(Almost) A New Year

I have been very bad about keeping up with this little blog over the break. To keep you up to speed with what I have been doing:

• Eating at some of my favorite restaurants in Houston

Black Walnut Cafe - Pulled Pork Carnitas Tacos

His and her gelato - Pistacio and Raspberry Sorbet

• Catching up with high school friends
• Going on beautiful runs (and walks) around my neighborhood

• Watching entirely too much football with my family - Go Eagles and Longhorns!
• Braving the crowds at City Centre and the Galleria
• Resting

One of my favorite skylines

It was a crazy semester, and I am getting ready to start an even crazier semester, so, with this new year (my graduation year, eek!) quickly approaching, I figured it would be a good time to reflect on this year and what I'm looking forward to in this new year. 2013 will sure be hard to beat, but 2014 will certainly be a big year, too. Mainly due to the fact that I will be making my grand entrance into the real world. Yes, it's a thought that scares me too!

• A bad habit I'm going to break: Worrying about things that have not yet happened. I have a really bad habit of fretting about things that are way off into the future, and are often times not worth the wasted energy spent worrying. I want to really learn how to take one day at a time, and live in the present, enjoying what is in front of me for that very moment.
• A new skill I'd like to learn: I'm about the least crafty/artistic/musical person on this planet, so I'm going to go with something in that category. I love the idea of scrapbooking, but I feel like this blog is the equivalent of a scrapbook. I would love to be hit with the design and decorating bug, as I will no longer be residing in suite 1 as of July 31st, a thought that makes me very sad. However, I want to put my pins to good use and transform my future living space into something Pinterest worthy. I always have these lofty ambitions, but I tend not to follow through with them, so let's hope that this is the year!

(Source)

(Source)

• A person I hope to be more like: At first I found this to be a tough question, but it's really pretty simple. I want people to see Jesus in me - I want to love people extravagantly, I want to live simply, and I want to be joyful always.
• A good deed I'm going to do: I am always so touched by the "pay it forward" stories, and, if you remember, that sweet couple who bought Dylan and I dessert on his birthday, so I would love to have my own pay it forward story, though it probably won't be as meaningful if I share it with you guys, huh?
• A place I'd like to visit: Washington D.C. - more on that to come soon!

(Source)

• A book I'd like to read: My list of books I want to read is never-ending. Though there are plenty of books that I want to read, as evidenced by my Pinterest board and GoodReads account, but two books that I really hope to read are:
• The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin
• One Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp
• A letter I'm going to write: That is one of my major 2014 goals major - more letter writing. I don't know anyone who doesn't love receiving a handwritten letter in the mail, and, I have tons of stationary that I just love. So, on that note, I'm going to try to write at least two letters a month.
• A new food I'd like to try: One of the (many) great things about dating Dylan is that he forces encourages me to try new food. I used to be the world's pickiest eater, and I would never try anything new. However, I've really improved on that front. While I still can't bring myself to try sushi, I hope to bring myself to try Indian food, Lebanese food, or maybe even get fancy and order lobster one of these days. Luckily, there is no shortage of new and ethnic restaurants in Austin!
• I'm going to do better at: There are so many things that I could do better at, but one of them, and that goes along with the bad habit I want to break, is living in the moment. So often I find myself with a group of friends, but I will be worrying about something else. I want to focus on the people I'm with. I also want to be better at understanding the value of a dollar. While I've made a little bit of progress on that front, I still have a long way to go in just five short months!

And on that note, I'm off to get in a quick swim before getting organized and maybe even study for certification exam #2. It is my remainder-of-2013 goal to blog every remaining day of this year (I know, two whole days, what a big commitment), so I will be sure to be checking back in with you guys soon. Have a great Sunday!