is all, really.

(*shameless Death Cab for Cutie reference)

Good things that have happened in the last few days:

• I went shopping at the Asian market with my parents and Lola.
• My family finally bought our Christmas tree.
• I finally worked up the nerve to chop off my hair. Now I need only a drop and a half of shampoo and conditioner. Woo!
• I had a lovely reunion dinner with my friends.
• I am working at my brother’s office and babysitting for the next few days (and getting paid). I might get my bike after all!
• I will begin all my Christmas baking very soon.
• Grades were finally posted today and I apparently walked out of easily the most stressful quarter thus far with A’s. Fuck yes.

Annoying things that have happened in the last few days:

• Parental guilt
• Blargblargblarg
• Traffic on the 10 and 405 at TEN THIRTY in the evening. FOOKERY.

Despite how stressed I am (have been and will be), the pile of work I always have to do, and the knowledge that the work is going to become more difficult as the quarter (and the remainder of university, for that matter) goes on, I am realizing just how happy I am and have been here.

I am finally back in Seattle!

Yesterday’s flying was a bit of a bitch, but I still made it here in one piece. My mum and I caught a shuttle back to my new house and I may or may not have nearly cried when the city skyline came into view.

The best part of being back thus far: having my boyfriend and housemates run outside for hugs and then walking inside to see that nearly all of my friends are sitting in the living room. So many bear hugs.

It is good to be back.