Hope

What I love about the “Batman Trilogy” is also what I hate most about it. The social commentary that the writers expose the audiences to is chilling to watch play out on the screen. Last night, I attended the midnight premiere of “The Dark Night Rises,” and once again Christopher Nolan succeeded in drawing me in for two hours and 45 minutes. During this movie I sat there wondering if good would overcome evil, when at times I was losing hope in that good could prevail.

Now how silly can this be?  I tell myself, Christina, it is only a movie, stop tearing up when the bad guys are kicking the good guys down. But that’s the thing, the Batman movies draw you in. They make you wonder, can a whole city turn against its rich attempting to restore balance by taking from them and giving to the poor? Does this have to be done with murder, deceit and hatred? Now once again this is only Hollywood and yet you sit there thinking what is going to happen next, how will good triumph over evil? You wonder, how could a whole city come to hate their police department that has protected them for so many years? And most importantly, seriously, why can’t Gotham catch a break? First the Joker, now Bane.

So, we spend ten to twelve dollars to take an emotional and heroic ride through Gotham, drawn in by every gunshot and evil sinister move. I think it’s easy to talk about the evil and the bad guys when it comes a movie. Why wouldn’t it be? They are simply actors playing out a screenplay from a great DC comic. It’s all pretend and after the movie reel ends you can drive home and sleep safely in your bed. However, as I lay in bed last night, reading through my electronic newspaper, twitter, I thought it was a sick joke that someone would tweet that a shooting occurred in a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado. Things like that don’t happen where you have loved ones. Things like this only happen in scripted movies where no one really gets hurt, right?

But that’s the thing, life isn’t written out like a screenplay. What happened in Aurora, Colorado simply breaks my heart and all this morning I am simply thankful for the safety of my friends. So many people bash on social media, and yes, I realize it has its flaws, but you cannot deny that it allows for people all over the U.S. and even the world to come together. Earlier this morning I tweeted, “We must not forget that although the there is so much good in this world, many of times we are faced with evil. I wish that made it okay. #prayingforaurora.” Thousands of tweets just like these have been tweeted and Facebook messages posted, sending love and support to the victims and their families devastated by this horrible tragedy.

I wish we had the answers to why these things happen. I’ve never been one to subscribe to the saying, “everything happens for a reason” because I just can’t allow that to be an excuse for why bad things happen to good people. For me I can only turn to the Lord for things like this. My good friend Paige even tweeted, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted. #psalm34:18” My faith is what helps me through times such as these when I question why people must suffer at the hands of those who only bring suffering.

In our world today we do not have a billionaire named Bruce Wayne who protects of our cities. And even if we did, would we turn against him like Gotham did? As people, I believe super heroes fascinate us. Their strength, their cool gadgets and their ability to be against all odds and still defeat the bad guys makes us admire them. But like I have said, we don’t have any Batman’s running around the streets of Dallas. However, the one thing that Batman gives to the people of Gotham is hope. A hope that no matter how scared or abandoned they may feel, seeing the sign of the Batman helps them know that he hasn’t given up on them, if they haven’t given up on Gotham. We as people have hope like this but it doesn’t come from a man dressed in black leather. It comes from people all around the world grieving and showing compassion for the tragedy that occurred last night. It comes from people staying connected and becoming aware that this life is ours to live, but every moment must be cherished. We do not need super heroes to save us, when we have the love and compassion that brings us all together, giving us hope for a better tomorrow.

Lessons Learned

A year ago around this time, I was preparing to graduate high school. Ironically enough, even though a year has gone by since graduation, in some ways it feels like just yesterday. But since that time much has happened: I moved to Colorado for a year, survived my first snow in, showed Texas pride, cried when my Texas Rangers lost the World Series, and completed my first year of college as a honors nursing major. Here are some things I learned my freshman year of college:

1.     Moving away from home for college is hard, but it can be done. I am thankful to have been given the opportunity to realize I never have to be afraid to leave home because I can always come back. 

2.     The “Freshmen 15” is real. When do you get it? When you come home from breaks.. What’s up non-cafeteria food?

3.     Sometimes you are going to come across some people you just don’t like. Okay, that’s fine. But you better treat them with respect because they are still people. 

4.     Free food. Free shirts. Free money. Free, the best word you’ll probably hear in college.

5.     Just because you enter into college does not mean people are mature young adults. So many people still have a lot of growing up to do, but keep your head up. People are who they are. Just remember to remain hopeful. 

6.     That country song that says “you find out who your friends are” could not have been more right.  You lose some friends from high school but grow much closer to the ones who really matter.

7.     Communal showers, shower shoes, and shower bucket, all works of the devil.

8.     When you come home for breaks, your family usually acts like they have not seen you in years. Don’t despair. It’s wonderful. Plus you get to eat wherever you want.

9.     If you are planning on being best friends with your roommate, take a step back. People are not always what they seem and living with someone in a prison cell doesn’t always bring out the best in everyone.

10. Not good at painting nails? By the second semester you will be an expert because Heaven knows you cannot afford to get your nails done.

11. If you don’t go to Target or a frozen yogurt place at least once a week you might want to reevaluate your sanity.

12. Your professors want you to succeed. Some of the people I respected the most on campus and went to when I thought I was going to have a mental break down were my professors.

13. You reap what you sow. I mean with both schoolwork and friendships.

14. When you can, study with others. If you can afford to do that at Starbucks that has comfy chairs, go for it.

15. Getting involved on campus is by far the best thing you can do. Well, that and become friends with upperclassmen. They are pretty cool.

16. easybib.com OH MY GOSH

17. Some times you just have to let go of people that do not make you the best person you can be.

18. If you are not happy, do something about it and make a change.

19.  Remember who you are and what you have come from.

20. Don’t wish for time to fly by. One day you’ll be moving in, starting a whole new life and before you know it you’ll be packing it all up, moving back home. 

Easter.

So, here we are, three days before Easter. Three days from the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. No doubt, Easter is in the top five of my favorite holidays. Most of you will have a jam-packed service or mass and then spend the day with family and friends. For me, this Easter is unlike any other I have had. This Easter is the first one I will not be with my family. No worries, I was only depressed for about three days. Luckily, I am blessed enough to spend my Easter break with my friend Becca and her family. Her mom even got me an Easter basket! Are you judging me? Well, listen, there is nothing creepy about a very large bunny that comes into your house and hides eggs and baskets full of goodies while you sleep, which pretty much puts you in a sugar coma the next day. Oh wait.

One of the best memories of my childhood was an Easter egg hunt at my aunt’s and uncle’s home. I was probably 6 and there must have been over 200 hundred eggs in their backyard. And guess what? The eggs had money in them. Of course, at that age I probably wanted candy, but my siblings and I surely banked that day. OH I almost forgot that we all matched on the important holidays. You know, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter. Without a doubt, I am sure my sister and I were wearing floral puffy dresses that made it difficult to conquer the Easter egg hunt like a lady. As tradition would have it, my family and I walked to my aunt’s and uncle’s country club where we would have a Easter brunch. I am thankful for memories such as these.

When you are little it’s all about the candy, the bunny and the plastic pastel eggs when it comes to Easter. But as I am getting into my old age I am realizing that Easter isn’t about the chocolate bunnies or the three days we get off for school. It’s about spending time with family, being thankful that Jesus has risen. Along with this, it is the ending of the Lenten season. 40 days are over and now I can have Swedish Fish! Yes, yes let us all rejoice in the streets but not forget that every day we are able to focus on prayer and sacrifice.

Let us all remember the reason for our celebration this Sunday. I hope everyone has a blessed day especially to all my friends and family back home! Happy Easter y’all!

Angels on Flights

         So we all have little things in our lives that make us happy. For me, I have come to discover that flying makes me happy. I’m not talking that super woman status of flying, although I wish I could, but instead flying in an airplane. Going to school in Denver I am spending a lot more time in airports than I thought I would at this ripe age of 18. When at the airport I play this little game . . . with myself. At the gate I like to guess who will be sitting in first class. Of course it’s always the two 5 year olds, but that’s beside the point.
          When I am on the plane I always anxiously await who will sit by me. If we are being completely honest, I always hope that I get to sit by an army guy, specifically one that isn’t married. I’m human, what can I say? It has yet to happen, but I am not giving up hope quite yet. I have sat by countless business men who have no interest in speaking to me, a college student from CU, and a flight attendant from another airline (her remarks were quite funny, especially because we were flying American. SO many flaws, so little time). On one occasion I was even blessed enough to next to this precious French two year old. We played peekaboo for a solid 2 hours. I thought that was going to be my all time favorite passenger until I met a man of about 50 on my plane ride back to Denver.
          I was 27E and he was 27D. From the get go he struck up a conversation. My first thought was, I have SO much microbiology to study and if this guy thinks we are going to converse for the next two hours, he is nuts. I was shocked as this guy practically told me his life story. He had a 20 year old son and an 8 year old girl and worked for an oil rig company. His son went to LSU and evidently he is a nerd who wants to be pharmacist. He then told me that his wife battled with depression for the past 5 years and that at first he could not understand why she could not get over it, but he went to meetings, read books and worked with his wife to make her better. In case you wanted to know, his wife is a school teacher of 5th grade, and he told me he was happy she moved from 1st grade, because now she treats him like a 5th grader instead of a 1st grader. I also found out his nephew was the quarterback of LSU and will be going pro, but he won’t get any of that money. I found out all of this in a course of about five minutes. He was an open man to say the least. He then informed me that he was afraid of taking off, and I told him we could talk as long as need be.
          Well, when he was done with his life story he wanted to know more about me. I told him I was a nursing major at Regis University and I want to be a nurse practitioner. Now, what he told me after I informed him of my life goals first made me smile, and secondly I think made a difference in me. Ridiculous? Well, hold on before you pass judgment.
He told me that I seemed like a bright girl with a lot of potential. Let’s be honest, compliments from strangers are the best. Going off of this he told me that because of what I want to do with my life, when it comes to falling in love I deserve the very best and I should not settle. A direct quote: “You are going to be making good money. If he does not provide, if he does not know what he wants out of his life, kick him to the curb. You deserve the very best man.” He then went on to tell me that marriage is a beautiful thing and he used to think it was always going to be peachy keen, but with his wife having depression he discovered there is so much to fighting for the one you love.
          At this point I pretty much thought I was going to cry. I had had a really rough week and sometimes you just need someone to put things in perspective. He saw my microbio binder and said he wanted to tell me one more thing before he let me focus on studying. He said that he had been around the block a time or two and he wanted me to know that life is much too short to not enjoy every day and wake up happy and hopeful. He told me that if there are people in my life that do not make me the best person I can be, I needed to forget them because I am worth much more than that.
          He then put his headphones in and who knows where that man is now. I don’t subscribe to the idea that “everything happens for a reason,” but I know God put that man right next to me because he had some things I needed to hear.

Things My Mama Taught Me

        For the past 18 years of my life I have surely learned a lot. However, I did not learn it all on my own. I have been blessed with a mom who has such a huge place in my heart. Because of her, I am who I am today. Even though I went away for school we are closer than ever and I pray she knows I will always find a way to come back home to her. Here are a few of the things my mama  taught me:

1.     Always be honest and open.

2.     Believe in yourself.

3.     If you want something, work for it, not stopping till you get it.

4.     Never forget about your childhood. That love you had for Santa Clause can still exist today.

5.     Life is full of life lessons so go ahead and write them down in a book.

6.     You are strong. People will only bring you down because you allow them too.

7.     Be proud of who you have become, but do not be prideful when it comes to your actions.

8.     Having a bad day? Grab some Mod Podge, glitter, paper, ribbon and anything else you can imagine and create till you are happy.

9.     You deserve a man who makes you his priority. No games, no rollercoasters, just love that is real and true.

10. It’s okay to cry.

11. Forgiving and forgetting are too different things.

12. Inappropriate language is not becoming of you as a lady.

13. You are capable of getting through anything because God put certain people in your life for a reason.

14. Toms are the best traveling shoe.

15. You are loved because of who you are.

      My beautiful mom and me in front of naked statues in Spain. You know, the usual.

Life & Death

Today in Religion & the Human Quest my professor handed out this poem:

Reflection on Death-

Nothing can make up for the absence of someone we love,

And it would be wrong to try to find a substitute.

We must simply hold out and see it through.

That sounds very hard at first,

but at the same time it is a great consolation.

For the gap, as long as it remains unfilled,

Preserves the bond between us.

It is nonsense to say God fills the gap.

God does not fill it,

But on the contrary keeps it empty

            and so helps us to keep alive

            our former communion with each other

            even at the cost of pain.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

I don’t know about you, but this poem certainly hit home for me. It has been 6 years since I tragically lost my Grandpa and for so long I wondered why God did not fill the gaps in my suffering heart. Now, it is not like this poem answers all my questions or makes me miss my grandpa any less. Instead, this poem allows me to look at missing someone who can no longer be with me in a more comforting light. We have all lost someone we have loved so dearly and wish were still here. Try to always remember that you are not alone.  For me, I go to my mom and grandma when I am missing my grandpa and we just laugh and smile about old memories and how things used to be. The pain is hard but reach out to others because most likely they are feeling the emptiness also.

I Love Us

Well here we are, the first day of February has finally arrived. Now, I know what you are thinking, “YES, the beginning of Black History Month!” Granted, I am more than stoked for a month like this but February is also known for that little thing called Valentine’s Day. There, I said it, so let’s all try to deal with it.

            Before Christmas was even over Valentine’s Day paraphernalia was attempting— and  yes, succeeding— at  haunting every female’s hopes and dreams. OH, you think that’s a little dramatic? Have you talked to a single girl, over the age of 16, on Valentine’s Day? No? Well don’t. Most likely she will claw your eyes out. In fact, some people have adopted a new name for the day supposed to be the most love-dovey of the whole year: S.A.D. or for those of you who are not caught up on such lingo, Single’s Awareness Day.

            But hold up, where did Valentine’s Day even come from? Doing some research I of course went to Wiki. Bother you? Okay, sounds like a personal problem. Like any other tradition there are many stories trying to explain why people do what they do. Evidently, there was once a Christian martyr named Saint Valentine. The Golden Legend has it that the night before Saint Valentine was to be executed for trying  to convert Roman Emperor Clausius II to Catholicism, he supposedly wrote the first “valentine” card himself. He addressed the valentine to a young girl, who may have been his beloved, and signed the note “From your Valentine.”

            So uh I have a question. . . If Valentine’s Day merely started by a note signed by a Saint named Valentine, then how in the world did we go from a man who really did exist to a chubby baby in a loincloth with a bow and arrow that causes people to fall in love? 

Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with Valentine’s Day, but what if we are missing the point? Through my 18 long years of life I have come to discover many things, one of them being that if companies can make money off of something, trust me, they will. Pessimistic? Huh, no, I am just calling it like it is. Think about it: What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of Valentine’s Day? I sincerely hope it is love, and then probably right after that, money. . . Ever tried to buy roses on Valentine’s Day? Ya, don’t. You will come to discover that you will have to take out a loan just to afford a dozen.  Here is what I think of when it comes to Valentine’s Day:

        Valentines, handmade or store bought: It’s the thought that counts, right? I still give Valentines because I refuse to believe I am not in elementary anymore. 

       Carnations: Every Valentine’s Day at my high school, every female received a flower to let them know they were loved. 

       Chocolates: Jay, if you are reading this think Godiva. Hehe, just kitten. . . but seriously. . .

       A ginormous teddy bear: Nothing says “I love you” like a teddy bear bigger than most children under the age of six. 

Hearts: I know, a classic. We are talking big hearts, little hearts, red hearts, pink hearts, shiny hearts, glittery hearts, smelly hearts. . . .Wait what?

PINK RED GLITTER AHHHHHHH EVERYWHERE

Okay, so that’s all the material things, but here is what I don’t quite understand: One day out of the whole year we pay ridiculous amounts of money to tell those special people in our lives that we love them. But wait, why do we need a specific day like Valentine’s Day to do that. Shouldn’t every day be the day to tell the people that you love that your life would not be the same without them and that you are so grateful to know them? Maybe I am too optimistic, but maybe it’s not that ridiculous of a thought.

So no matter if you are single, married, or in a relationship, take a moment today to go to the person you love most, whether it be a husband, a wife, a mom, a grandma, a brother, a best friend or maybe your neighbor (hey, weirder things have happened), and let them know you care about them.

            With all this being said, here we go folks. It’s the month of love, so let’s embrace it happy and grateful for all those people that we love most in our lives. Valentine’s Day is going to come and go, but the people that we would give the world to spend an endless number of Valentine’s Days together are what really matter, so take a moment on February 14^th or maybe even right now to say, “I love us.”  

College Sucks, Until it Doesn't.

“It’s the best time of your life.”
“OH MY GOSH college is so crazy.”

“Don’t worry about a thing, everyone else is in the same boat.”

“It’s all going to fly by.”

If you are in college at some point before heading off to school you have heard some of these lovely words of wisdom. So here we are back at school for another semester and I am reflecting on what I have been told. However, as I spend over 200 dollars on books, attempt to wake up before my 9 o’clock class (I know I complain when people have 8 AMS and I am so sorry), and try to just deal with the cafeteria food, I am unable to find the beauty in this whole “college thing.” I know, I know, Ms. Bitter Betty, but I hope you will hear me out.

When you first to get to college there is so much excitement, so much to discover and so many things to learn (I am on life lesson #756), but it’s all hard. It’s hard knowing who is genuine. It’s hard knowing how that first test is going to be in each of your classes. It’s hard knowing who you are meant to be. So ya, college sucks until it doesn’t. You start off with a whirl wind of emotions, running around trying to be friends with everyone and their mother. But then things calm down and textbooks beat you over the head. You come to discover who will be there for you when you get sick. You come to realize that late night pillow talk is something sacred. You come to realize, that the girls across the hall that you thought were rude, are the sweetest Colorado angels you have ever met. Everything you had worried about worked out as it was meant.

But now I am on my second semester and every time I come back from Texas I count down the days till I get to go back home. Now, no worries, I love it here in Denver, but there is something hopeful about knowing how many days till I get to be reunited with my family and friends, and of course the great state of Texas. I had promised myself this year that I would try my best to take one day at a time, but instead I am jumping ahead 41 days till Spring Break. Maybe it’s because here I get nosebleeds? Or maybe it's because when I walk around I feel like I need an oxygen tank? Whatever the case may be, I need to cut it out.

Here I am, hoping that I can fast-forward my college days and because of this I am missing the point. I am blessed to attend a college where I am cared for not just by my friends but also by my faculty and staff. A college that has some places around campus that look like Howgwarts. A college that offers me a Jesuit viewpoint of cura personalis. I have all this, yet I want to jump into the real world? Maybe it’s because sometimes I feel like have an old soul? Silly? Ya, maybe. However, this old soul still has a lot more heartache to experience and life lessons to learn. I can wish it would goby  faster but my 24 hour days are not going to speed up upon my request. I have hopes, wishes, and dreams but they are going to fall into place when it’s meant, not when I want them to.

Okay, so where do I go from here? Well, I am still going to look forward to going home but I am going to focus more on my blessings around me. Every morning I wake and say the Serenity Prayer:

“God grant me the serenity
     to accept the things I cannot change;
      courage to change the things I can;
     and wisdom to know the difference.”

            This prayer reminds me that you know what, college is what it is but I can also make a difference on how I want my experience to be: happy, fulfilled, content, and inspired. So to all you college students out there let’s try something. Let’s be content with where we are and make the most out of what we have all been given.  

A Few of My Favorite Things

      I am very blessed. I attend an excellent college and I have a loving family and friends that are always there for me. However, so very often I take these things for granted. Because of this notion, I don't want to live my life not knowing what I have till it is gone. So, I took some time and compiled a few of my favorite things. Some a little silly, some a little serious but that's what life’s moments are all about, right?

1. Texas

       Now, I know what y'all are thinking, "What a Texan thing to say.." But, I really do love where I am from. Our attitude may be a little obnoxious and we may want to succeed, but hey from cowboys to country all the way back to Tex-Mex I am proud to be from Texas.  

2. Nail Polish

       So, if you are not in college you may not understand this one quite as much, but you see, when you are in college you are what we in the business call broke. My friends and I can not afford to get our nails done so we set up shop in our dorm rooms and in the past 6 months my nail polish collection has doubled. 

3. Gelato

       OH how I hate to love Gelato. So much better than ice cream and yes, even frozen yogurt. 

4. Oliver

       Oliver started out as a little bit of a joke but you know this lovable cow has really meant a lot to me. Oh, you didn’t know I was one of those people who has a sentimental stuffed animal..? Too bad, deal with it. I love my Oliver. 

5. Sunflowers

       Sunflowers are by far my favorite of all the flowers. I will have to say that they are not the prettiest or the best smelling. However, what I love about sunflowers is that they can grow almost anywhere under the toughest conditions. Sunflowers are fighters. I admire that. 

6. Sarah Holland

       For those of you who may not know me so well, this may be a little creepy that one of my favorite things is a person. Well, Sarah is my best friend and without her I would be a hot southern mess. I sometimes call her Peter because I consider her my rock. We all need that one person we can always run to no matter what. Thank you Sarah for being that person for me. 

7. Tuna IN A PACKET

       Now, don’t you judge me. I just really like tuna, but tuna in a packet is quite possibly the best thing ever invented. . . kinda. You don’t even have to drain it! 

8. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch.

       I am thankful for this book. I read this book the summer before my senior year and will hopefully read it every summer from here on out. In the book Pausch wrote, “The key question to keep asking is, Are you spending your time on the right things? Because time is all you have. ” This book has indeed changed the way I think and how I perceive the world. You know, sometimes what we think matters a lot really doesn’t matter that much at all. 

9. Babies

       Have you ever known anything to be so perfect as a baby? Yes, they cry and spit up and can’t tell you what is wrong when they are upset, but babies love unconditionally. Babies do not judge. They simply desire affection and care and in return give back smiles and giggles. 

10. Dental Flossers

       OKAY, these are the coolest things since sliced bread. No longer do you have to hold the slimy floss, but instead a handle! And who said that America wasn’t progressing along like other countries?

11. Mustaches

       Seriously, funniest things ever. I even have fake ones. But, you know I don’t like them on men, only inanimate objects.

12. Glitter

       I really enjoy arts and crafts and my number one motto when it comes to crafting a piece, if it can have glitter, it will have glitter. Simple as that. 

So go ahead and think about it, what are a few of your favorite things? Oh, and don't forget to count those blessings.

Childhood.

Today I came across all the VHS's from my childhood. First off, I would just like to say that I had a very impressive collection as a small child. There were the classics like Cinderella and Little Mermaid but some others that I had not thought of in years like Quest For Camelot and Fly Away Home. Have not seen those? Well, stop reading this and go and watch them. But seriously. . . As I sat there taking out all the VHS’s I just felt well, happy. You know how when you are a little kid and all you want to do is just grow up? You want to drive. You want to get out of the house. You want to start making your own decisions. The word independence is so far out of reach but all you want to do is just swallow it whole.

I used to want to grow up, now I am asking if maybe we can slow the clock. Sure, I am only 18 but already I have had some major milestones: My 16^th birthday, my first love, my first car, my first semester of college. Pretty soon my firsts will come to include: my first and ONLY marriage, my first kid’s birthdays, my first house and my first job as a nurse. And although this is all so close I don’t want it quite yet.

What I want is to be my 6 year old self who could sit down with her blankie in her Winnie the Pooh pajamas and watch Snow White, still believing that fairy tales are real. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I have never been to Disney World/Land, and no I am not bitter about it. . . but I have to live my life knowing that no prince charming is going to come and save me. Well that and that seven dwarfs will probably not be knocking on my door any time soon.

            So what’s the point? Ya, we grow up, we learn things, our VHS’s become DVDs. Although this is all true I think the big picture is a little more than that. When you are little everything is safe, everything is perfect. You believe that your parents are happy, but then they divorce. You believe that all people want what is best for you, but then your best friend hurts you. You believe that being little makes you weak, but then you become stronger and you wish you were little again. No matter what the truth may be, we can’t go back. 

          Life is constantly moving forward, progressing and developing. But you know, all those movies that we watched as children can help be our guide. Timon and Pumba taught me HAKUNA MATATA. Peter Pan taught me that all things take faith and trust. Mulan taught me that I must reflect before I act. Winnie the Pooh taught me what friendship really is. Every day what was a part of our childhood resonates in our thoughts, our actions and even our words. So I guess all we can do is “just keep swimming.”

Here We Go

After spending 365 days on a project, I knew that during 2012 I had to keep something going. As I look back on Project Life I am so appreciative of how excited everyone was to see my photos, so thank you to anyone who took the Project Life journey with me. Down the road, I am sure I will do another but I think a year off will be good. However, no worries, I will still be doing photography. I mean, what else am I to do with all my free time that doesn’t exist?

           For 2012 I am going to blog. No, not every day, but for sure every week. Photos, thoughts, reflections, rants…, hopes and dreams will fill my blog. I hope 2012 is a year of learning, loving and letting go. College days is what my life is, but it won’t always be. But for now, I think I am going to take everything one day at a time. It was Ferris Bueller who said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Here’s to a happy and hopeful 2012.