God is Great, Beer is Good, and People are Crazy

Wow, I cannot believe 2012 is finally coming to end. If I think back to New Years Eve last year, I was completely clueless to everything that would happen in the upcoming year. I was getting ready to go out with my boyfriend. We were going to a party with some of his friends. I was blissfully ignorant to all the changes that would be coming my way. I'll try to do a quick (hopefully) recap of last year before getting my goals for this year out in the world.

Last February, I got back to school and was thrown right into recruitment. It was such a rewarding experience and I am so glad I decided to go through with it. In high school, joining a sorority was not something I had ever considered. I knew my dad had been in a frat, but he was also a soccer star at Penn State and that overshadowed his frat boy past a little bit. Anyway, I spent the first two weekends back at school flirting with all of Delaware's sorority girls. Now, I don't know abou you. but I had never actually flirted with a girl before. It is definitely interesting to see the recruitment process. I happened to get my bid from the sorority I had fallen in love with, and it was all downhill from there.

The next few weeks were filled with events helping our new pledge class bond with each other and with the older girls. It's amazing how girls you didn't even know a few weeks ago can become your second family. I also was lucky enough to become part of the best pham in aephi. My big and gbig have become two of my best friends, especially these past few months. I honestly can say I don't know what I would do without them.

In March, my relationship of two years was ended. While I never thought the day would actually come, I always had a tiny inkling in the back of my head that it would happen. It was very hard to get over, losing both my best friend and the only boy I had ever been in love with, but I would never trade the experience for anything. I realized I had grown a lot as a person, but I still had a lot of growing to do. I needed time on my own to learn more about myself and becoming a stronger, more confident individual (which I am still working on, every day).

A few days later was my birthday, and I was officially old enough to buy tobacco (oh yay). Nineteen is a funny birthday. It starts your last year as a teenager, which didn't hit me until very recently. Aside from that, nineteen is pretty boring.

This past summer, I got a job as a waitress at Ventura's Greenhouse in Margate. I absolutely love my job (though I don't always love having to go into work). I never saw myself as a waitress, but it is something I don't mind doing while I work towards a career, especially since I get to work on a beautiful beach.

So many things happened while I was home this summer, I can't even remember them all. I made some new friends (Hello, Surfer boy) and had falling outs with some of my oldest friends. I went to see Zac Brown Band with Jenn, and spent some time in Wildwood with Justine. Overall, this past summer was pretty great.

Then it was time to move into my new apartment about a week before classes started. I was so excited to finally have my own place! But I came to learn that living with other people wasn't always as easy as Lauren had made it for me last year. I will not go into detail about the living situation, but I will say I am glad to finally be out of it.

My classes this semester weren't too bad. I hate how stressed and anxious I was all semester because it really affected my grades. I took a pilates class with Morgan, which I fell in love with. Lissy and I discovered this awesome shake place. And my obsession with Chipotle only grew.

I ended up going home a lot this semester. Last year, I never got homesick so I didn't realize how lucky I was to have the home that I have. My mom has become my best friend. I honestly don't want to know how much of a mess I would be if I didn't have her (and my daddy) to come home to when I needed it. And Jimmy and I have finally become more like really good friends than fighting brother and sister. I've been so blessed with my amazing family.

This year, I've gained some of the best friends a girl could ask for. Some were from unlikely places. Some were friends I've had for ages. Some were only in my life for a few weeks, others are lifelong. Each and every single one of them (whether a Navy wife across the country, a sister in Trinidad, or girl from grade school) has impacted my life in a way greater than they will ever know. So I would like to take a minute to thank each and every person who reached out to me in any way. It means more to me than you can imagine.

And now, as I am getting ready to ring in the New Year, I'm contemplating the goals I have and how I want to grow. I want to keep my workout kick up, until it is no longer a kick, but a lifestyle (my brother and I are doing our first mud run next summer, I cannot wait!). I need to work on my confidence and being happy on my own. I need to work on being thankful, regardless of how tough the situation is that I am given, because God will never give me anything I cannot handle. I need to remember that I truly believe everything happens for a reason (even if the guy at the bar this weekend tried his best to convince me that isn't true). I need to realize everyone is put in my life to teach me a lesson, whether they become a permanent part of my life or not. I need to stop being selfish and start doing things to make others happy again (which is what truly brings me happiness). I need to stop planning and start living. My resolution is to start every day with a smile and say one positive thing to myself. Every. Single. Day. No matter what.

So here's to ringing the New Year, looking forward, not back, and remembering God is Great, Beer is Good, and People are Crazy.

xoxo
-B