Accomplish. Resolve. Adventure.

     Yep.  Here it is.  Your stereotypical New Year's blog.  I have a few accomplisments to share from 2011, four official resolutions for the new year, and several adventures I'm looking forward to in 2012!

Accomplishments

1. {Moving out of my parents' house}  Not long ago, I swore I would never move away from my parents.  I wanted to build an apartment on the back of their house to live in with my future husband.  BUT, I've grown up (just a bit) and now I live with my sister.  She bought an awesome house and offered me a room to rent at a great price.  
2. {Adopting a puppy}  Her name is Penny Lane, she is a one year old white labradoodle, and I am completely smitten!  She is adorable and sweet and mostly well-behaved and I love her!
3. {Whitewater rafting}  Over the summer, I went to North Carolina with two of my best friends.  We went rafting on Section IV of the Chattooga River, and...  It. Was. INCREDIBLE!  We spent the whole day on the river with our awesome guides, saw some waterfalls, jumped off rocks, and conquered Class III, IV, and V rapids. Easily one of the most extraordinary things I've ever done.

           

Penny Lane's Christmas photo :)                   That's a Class 5, right there.

Resolutions

1. {Use the word "outrageous" more often}  I guess it's because I'm a "language" person, but I love words.  I recently realized that I rarely, use the word "outrageous" and I want to do so more often.
2. {Stop using my cell phone while I'm driving}  I am that horrible person who endangers your life because I just have to respond to a text message...  I know it's awful, so I'm going to stop.
3. {Exercise two days a week}  Two days sounds almost pointless, but I need to start with something attainable.  Hopefully, I'll work up to more, but for now I'm only holding myself accountable for two.
4. {Eat really healthy two days a week}  Every time I try to get on a healthy diet, I get burned out within about a week and give up.  So, like exercising, I'm only going to make myself accountable for two days a week.

Adventures

1. {Finish my golden year}  So far, 23 has been pretty great.  And I'm going to make a sincere effort to live up the rest of this golden year!  Luckily, I still have about 7 months left to do it! 
2. {Read the Twilght Saga}  I can't believe I'm even announcing this publicly. I was determined not to get caught up in the whole vampire/werewolf nonsense. Alas, I stubbled upon the first Twilight movie on TV a few months ago and I got curious.  I've now seen the first three movies and I got the whole book series for Christmas. Ashamed? Incredibly. Excited? Unfortunately.
3. {Katie & Luann's Asian Adventure Tour 2012}  My friend Luann is about half-way done with a year of teaching in China. When the school year is over for both of us, we're goin' adventurin'!  Our tentative schedule includes India, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Indonesia.  Besides our major flights, we're not planning much in advance.  From what I know, Asia is disturbingly dirty and reeks like your sweaty brother's old gym socks that his pet turtle used as a toilet. It's going to be a grungy, disorganized, smelly, "fly by the seat of your pants" kind of trip, and I am SO OUTRAGEOUSLY STOKED!!

Asia: get ready to be ROCKED!!

Happy New Year!

Keep calm and carry on...

Cajones

Hello Blogger World!

I am so excited to be writing my very first blog. It is something I have thought about for a couple years now and I finally got the cajones to do it. I was worried nobody would really care what I have to say, as I am not a celebrity or politician, I do not work for a world-bettering charity, I am not married with rambunctious kids, and my daily life is not typically very exciting. However, I do frequently find myself with crazy stories, ridiculous thoughts and stubborn opinions on a variety of topics (inadvertently starting a fight outside of a gay club; casually drifting off to sea; falling asleep while driving; students threatening to "stick" me; breast-feeding baby dolls; obsessive sweepstakes entries). My friends and family seem to enjoy my anecdotes, so I figured maybe a few people in the blogosphere would as well.

Also, I am on the cusp of my 23rd birthday and I've got an inkling this will be a good year to document and share. :)

Many years ago, somebody told me that your Golden Birthday is when you turn the age of the day of your birthday. For me it will be this Saturday, when I turn 23 years old on the 23rd of July. (My awesome friend Stacey told me it is also called your Champagne Birthday, so I may have to get a little bubbly for the celebration...) I have been awaiting this momentous birthday for many years and I can't believe it is finally here. I freaking love my birthday. I start counting down months in advance and I tell pretty much anyone I encounter that my day is coming! It is so strange to think that I am going to be 23 years old. I know I am still pretty young, but 23 years is kind of a long time. A lot has happened in my 23 years of living and I get excited thinking about all that is to come.

Now, please realize that I am not a sucker who thinks this supposed "golden" year will be full of big lotto wins, hot dates with millionaires and globe-trotting, all culminating in my fairytale wedding to Prince Charming. I just have a feeling that my fortune cookie for year 23 would say, "Good things are on the horizon." Here are a few of the "good things" on my horizon:

• I am getting ready to move out of my parents' house in a few weeks. I have always lived with them. In fact, I have always lived in the same house.
• My second year of teaching is about to begin; which I am much less nervous about than I was for my first year.
• I am hoping to go visit a friend in China at some point in the next 12 months.
• I plan to get a dog of my own, once I am settled into my new house.
• My best friend promised me that we can travel somewhere incredible next summer (this might end up being the China trip, but I'll take a BFF adventure any way I can get it!)

There is so much more I want to share with y'all, but it seems that I am getting a bit wordy at this point. I hope you'll stick around to read my crazy stories, ridiculous thoughts and stubborn opinions. I've already got a list of topics I plan to blog about, so check back often. Please feel free to comment, ask questions and tell me your own opinions, whether you like, dislike, agree or disagree with something I say. Just don't be mean, or else I'll delete your comment and possibly cry.

Keep Calm and Carry On, folks...

Katie Mc