Crystal Called It!: Looking Back and Pressing On: 2012 Reflections

2012.

I must admit, this year overall was great. I'd give it a gold star!

I felt the need to have a moment of reflection upon this year as it ends and 2013 takes over.

One word to describe this year: blessings. Major accomplishments and many firsts. I had an amazing opportunity to travel on my first international trip to South Africa and Botswana. On that trip, I ate antelope and crocodile. Ask me if I thought that would ever happen in the US...

I had the chance to go hiking for the first time this year and even tried my luck at skiing. Throw in two major haircuts and a milestone birthday too!

I was able to continue toward my journey of visiting the 50 states this year and added Idaho, Oregon, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Maryland to my list. (25 states down, 25 more to go!) Oh yeah, I finished a masters degree, a goal that I set out to accomplish by 25 and instead had the completed diploma on my wall at 24.

Relocating back home was also pretty major. While I began the year as an Arizona resident, I was determined not to finish it. I'm very grateful for my new job at my alma mater where I'm blessed with the opportunity to talk with prospective law students all across the country. (Not to mention the chance to rack up these frequent flyer miles and hotel points).

I have no desire to make resolutions for 2013, for many reasons. The most important thing for me is to constantly strive toward self-improvement and I don’t need a calendar to dictate that. In this moment, I’d just like to keep basking in the blessings that manifested themselves in the year 2012.