Happy 2013

“Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, 

whispering 'it will be happier'...” 

― Alfred Tennyson

Congratulations gang, we made it through another year and came out the other side a little wiser. If nothing else, even if there was no growth in other areas of our lives, we must be a little wiser.

I absolutely hate the yearly changeover. Don't get me wrong, I think it can be helpful to have a goal, a set date that acts as both starting point and finish line, but each new year brings a new set of expectations and anxieties. It starts by thinking back to the previous January and the goals I set for myself. Usually it's not even a question of" did I reach my goal?" but instead "how long did my resolution last?" Did I stick with it for the whole winter or had I conveniently forgotten about it by February 1st?

Lucky for me I have a blog to reference when these questions of alibi come up. Last new year I didn't seem to make any resolutions for 2012. I spent the morning of the first having coffee with Tony, one of the panhandlers I use to see in Amherst Mass. In February I resolved to write more, but I really haven't been too good about that.

So, what are my 2013 resolutions? I can't decide whether to aim high and be satisfied with partial success or to aim low and be guaranteed to surprise myself. I want to get out more, I think that's my main resolution. Without a car I feel like my world is shrinking to a one mile radius and I hate that sensation. It's claustrophobic and I can't go through the year like this so, whether it means hitchhiking or buying a bike with snow tires, I'm going to spend 2013 in the great wide world.

Whatever other resolutions I have will be saved for my birthday, which is a mere 13 days away. I'll be 29 and it's usually then that I really begin to think about the year ahead. This is going to be a big one, the last year of my 20s, so get ready 2013, I have grand plans for you.