Happy New Year! You did it. You survived another year.

2011, I loved you and hated you. I put some serious miles on my travelogue, and even stamps on my passport. I lost two grandparents in a three month span. I fell for a man with a butt chin and blonde hair. Every time he cuddles with one of my four-legged girls, I melt a little.

2011, you saw one of my co-workers become one of my best friends. You watched me spend eight hours a day in a very difficult work environment and  apply for countless jobs. You were the year I got a new job, my second grown-up job, (That’s right, folks, new job! I haven’t been withholding information from you for that long. This just happened a week or two before the end of December.) but not before I realized just how much my co-workers at my old job had taught me.

2011, during your autumn, I ran my fastest 5K, which prompted me to sign up for my first half-marathon, The Indianapolis Mini-Marathon. Hopefully that means 2012 will see me complete my first half-marathon.

2011, I spent lots of your hours in my kitchen. I found a handful of dinner recipes that we like enough to make on a regular basis, ones that I know well enough to maybe start tweaking. We spent $40 on chocolate (it was Valhrona after all) in an attempt to make the world’s best chocolate chip cookies. While that batch was an expensive fail, I did eventually find an acceptable recipe. I spent time every weekend getting to know the dough hook attachment for my Kitchen Aid mixer.

2011, you were good to me and you made me cry. You were up and down. I would call you an amazing year and a hard year.

2012, bring it. I resolve to make you awesome, to update my blog more regularly, to take risks, to really get in tune with my photography skills, to get my dog to stop peeing on the couch, and to say “I love you” more.