Oh the Holidays.

If there is one time of year that always makes me feel like a good person inside, Christmas is definitely not that time. The end of December always prompts me to run an audit of the past year and considering the fact that being home means sleeping fewer hours, eating less healthily, reading less, and all but eliminating a solid workout schedule...my "audit" usually falls short of a smashingly successful year.

Last year around New Years I made a poster of all my ambitions, goals, hopes, and dreams for 2009. Looking at it last night, I was surprised to find that 2009 was actually one of the best years for me. Thinking about where I was at Christmas in 2008, and then comparing that to right now, I feel confident in saying that the past year has seen me grow as an individual and surely for the better. I have a sense of balance in my life and feel very centered.

The reasons for this are numerous. Starting college opened my eyes to new freedoms and independence; I've come to understand my values and learn how I want to run my life. I've enjoyed my studies and become more confident in my convictions while opening my mind to different ways of thinking. I've met a ton of new people, a few of whom will always hold a special place in my heart and memory. I've come to learn that life must be lived day by day. And even though this blog is supposed to be me evaluating and trying to find 'the meaning of life', I believe I already know the answer. It's different for every person on the planet and for me, it's happiness and connections with other people. I center my life around these things and therefore they are the meaning (for me).

My first paragraph may have been a bit misleading seeing that the direction of this post was more positive. However there were a few things that I failed to accomplish in the past year. A sense of adventure is important to me, I have yet to skydive and I chickened out when it came to surfing in California over the summer. I easily let fears interrupt my best intentions. So once again I will look forward and say 2010 is my year for adventure.