Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Looking Forward

Here's to a New Year!


I am joining in with pretty much every other blogger on the blogosphere and talking about how 2013 was for me and what I'm looking forward to in 2014!

This year was quite amazing, I have to say.  I knew when it started that it would be a good year, but had no clue how incredibly grateful I would be at the end of it that it was so good.  First of all, I got married this year!  I am lucky enough to have found a such an amazing person to spend my life with.  Matt and I have been together for (almost) seven years (in March) and finally tied the knot this past May.  It was an amazing day with our amazing friends and family.  I couldn't have asked for anything more.  

Matt and I being introduced as Mr. and Mrs. at our reception

We welcomed our niece into the world in March and then a nephew into the world in June. Our family is growing and it is so much fun to watch them as they start to make their way in this world.


About to head to Fogo De Chao in Beverly Hills on our honeymoon to California


Playing around at Morro Bay, CA


Matt and I made a big move this spring from the city we lived in for three years while I was finishing up my bachelors degree back to our home town.  It was scary and we had some big ups and downs as far as questioning our careers and future and where we would live.  We came out on the other side though, as we always do and now have a much clearer outlook on our future.

This year I also was invited back to work at the Bodie Island Lighthouse on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.  This was my fifth season with the National Park Service, and after taking a summer off last year, it was so wonderful to get back to the job that I know I'm meant to do.  I met a whole crew of amazing people this year who I called only coworkers at the beginning, but they shortly became my good friends.  The one downfall that happened with my job this year is that I and my friends were affected by the government shutdown.  We were told we had no job until further notice just two weeks before we finished out our season. It was not a good way to end a great season, but we sure did have a good time spending time with each other if we couldn't go to work.  :)

Bodie Island Lighthouse - First lit October 1st 1872


Did I mention I climbed this thing 372 times this summer?  I was 28 short of 400 and would have made it had the government shutdown not occurred...




Some of my wonderful friends I met this summer


In late November, I took up running again.  It is something that I have done off and on over the years but never stuck to it and followed through.  One of the things that I am constantly working on as a person, is to follow through with the things I start.  This is not only going to be my New Years resolution, but it is a general resolution that I have been working on for quite some time.  I am proud to say that I am still running at least three times a week.  I am going to run in a 5K next Saturday, and have a long-term goal of running my first half-marathon in November of 2014.  Running is something that I enjoy doing and considering that I love food and wine so much, it's a good thing I like to do it or I would be a blimp.  ;)

As far as blogging goes, I started this blog last winter and kept up with it relatively well.  I was finding, however that I had trouble getting motivated to write posts.  I was overthinking them, I think and I really wasn't posting about things that I'm truly passionate about.  When I started posting again in early November, I decided to change my mission statement.  I decided to write about what I'm passionate about, which to be honest is a lot things.  I'm not boxing myself in to any niche in particular, which I know is the opposite of one of the cardinal rules to blogging.  (Thou shall pick an interest and write the shit out of it)  It makes me happy to talk about what I want, so that's what I'm going to do.  :D

Looking forward to next year, I would like to keep up with my running first and foremost.  It is the best and most enjoyable thing I have found to keep me in shape.  It makes me feel good about myself and my fitness.  I am looking forward to new chapters in my personal life as well as in my professional life.  I would like to continue blogging and continue working with the National Park Service.

2014 should hold some pretty interesting things for me this year and I can't wait to see what unfolds!

Yours truly, Ranger Hillary



As always, thanks for tuning in :D

Do you have any resolutions this year?

What stands out to you in 2013 as one of your best moments?












2 comments:

  1. Awesome post! It sounds like you've had a pretty busy, great year. I really look forward to following your posts in 2014. :)

    Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete