January 1, 2013

Well, this is it...the last post of my 365 days of photos (technically 366 because of the leap year). Coincidentally enough I spent the first day of 2013 going through boxes of old stuff from my childhood as my parents cleaned up our storage room. This cleaning adventure began around noon and didn't end until after 4. And by cleaning I mean looking at pictures - ones from 17 years ago, from countless Fernie family trips, from summer camp and ski trips and youthful shennanigans. I found old ticket stubs from movies, hockey games, concerts, and the globe theatre that dated back to 2001. I tried on every hat I had as a kid (I wore a lot of hats...this Chicago Bulls one was a particular favourite), I read poems I wrote, I read letters from parents, grandparents, teachers and friends that I had forgotten about. I looked through a journal I wrote in when I was 8 and 9 years old. I laughed at clothes I wore, stuffed animals I owned, and books I read. Some things made me tear up as I reminisced, but most made me laugh.

As I thought about how I am starting a new year and an entirely fresh, exciting, and completely unknown chapter in my life, I felt as though I was almost 'wrapping up' the last 23 chapters today. I feel like I just finished Part I of my life novel and am heading into Part II. 

I've been thinking a lot about what the past year has brought me, the things I've done, the emotions I've felt, and the challenges I have overcome. It was the first year where structured education did not dictate my every day being. I felt wonderfully free and found a liberating happiness I had never felt in the past. This freeness and liberation did not come without consequences or downsides, however, and there were times I knew I had momentarily lost some of that happiness. But I learned that without these heavy and negative feelings, emotions, and moments it is much more difficult to appreciate the pure joy and love of life and to comprehend what it means to be truly content with who you are and the life you lead.

I believe that I got to know myself better this year. I did a lot of self-reflection - mostly because I had the time and mostly because of this here blog - and learned more about me as a human being than I've ever cared to think about in the past. This year I did ALL the things I love or even just kind of love because, for the first time, I had time. I skied my heart out in Whistler, I knitted lots of things, I continued to play the guitar and to sing, I exercised, I took photos, I caught up on movies I haven't seen, and I spent some serious quality time with my family. I managed to do all of these things, move halfway across the country from my wonderful west coast life and the friends that were (and still are!!) near and dear to me, I worked 4 different jobs (3 at the same time), I made a new and great life for myself in the place I nearly ran away from after high school, I made new friends who are near and dear to me, and I have planned a 6 month solo adventure to South America.

Needless to say, I've had an interesting year! Fortunately I will have this blog that I am so incredibly proud of to look back on and remind myself of the absolutely beautiful life I have lead. I will be able to look back to a year's worth of photographs and realize how blessed I am to have experienced all of these moments - the good, the bad, AND the mediocre.

Thank you to everyone who looked at this dang thing every day. And thank you to those who browsed from time to time. And I guess even the one-timers ;) (Who should feel free to go back and look at old posts! Actually everyone can feel free to do that. Hehe.) I set out to seek inspiration and I managed to find a little, or sometimes a lot, each day, whether I knew it at the time or not. I also set out to inspire, which I truly hope I've done in some way, shape, or form. Although I am still undecided as to what this blog will continue to be, do check back. Though it won't be an everyday thing anymore I'd like to keep track of my travels somehow. And after learning about the blogging world a bit (I'm so comfortable with that word now! Remember last January when I could hardly say it without scowling? No? Well I do.) I know that I want to continue sharing my photos and my thoughts, especially the far away and adventurous kind.

So, here's to 2013: the year of the unknown, of wild adventures, and even more self-realizations. Here's to the journey I am about to embark upon, the different worlds I'm about to be part of, and to both happiness and loneliness, because both are part of growth. Finally, here's to another year of a beautiful, wonderful life.

This is how I measure a year.

Peace, love & harmony,

Britt