In 2012, I went. I did. I was. And I had fun.

Oh yeah, and I fell in love. Hopelessly. Totally. Effortlessly. It’s the healthiest and most adult relationship I have ever been in. He makes me insanely happy. It’s surprising and ridiculous, at times hilarious, and altogether wonderful.

Ok ok, enough with the mushy stuff …

Mostly in 2012, I traveled. Every month. Sometimes twice a month. With friends, family, and work. I was constantly out of town.

January – A weekend in Atlanta, GA, for a friend’s birthday.

February – Vegas, baby!! For an entire week for my sister’s Dirty Thirty. We saw O, Viva Elvis, and Pen & Teller. We did the aquarium at Mandalay Bay, saw the big cats and dolphins at The Mirage, took our picture in front of The Fabulous Las Vegas sign, rode the rides at the top of the Stratosphere, ate dinner at The Tournament of Kings at Excalabur, sat in front of The Bellagio Fountains for hours, and had a drink at just about every other casino bar between. We even rented a car and took a day to see the Hoover Dam.

March – Savannah, GA, with girlfriends for St. Patrick’s Day weekend. So. Much. Green! On the Everglades trip, we tagged nine animals!

April – I turned 35 and did my first (and last) solo triathlon … on the same day ... in Mexico Beach, FL.

May – I went home for my Dad's birthday and Mother's Day weekend. Experienced the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival. My best guy friend got married to the love of his life in a very, very small, short and beautiful ceremony in Hattiesburg, MS. They asked me to be the photographer. The Everglades trip was went well.

June – Ft. Lauderdale to Kingsport to Andros Island, traveling via truck, plane, taxi-van, and boat with my colleagues … minus my luggage for the first two days … on a research expedition to find and satellite tag larger juvenile and adult smalltooth sawfish. While our efforts were fruitless, we made good friends aboard the M/Y Sinrenuse and at the Flamingo Cay Rod & Gun Club. I learned a new drink – ginger beer and spiced rum. Yum! Home for 48 hours, then back down to the Everglades for 5 days.

July – The Umpteenth Annual Beer-noeing of the Econfina Creek. Oh, and my sister got engaged! I met Ryan's family on a weekend trip to St. Augustine. We tagged several more animals on the Everglades trip.

August – Lolla-freaking-palooza in Chicago, IL. That’s all I have to say about that. No Everglades trip due to TS Debby.

September – Over to Pascagoula, MS, for a 3 day meeting about permits. DeLuna Fest in Pensacola Beach, FL – Pearl Jam rocked for 3 solid hours, Foo played every hit they have and the crowd knew every word, and Florence and the Machine blew my mind. Then back down to the Everglades.

October – Seven of us went to Nashville, TN, for a weekend we’ll never forget. Then, rode the Blueridge Parkway from Maggie Valley to Blowing Rock with my dad on the back of his Spyder. My first time on a motorcycle … all the sights and sounds of autumn at its peak in the North Carolina. Gorgeous. The Everglades trip was once again incredibly lively, bringing our total for the year to 49.

November – Convinced my mother to have Thanksgiving in Lafayette, LA. I got to spend time with my sister and friends.  More importantly, I introduced Mom and Dad to Ryan.

December – The last Everglades trip to clean receivers and download data. I spent an all too short Christmas break in Pahokee, FL, with my grandmother and family.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch …

I saw B.B. King, Lewis Black, Jerry Seinfeld, and Jim Gaffigan live in concert. Here. In the panhandle. Can you believe it?

The rotted wood on Mi Casa was replaced and gutters were installed in June. Then in July, I repainted the exterior … up to the roofline. I hired someone to paint the rest because I was scared I would fall off the ladder and break my pretty face. They finished the evening before it started raining … for 8 weeks.

With my parent’s help I finally closed on a refinance in December, lowering my monthly payment and making the house solely mine. It was a scary and sometimes frustrating process, but I’m glad I did it.

“Write it in your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson

My 2012 resolutions were:

• See The Black Keys. Check. They were the highlight of Lollapalooza. Other great bands included Metric, The Gaslight Anthem, fun., Die Antwoord, and Mona.
• Read the Directions. I’m getting much better at this. Obviously still a work in progress. **keep working on it**
• Floss Everyday. That didn’t happen. But, I did floss more consistently last year than I ever have in the past. My hygienist says she can tell. **keep working on it**
• Have Lunch Away From My Desk. Check. **keep**
• Eat More Quinoa. Check. **keep**

As for the ones from 2011 that I wanted to keep:

• When parking my car, I still take the space farthest from the front door … unless it is raining buckets.
• I practice yoga at least once a week (sometimes 3) on the weeks when I am in town. After a conversation with one of my teachers, I have begun to think about thinking about taking teacher training.
• I’d say I’m 95% plastic bag free … and still getting strange looks from cashiers.
• My office chair is still a balance ball.

And now, my 2013 resolutions are:

• Drink More Water. They say you should drink half your body weight in ounces everyday. That isn’t a problem when I’m in the field, but on regular days I just don’t get enough. Water dissipates heat, acts as a transporter, eliminates waste, aids in digestion, and lubricates the joints. Staying hydrated is the single most important tip Sports Nutritionists give. My goal is to drink three 750 mL bottles per day on days when I don’t exercise and 4 when I do.
• Sleep. I downloaded an app – Sleep Diary Pro. I’m aiming for 8 hours every night Sunday – Thursday. Getting in bed early is going to be the hard part.
• Save for a New Car. I plan to put my SPINNING paycheck into savings every month in order to put a nice down payment on a cute little crossover by October. I’m even trying to pick up a few afternoon classes at a beach-side gym.
• See Mona … The Black Keys … Muse. All solo shows. Tickets for Muse have already been purchased (Feb 23 in Tampa, FL). Also, I’d like to see a ballet. A real one, like in Atlanta or Miami or New York.
• Read 12 Books. That’s one per month. I can totally do that.
• Install a Catdoor. So the kitties can get to the screened-in back porch all by their lonesome. Ok, not really a resolution so much as something that I really want for the house this year. That and a new, efficient toilet in the downstairs’ bathroom.
• And for work, get that GULFSPAN publication finished. Before field season starts back.

“I believe that I am only at the beginning, only knocking on the door, and the best is yet to come.” –Pat Buckley