We have finally made it to the last day in the year and what a great year 2013 has been.
But my oh my, where did the time go!
Time really does fly and I can't believe how fast this year has gone by. As I get older I notice it more and more. It feels like I was just celebrating last New Years Eve with my friends. I would love to know where my life has jumped up and ran off to. Its bizarre to think that another year has come and gone (actually it scares the shit out of me) but its also amazing to realize how much can happen in a year.
Even though this year included some negative aspects, it was still the best year I've ever had. My life is a million times different now than it was this time last year. I believe I have grown up a little and am beginning to understand what it is I need to do in order to live a happier life. For that I am thankful for all of the lessons I've learned, people who have come and gone and opportunities that have been presented to me.
Heres to looking back on a wonderful year and remembering some of the things that stood out.
I kicked off the New Year at a friends house in Brick, NJ with some of the greatest people I know. It was one of the best New Year's i've had in a long time especially because I got to kiss my crush at midnight!
I also was able to take part in a fun opportunity and work a concession stand at a Redskins game. Its not a glamorous job but I had a lot of fun bar tending and selling beers in the stands (even though I froze my butt off!).
I would say January is my new favorite month only because of one specific date. January 27th, this handsome man and I finally started dating. It was the best decision i've ever made and to this day we are still going strong. Its hard to believe that its almost been a full year with him but god damn its because of him that 2013 has been the best year of my life.
Even though the Redskins are number one in my heart (even if they do suck), it was fun being able to celebrate a Superbowl win with my best friends who are all die hard Ravens fans. And when I say all I mean every single one them. Over the year I have grown to like the Ravens a little more especially since its my boyfriends team.
This month was also a big one for sororities and fraternities. My sorority went through formal recruitment. It was hectic but a lot of fun since it was my first time being on the other side of recruitment. We gained some fantastic ladies for our chapter, some of which are now my closest friends.
The fraternities were able to experience their first bid day, which is what sororities do during recruitment. It makes it more exciting when you get a new member because everyone is yelling and chanting while attacking the person who just joined your organization. Id say the fraternities had a very successful first bid day and recruited some great men.
This March I got to travel to Panama City for Spring Break and of course this was one of the best experiences of my life. Everyday was amazing and I will never forget this wonderful week spent in Florida. All cares were thrown out the window, everyone lived it up and had the time of their lives. Of course were going back again in 2014 with 20x the people. Im ready for round two!
Even though Im a tom boy and like to wear sweatpants everywhere I go, I do enjoy dressing up in a pretty dress every now and then. Sig Taus grab-a-dates are always a good time. There is never a dull moment. Im so glad that my best friends have the same friends and we get to attend these fun events together.
I was extremely lucky this year to take a little in my sorority. She is gorgeous, hardworking and a ton of fun to be around. I couldn't have asked for a better little. This month she got initiated and I am so proud of her! She made me the perfect plaque that I am absolutely obsessed with (the tribal print is so me) so of course I had to show it off.
Every year my school participates in Relay for Life, and I was able to be my sororities Relay for Life chairman. I designed our booth and what our fundraising activity would be. The overall theme of our Relay was the red carpet so each booth was able to choose a movie as their theme. I chose The Little Mermaid. Our activity was pin the starfish in the mermaids hair and in doing so you could win a real life goldfish. We also had a mini bake sale where we sold starfish cookies and seashell shaped chocolates. It was a lot of fun being able to plan a table for such a great event.
Sig Tau hosts a weekend where all of the brothers and their dates head down to Ocean City. We get to relax on the beach and attend their White Rose Formal. This year I was lucky enough to win and be their fraternities White Rose for a year! I have never cried so much from being so happy. Being White Rose basically means Im allowed to be the only girl in their fraternity for a year. I have never felt so blessed and thankful for winning this position. It truly is an honor to represent these men.
I also surprised my boyfriend with a cooler I had made to take with him to the beach. I slaved over this thing for months making sure it turned out perfectly. Im so happy with the way it turned out and he loved it which is all i could ask for!
After taking a class all semester long on the history of Venice, Italy, I was able to study abroad with my class in Italy for two weeks. This was my first time out of the country and man what an experience it was. Theres too much I could possibly write about this trip, so I will save that for a future post (lets just say I basically ate my way through Italy). It was a beautiful country and I loved being able to experience my heritage. I hope I am able to travel back someday!
My birthday month! Finally the day had come where I turned 21. I was actually still in Italy for my birthday but was surprised by my friends with party when I returned to the states. I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend such an important birthday.
For the second year in a row, I was able to be a promo model for the brand Fox in Ocean City's Dew Tour. Four long days of entertaining all of the fans but its definitely worth when its all over. The plus side is I get tons of free stuff, like clothes and accessories which is always nice!
At the end of the month my entire family stayed at the beach for a week, making this our first family reunion. We are the most dysfunctional family to ever exist, but I had a blast seeing family I rarely get to see.
July was just any typical summer month of working, going to the beach, testing out the Ocean City and Salisbury bars and spending beautiful sunny days with friends.
Karl finally turned 21 this month, so I surprised him with a beer olympics. All of our friends traveled back for it which I was so thankful for. Of course our team, Team America, kicked everyones butt!
My family, boyfriend and I traveled to Smith Mountain Lake in Southern Virginia for a relaxing weekend. My aunt and uncle own a place on the lake with a boat and other fun water toys. My boyfriend and I spent the few days we had learning how to wake board. By the end, we were pros and by pros i mean we didn't fall as much. This was easily one of my favorite weekends with Karl. I can't wait to go back!
September was filled with getting back into the groove of classes starting, Brew River nights and catching up with the friends you didn't get to see all summer.
October is hands down the busiest month every year.
Being White Rose I got to co-host one of their fundraising events. Every year they host a butler auction in order to help raise money for their philanthropy. This year they raised more money than they ever have. So proud of you boys!
I was able to participate and walk in two fashion shows for the Salisbury area. It has always been my dream to be a runway model so if this is the closest I'm ever going to get Ill take it. It definitely is an adrenaline rush but a lot of fun at the same time.
Every year for Breast Cancer Education and Awareness month, my chapter participates in handing out pink ribbons at the breast cancer Redskins game. It amazing to see how many people support and thank us for what we do. Its an honor to help out with such a big philanthropy.
I went to the pumpkin patch with Karl and his family. We made sure we picked out the best one that we could find in the field.
Sig Tau had another grab-a-date, which of course was a blast!
Our school finally got a band worth seeing to come play this fall. Rebelution was one I had been dying to see, so I made sure I was one of the first in line to get a ticket.
I spent the entire month whining about not knowing what to be for Halloween and it was not until three days before that I finally decided to be a mermaid. Its too expensive these days to buy an actual costume from a party store. I decided to make my outfit out of a skirt and sports bra I already had. I am actually obsessed with how it turned out and it was a huge hit at the costume parties.
Punkin Chunkin one of the DelMarVas favorite days of the year (you may even consider it a holiday). The college kids never actually get to see a pumpkin being catapulted across a field but its always a good time hanging out with friends in a closed off play pen. If you've never experienced the chunk, add it to your bucket list now.
Zeta Crush party, where one of my proudest moments is winning the award "Most likely to be the first girl to join a Fraternity".
I became brave enough to start this blog and am so glad I did. It has really helped me in being an outlet to get the tangled mess of thoughts in my head organized. I can't wait to look back at my blog next new years and see a full year of what had an impact on my life.
And of course Thanksgiving. Surprisingly enough I used to not like any foods served at Thanksgiving besides the turkey but this year I made sure to try it all. Sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top are definitely my favorite. It turned out to be a nice evening with the family.
We ended the semester with Sig Taus Semi-Formal, which of course like any other Sig Tau event is a lot of fun.
I ended this years semester with the best GPA I've ever received. I got a 3.6 and made Deans list. Hard work really does pay off.
I always love trying to figure out the perfect gifts for people. So this year I got Karl tickets to the Ravens vs. Patriots game since he told me that at the last game he went to he was 10. Even though the Ravens did terrible, I still had a great time experiencing an NFL game with him.
Christmas was fantastic. It turned out to be a nice day with the family. I was lucky enough to get my first MAC desktop from my mom. Im so thankful for this gift! This is my first blog post on the new computer and I am obsessed. I can't wait to get back to school and set it up in my room.
My best friend Nick came home from California for the holidays. Its been over six months since I last saw him and I missed him so much! A group of us got together and went to Fed Hill in Baltimore while he was home. This was my first real bar experience and its safe to say that Fed Hill won.
Well that took ten million years to complete. Props to you if you made it this far!
But just like that were welcoming in a brand new year. It was fun being able to go back and see all of these wonderful memories this year has given me. Are you happy with how your year went?
I know everyone says this, but i really think that 2014 is going to be my year. I have a good feeling about it, but more on the new year tomorrow. All I've got to say is bring it on!
So with that being said Goodbye 2013, Hello 2014! Embrace the new year with open arms! Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one!
Cheers and have a wonderful New Years Eve!
