Lucky 2013 / Unlucky 2013

Said goodbye, turned around, and you were gone, gone, gone…
…Like a drum, baby, don’t stop beating.

First Song Heard in 2013: Jason Mraz – Life is Wonderful

2013 RESOLUTIONS.
With a New Year comes New Year’s Resolutions. I’ve decided not to set specific resolutions for myself this year, since it only seems to add unnecessary obligation and pressure. Instead, I have chosen a few focus areas that I’d like to concentrate on a bit more throughout this year: writing (blogging, journaling, letter writing), culture (new music, new books, new foods, maybe even new places?), creativity (graphic and web design, singing/music, maybe even songwriting?), and presentation (thinking professionally – since I will be graduating soon, an online portfolio, updated resume, networking, etc. will be needed – and thinking personally since I’m in need of a makeover!). …Also, No More Hoarding!

MEMORIES OF 2013.

January began with the celebration of my 24th birthday *cue Switchfoot’s “Twenty-four”* with my Mom (at White Spot) and my friends (at Old Spaghetti Factory). My birthday also marked the start of MY LAST SEMESTER OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES at SFU – I am taking ENGL 427: Women Romantic Writers in Manuscript, Print, and Digital Media. I attended a variety of workshops: LEAD’s “Social Media, Social Movements” and “Wandering Into The Future” (hosted by Career Services), SFU’s Leadership Summit Conference, and YWiB SFU’s Holistic Living. I did a huge clean-up/re-organization of my room after years of hoarding and procrastinating. January was also the start of Awards Season! I was captivated by Les Miserables mania – especially by Eddie Redmayne, Samantha Barks, Amanda Seyfried, Anne Hathaway, and Hugh Jackman. It was a joy to see the film and its cast receive accolades at the People’s Choice Awards, Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, Golden Globes, and SAG Awards. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice celebrated its 200th anniversary – and I celebrated by watching the Lizzie Bennet Diaries and other Austen adaptations. Jason Castro and Colton Dixon released new albums. American Idol returned with Season 12!

February kicked off with the Superbowl/Beyonce Bowl/Puppy Bowl. It is clear that 2013 will be the year of comebacks. Justin Timberlake made his mark at the Grammys – some of my favourite singers Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Adele won Grammys – and Elton John and Ed Sheeran did a cool duet. Awards Season ended with the 2013 Oscars – the best parts of the evening were Anne Hathaway’s winning moment and the multiple salutes to music in movies – there was 50 Years of Bond (Shirley Bassey and OSCAR WINNER Adele) and the movie-musical tributes – Chicago, Dreamgirls, and a riveting performance of “One Day More” by the Les Miserables cast! I wrote a paper on Jane Austen’s manuscripts for ENGL 427. I attended the last workshop of the 2012/2013 year for YWiB SFU on Global Opportunities – which reawakened my wanderlust. I made my big return to blogging (after months of writer’s block) on recultured and The Hudsucker – writing articles on the Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Valentine’s Day, The Grammys, and the Oscars. I did some shopping (for magazines, purses, make-up, jewelry, clothes, books, and DVDs) when I should really be saving my money. I saw some movies – Warm Bodies, Quartet, and Life of Pi. Community returned. American Idol’s Hollywood Week and Las Vegas Weeks (now the SUDDEN DEATH Rounds) showcased some promising singers along with many trainwrecks and snoozefests, and the field was eventually narrowed down to the Top 20 contestants. It became clear that Idol will stop at nothing to ensure that a girl wins this year…

March was a busy month for school and volunteering. For ENGL 427, I worked on a class presentation on Women’s Literary History (using Clara Reeve’s The Progress of Romance as a resource). I started planning for my final project (and my last assignment of my undergrad) on Anna Letitia Barbauld’s “Fashion, A Vision”. I attended YWiB SFU’s 2013 International Women’s Day Conference (the theme being ‘Gaining Momentum’). I went to a networking event hosted by CMNSU called Careers in Communications and chatted with professionals in the fields of news, radio, and digital communications. I also attended LEAD’s final two workshops on Vulnerability and on Gender & Communication. My LEAD team worked on our Final Presentation and Report to wrap up our experience with the Canadian Red Cross. The Lizzie Bennet Diaries webseries came to a conclusion with their 100th episode. David Archuleta’s team released “No Matter How Far”, an album of his unreleased tracks. American Idol Season 12 finalized its Top 10 – Amber Holcomb, Angie Miller, Burnell Taylor, Candice Glover, Curtis Finch Jr., Devin Velez, Janelle Arthur, Kree Harrison, Lazaro Arbos, and Paul Jolley. Phillip Phillips, Jessica Sanchez, and Colton Dixon all returned to Idol to perform.

April was a time for celebration! The completion of my ENGL 427 course (I passed with an A-, bringing my overall total cumulative university GPA to a 3.3, or a A-/B+ average) marked the end of my LAST UNDERGRADUATE SEMESTER AT SFU. I am now looking forward to my convocation in June. I bid farewell to my roles as an SFU volunteer (all of the student volunteers were honoured at the SFU Volunteer Appreciation Gala – including my LEAD and FCAT Mentorship groups) and as a YWiB SFU member (some of the kindest, brightest, and lovely women you will ever meet). As all of these goodbyes were exchanged, I also indulged in some much needed down time in the form of hobbies and entertainment. I continued to blog some more – cultivating my niche of writing about music and inspirational/motivational/thought-provoking pieces. Mad Men came back for its sixth season – and once again, it’s really all about the Mad Women. The unthinkable happened on American Idol: the guys were knocked out one by one, five times in a row, leaving Idol with its first all Female Top 5, consisting of Amber Holcomb, Angie Miller, Candice Glover, Kree Harrison, and Janelle Arthur. A women will win American Idol for the first time since Jordin Sparks in 2007! FINALLY, Team Girl Power reigns victorious! Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson returned to perform their new singles (“See You Again” and “People Like Us” on Idol, further proving that Idol Girls rule. I listened to two great albums, Canadian crooner Michael Buble’s To Be Loved and Country newcomer Kacey Musgraves’ Same Trailer Different Park. The Boston tragedy reminded us all of the value of kindness, charity, and making this life count.

May was a mega-month for music. I saw two of my favourite singers live in concert – Sara Bareilles for her Brave Enough Tour in Vancouver and Carrie Underwood for the last show of her Blown Away Tour in Abbotsford. Two of my favourite Idols debuted their new singles on Idol – David Cook’s “Laying Me Low” and Lauren Alaina’s “Barefoot & Buckwild”, AND one of my favourites from last year, Jessica Sanchez, made a guest appearance on Glee. On Idol Season 12, my top 2 girls, Kree Harrison and Candice Glover, made it all the way to the end for a Grand Country/Blues vs. R&B/Jazz Finale that had a whole lotta heart and soul! Girl on Fire Candice Glover was crowned the Season 12 winner, making her first Idol Queen in many years. Candice (“I Am Beautiful”), Kree (“All Cried Out”), and Angie Miller (“You Set Me Free”) released their first singles, and all three ladies plus Amber Holcomb and Janelle Arthur slayed their finale performances. The Top 5 Girls saved this season, and for that, I salute them! Jessica Sanchez released her album, Me, You & The Music. In other news, I FINALLY marathoned all of Arrested Development, just in time for the Season 4 premiere on Netflix. Leonardo DiCaprio made a Great Gatsby. I took my graduation photoshoot with Artona Studios… convocation is coming!

June was the month of my university convocation! I am now an SFU Alum with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication & English. Congratulations to the Class of 2013! Although I am taking a leisure break this summer, I have been working on updating my resume and LinkedIn, setting up my online portfolio, developing my personal brand, etc, in preparation for job searching later on. I reconnected with nature: I crossed the Capilano Suspension Bridge for the first time, visited parks and lakes, and took lots of nature-related photography. In the blogosphere, I completed my student blogging contract with Recultured, and The Hudsucker celebrated its one year anniversary! Mad Men finished its sixth season; clearly, the men are faltering and the women are rising. The alternate ending/epilogue for American Dreams was released at the ATX Festival – I never thought the closure would ever come! I marathoned Parks & Recreation, which is now my favourite television comedy. I read books (The Alchemist, The Bell Jar, etc.), viewed a ton of free movies on Netflix, watched Brooke White’s Hallmark Channel movie, Banner 4th of July (great soundtrack, by the way! Check out the song “Sun Up Sun Down”), and saw many summer blockbusters: Man of Steel, Monsters University, Star Trek Into Darkness, and Iron Man 3. I finalized my summer vacation destination: Los Angeles/Hollywood!

July began on a sad note with the sudden, tragic passing of Cory Monteith. His death was a terrible loss for not only the fans, but his friends, his family, and Lea, as well as an eye-opener in terms of the reality of substance abuse and addiction in our society. Rest in peace, Canadian Prince. I’ll never stop hustlin’. On a happier note, I had a sensational and memorable time during my trip to Los Angeles, California at the end of July! Within a week, I met up with some of my awesome LA friends, visited the sights I’ve always wanted to see, and accomplished the activities I’ve always wanted to do in the City of Angels. I hiked up to the Hollywood sign, scoped out the stars along the Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard (and even saw Walk of Fame ceremony for the late Peter Falk (Columbo)… and DICK VAN DYKE happened to be a special guest!), checked out the handprints at the TCL Chinese Theatre and saw The Bling Ring in cinema, watched two shows (American Idol Season 12 Tour at Nokia Theatre – where I met Paul Jolley, Devin Velez, Burnell Taylor, and JESSICA SANCHEZ – and Chicago at Hollywood Bowl), went to museums (Grammy Museum for music, Paley Center for television, and Hollywood Museum for film), did tours of Dolby Theatre (where the Oscars are held) and Paramount Studios (home of Lucille Ball, Community, Glee, and more television shows and movies!), chilled at the pier and beach in Santa Monica, shopped at Hollywood & Highland, the Grove, the Farmer’s Market, and Santa Monica (and window-shopped at Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills), spent a day at the most magical place on earth, Disneyland, and heard a new song that encapsulated my trip – “Royals” by Lorde. I love LA!

August was that awkward period between the freedom of summer and the looming prospect of looking for the job that will launch the rest of my career. I spent much of my time this month researching career opportunities, networking with professionals in communications, and getting my name out in the world. I volunteered at an event called the OMG Social Media Conference (helping small business owners get tapped into the Online Media Generation) and established contacts – I later met up with them for informational interviews (or coffee chats). I read a handful of books (Jenna Ushkowitz’s “Choosing Glee”, Chris Colfer’s “The Land of Stories 2: The Enchantress Returns”, Robert Galbraith/J.K. Rowling’s “The Cuckoo’s Calling”, J.K. Rowling’s “The Casual Vacancy”) and fashion magazines (since the September issues were out). I listened to new music from John Mayer, Sara Bareilles, Erika Van Pelt, and Hollie Cavanagh. I watched a few films (Pacific Rim, Despicable Me 2, The Butler, which were all good, but overall, this was a bad summer for movies). I bought a lot of handbags from kate spade (and a Marc Jacobs tote, which I found at the Aritzia Warehouse Sale – along with a Dolce & Gabbana top!). As an end of summer tradition, Mom and I went to the PNE for Superdogs, Pig Races, and lots of expensive yet delicious food.

September started, and for the first time ever, I didn’t have school to look ahead to. I did get my educational fix by completing HootSuite University and receiving HootSuite Certification! I began my jobhunt by searching and applying for positions which involve social media marketing, community and content management, blogging/writing, or combination of them all. In the meanwhile, I signed up for a bunch of volunteer opportunities to gain more experience – beginning at the end of the month through to October. Parks & Recreation and Glee started up again! Yes, I started watching Glee again, because they finally did a tribute to the music of the Beatles (the soundtrack is really good). HeeJun and Elise Testone released their debut singles.

October was jam-packed with lots of festival/special events volunteering! I volunteered at WORD Vancouver, a reading and literacy festival held at the Vancouver Public Library. I also volunteered for the Vancouver International Film Festival as a venue attendant for Vancity Theatre. As part of the volunteer pass perks, I was able to see three films – All the Wrong Reasons (Cory Monteith’s final film), The Invisible Woman, and Leap 4 Your Life. I returned to volunteer on the PR Team (this time at Media Registration) for We Day Vancouver at Rogers Arena. Finally, I volunteered at the Vancouver Writer’s Festival on Granville Island/UBC. I joined Rogers’ Social Insiders program, which means I get to test out and blog about their products (including the Moto X and Nokia Lumia 1020). Gavin DeGraw, Sara Bareilles, Kelly Clarkson, and Allison Iraheta & Halo Circus released new music. Glee said goodbye to Finn Hudson/Cory Monteith with a beautiful and moving musical tribute, “The Quarterback”. ❤

November, the month of Movember, commenced with a book signing with Nick Offerman for his first book, Paddle Your Own Canoe! I got to meat the moustached manly-man in the flesh – and he even gave us bacon. Just a few days after that, I did something only avid music fans are willing to do – camp out all night for concert tickets. I will only do this for a few select musicians, and this includes one of my favourite female singers of all time – Kelly Clarkson. Thanks to Metrotown Mall and Microsoft Store, I finally got to see Kelly live in concert, for free AND from front row center! Candice Glover finally released her first single, “Cried”. I discovered new artists to dig – Little Mix, Ariana Grande, and Ellie Goulding, Adam Lambert joined Glee, and Amber Riley won Dancing With The Stars! I watched some great action/adventure films – Thor 2, Gravity, and The Hunger Games. Canada embraced the US’s Black Friday and started their holiday sales early, so I got some great deals on clothing, shoes, and DVDs for Christmas. On the career front, one of my all-time dreams came true – my work was featured in a national magazine publication! DRUM! Magazine published one of my photos from the Ringo Starr exhibit at the Grammy Museum in their January 2014 issue – it was cool to see my name credited! The job search continues…

December saw the passing of human rights activist, Nelson Mandela – may he rest peacefully. My two Idol Queens starred in holiday specials – Carrie Underwood in NBC’s The Sound of Music Live and Kelly Clarkson in her very own special Christmas Music Tale! After several years of waiting, I finally saw one of my favourite singer-songwriter’s, Tyler Hilton, in concert – not only did I see him live, I also got to meet him! He also starred in a Lifetime Christmas special, Christmas on the Bayou, with former One Tree Hill co-star, Hilarie Burton. My job search still continues, but instead of getting frustrated about it, I decided to take a bit of a break and catch up with my blog writing and subsequent online projects (this month, I’m testing the Nokia Lumia 1020 for Rogers – AMAZING camera capabilities) and volunteer for the Vancouver Board of Trade at their holiday events. I attended my first ballet production, The Nutcracker, with Sonia. I watched a lot of good movies with good stories – Frozen, Saving Mr. Banks, The Book Thief, and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. Tessanne Chin won The Voice and Alex & Sierra won The X Factor – for the first time, I actually like the most recent winners of The Voice, XF, and Idol (Candice Glover)! Lea Michele debuted her first single, “Cannonball”, Matt Giraud and Bethany Joy Lenz finally released EPs, and Beyonce made music history with her surprise album, BEYONCE (she is the Queen!). I celebrated a quiet Christmas with my Mom, and received a beautiful silver/ruby necklace from her (as well as some DVDs and clothes I picked up during pre-holiday sales). Boxing Day sales were down this year, but I managed to find some great deals from Steve Madden, Sephora, and Forever 21… New Years Eve!

MUSIC OF 2013.

(YouTube Playlist)

…January…
Colton Dixon’s A Messenger
Jason Castro’s Only A Mountain
Switchfoot – Twenty-Four
Les Miserables – I Dreamed A Dream / Look Down / ABC Cafe – Red And Black / In My Life – A Heart Full of Love / On My Own / One Day More / A Little Fall of Rain / Empty Chairs at Empty Tables / Do You Hear The People Sing?
Carrie Underwood – Two Black Cadillacs
Phillip Phillips – Gone, Gone, Gone
Colton Dixon – Scars
Jason Castro – Rise To You

…February…
Kelly Clarkson – Tennessee Waltz / Natural Woman (Grammy’s 2013)
Carrie Underwood – Blown Away / Two Black Cadillacs (Grammy’s 2013)
Ed Sheeran & Elton John – The A-Team (Grammy’s 2013)
Justin Timberlake – Mirrors
Jessie J – Who You Are
Angie Miller – You Set Me Free
Candice Glover – Girl On Fire
Janelle Arthur – I Told You So
Amber Holcomb – My Funny Valentine
Kree Harrison – Up To The Mountain
Les Miserables Cast – One Day More

…March…
David Archuleta’s No Matter How Far
David Archuleta – Don’t Run Away
Amber Holcomb – She’s Leaving Home
Angie Miller – Bring Me To Life
Candice Glover – I Who Have Nothing
Janelle Arthur – You Keep Me Hangin’ On
Kree Harrison – Crying

…April…
Kacey Musgraves’ Same Trailer Different Park
Michael Buble’s To Be Loved
Michael Buble – It’s A Beautiful Day
Kacey Musgraves – Follow Your Arrow
Kelly Clarkson – People Like Us
Carrie Underwood – See You Again
Candice Glover – Lovesong
Kree Harrison – Help Me Make It Through The Night
Angie Miller – Who You Are
Amber Holcomb – Love On Top
Janelle Arthur – The Dance

…May…
She & Him’s Volume 3
Jessica Sanchez’s Me You & The Music
Jessica Sanchez – Tonight (feat. Ne-Yo)
Lauren Alaina – Barefoot And Buckwild
David Cook – Laying Me Low
Sara Bareilles – Brave
Little Mix – Wings
Emeli Sande – Next To Me
Bruno Mars – When I Was Your Man
She & Him – I Could’ve Been Your Girl
Candice Glover – I Am Beautiful
Kree Harrison – All Cried Out
Angie Miller – You Set Me Free
Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

…June…
Joni Mitchell – The Circle Game
DeAndre – Her Crazy
Kelly Clarkson – Tie It Up
Gavin DeGraw – Best I Ever Had
Brooke White – Sun Up Sun Down / Fly Fly Fly

…July…
Sara Bareilles – The Blessed Unrest
Sara Bareilles – Manhattan
Cory Monteith – I’ll Stand By You
Gabe Dixon Band – All Will Be Well
Hollie Cavanagh – Outer Limit
Erika Van Pelt – Listen, Learn, Then Delete
Candice Glover – In The Middle
Kree Harrison – Hold On (Alabama Shakes)
Angie Miller – Put It On Me
Chicago – All That Jazz / Cell Block Tango / Nowadays
Lorde – Royals

…August…
John Mayer – Paradise Valley
John Mayer – Wildfire

…September…
Jules Alveria – Limitless City 🙂
Glee Cast – Glee Sings The Beatles
Glee Cast – Yesterday / All You Need Is Love / Hey Jude / Let It Be
HeeJun – Bring The Love Back (feat. Pusha T)
Elise Testone – I Will Not Break

…October…
Erika Van Pelt – My Independence
Gavin DeGraw – Make a Move
Sara Bareilles – Brave Enough Live
Glee Cast – Music From The Quarterback
Glee Cast – Seasons of Love / I’ll Stand By You / Fire and Rain / If I Die Young / No Surrender / Make You Feel My Love
Erika Van Pelt – My Independence
Gavin DeGraw – Everything Will Change
Allison Iraheta & Halo Circus – Gone

…November…
Little Mix – Salute
Melinda Doolittle – You’re the Reason
Melinda Doolittle – Never Giving Up
Erika Van Pelt – Hurricane
Adam Lambert – Marry The Night (Glee Cast Version)
Candice Glover – Cried
Little Mix – Salute
Ariana Grande – Tattooed Heart
Colbie Caillat – Hold On

…December…
Kelly Clarkson – Wrapped in Red
NBC’s The Sound of Music Live!
Bethany Joy Lenz – Your Woman
Matt Giraud – Live at River City EP
Beyonce – Beyonce
Kelly Clarkson – Underneath The Tree
Carrie Underwood – The Sound of Music
Bethany Joy Lenz – Please
Beyonce – ***Flawless
Idina Menzel / Demi Lovato – Let It Go (from Frozen)
Lea Michele – Cannonball
Tessanne Chin – Tumbling Down
Alex & Sierra – Say Something
Tyler Hilton – One Foot In The Bayou
Angie Miller – This Christmas Song
Glee Cast – Here Comes Santa Claus (Down Santa Claus Lane)

CONCERTS OF 2013.

Sara Bareilles at Rio Theatre – May 9
Carrie Underwood at Abbotsford Arena – May 23
American Idol Live! Tour 2013 at Nokia Theatre – July 23
Chicago: The Musical at Hollywood Bowl – July 26
Kelly Clarkson in Burnaby (Microsoft Store event) – November 8
Tyler Hilton & Howie Day at The Railway Club – December 15

TELEVISION IN 2013.

American Idol Season 12
The Voice Season 4/5
The X Factor USA Season 3
Mad Men
Community
Parks & Recreation
Arrested Development
Glee
The Lizzie Bennet Diaries
Emma Approved

FILMS IN 2013.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
Emma (2009)
Tess of the D’Urbervilles (2008)
Les Miserables (2012)
Birdsong (2012)
Sense and Sensibility (2008)
Hick (2011)
The Yellow Handkerchief (2008)
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Argo (2012)
Warm Bodies (2013)
Life of Pi (2012)
Two Brothers (2004)
Oz: The Great and Powerful (2013)
The Croods (2013)
The Great Gatsby (2013)
Star Trek (2009)
Epic (2013)
Tinker Bell (2008)
Nowhere Boy (2011)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Lost in Translation (2003)
Like Crazy (2011)
Vanity Fair (2004)
Man of Steel (2013)
Monsters Inc. (2001)
Monsters University (2013)
Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013)
Iron Man 3 (2013)
Banner 4th of July (2013)
White House Down (2013)
The Bling Ring (2013)
Pacific Rim (2013)
Despicable Me (2010)
Despicable Me 2 (2013)
The Butler (2013)
Suddenly Last Summer (1959)
Monte Carlo (2011)
Austenland (2013)
All The Wrong Reasons (2013)
The Invisible Woman (2013)
Leap 4 Your Life (2013)
Baby Mama (2008)
The Nightmare Before Christmas
It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Gravity (2013)
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
Frozen (2013)
The Sound of Music (1965)
Mary Poppins (1964)
Christmas on the Bayou (2013)
The Book Thief (2013)
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013)
Saving Mr. Banks (2013)
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
American Hustle (2013)
Bride & Prejudice (2004)
12 Years a Slave (2013)

BOOKS IN 2013.

Anna Letitia Barbauld, Selected Poetry & Prose
Lucy Aikin, Epistles On Women And Other Works
Mary Shelley, Frankenstein (re-read)
Jane Austen, Mansfield Park (re-read)
Jane Austen, Lady Susan
Jane Austen, The Watsons
Jane Austen, Sandition
J.K. Rowling, The Casual Vacancy
Robert Galbraith – The Cuckoo’s Calling
Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest
Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar
Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist
Vicki Myron, Dewey
Truman Capote, Breakfast At Tiffany’s
Audrey Niffenegger, The Time Traveler’s Wife
Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass
Rebecca Solnit, A Field Guide to Getting Lost
Jenna Ushkowitz, Choosing Glee
Chris Colfer, The Land of Stories: The Enchantress Returns
Susan Cain, Quiet
Lisa Rogak, One Big Happy Family
Claire Belton, I Am Pusheen the Cat
Anne Bronte, Agnes Grey
Anne Bronte, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

(see also: elizabethrosalyn.tumblr.com/tagged/2013)

2013 in Review

Said goodbye, turned around, and you were gone, gone, gone…

2013 was a tricky year of goodbyes, changes, and the search for a new beginning. This year was like a landslide. I went from a foundation of stability to a gradually sliding slope (as I transitioned from an involved and studious university student to the unfamiliar territory of an unemployed graduate). Honestly, some days, it took a lot of willpower to hold on to the hope that things will look up soon. But I know that it will, with hard work and patience.

The purpose of these year in review posts is to look back over the year and reflect on what you did and what you learned. Even though I didn’t reach my goal of finding a job and starting my career by the end of 2013, I still accomplished quite a bit, such as writing, volunteering, traveling, and of course, graduating. The most important lesson I learned this year was to be brave. Bravery manifests itself anywhere and everywhere you allow it – in small acts (in getting up to face a brand new day) and in bigger steps (in sharing your passions with the world). The more you embrace courage, the more you’ll get out of life

I’d say that all of the good things offset those unlucky moments of 2013. Looking ahead to 2014, I have high hopes that this year will be better. 2014 is a multiple of 7. 7 is my lucky number. Therefore, 2014 will be my glory year!

Like a drum, baby, don’t stop beating.

Goodbye, 2013. Hello, 2014!