The Year of Change

In 2013 I…

Transferred to a different college.

Moved back home.

Joined Alpha Delta Pi.
Became a blogger.

Spent 19 days at the beach.
Became a Nanny.

Celebrated three years with tDn.
Became a field hockey coach.

Created The Shore Life of M.

Realized who my real friends were.

Made dinner for cancer patients on my birthday.

Volunteered over 120 hours.
Changed Majors

Finally got a house key for the house I've lived in for sixteen years.

Participated in my First Relay for Life event.

It's so cliche, but I really have no idea where 2013 went. This past year has been a year full of changes for me, on so many different levels.  

Spring semester, last year, was pretty much spent figuring out where I would be in Fall of 2013. I knew the school I was at was not the best for my major and my intended career path, so I was forced to make a decision in a rather brief amount of time. This decision making process pretty much consumed me. 

I am a sorority woman.  This still sounds so weird to me.  I am learning to embrace it completely.  Joining ADPi has been such a great decision for me. I have became so close with some wonderful women in such a short amount of time, and it is so odd to think that six months ago I had no idea who they were. 

This year I feel like I have grown up a lot.  I worked all summer as a Nanny.  I know this isn't  really a "grown up job", but the fact that I worked in the Summer is a huge step for me.  I also made the switch from a field hockey player to a coach, and I LOVE it.  By no means was this easy but it was definitely something I do not regret.  Coaching is one of the most rewarding experiences.  I also received my first house key ever! No, I did not move. My parents just started keeping the doors locked to our house, so I needed to be able to get into the place where I have lived for sixteen years.  The other thing that I think shows how I have matured, is the way I spent my 19th birthday.  I went to the Hope Lodge in Baltimore and cooked dinner for cancer patients and their families. 

Living at home this past semester has been such a great thing for me. I have been less stressed about school.  I no longer have to eat cafeteria food.  Most importantly I get to see my family a lot more.  I am really close with my family, my brother is one of my closest friends.

One of my favorite things about 2013 is that I became a blogger, and I did so by creating The Shore Life According to M.  Blogging has been such a great experience. I am definitely not a professional, and for now this is just a baby blog.  But I have loved every aspect of blogging this far: the people I have met, the tricks I have learned, designing a blog, becoming a better writing, and trying new things. 

This year I feel like I have truly learned who my real friends are.  I have learned many things about friendships in 2013. People definitely are not always who you think they are.  This is very disappointing.  I was hit with this realization twice in 2013.  The first being people who I thought were close to me my freshman year of college.  They turned out to not be as loyal as I thought they were. 

The second time I learned a lesson about friendships was right before the start of this past Fall semester.  Sometimes friendships from high school just aren't made to last.  When people go to college at different places friendships change.  Adding distance between people becomes a test of which friendships are built to last and which ones are meant to fade.  Suddenly you realize the possibility that maybe you were only close with certain people because they lived near you.

On the other hand, there are those people you were close with but your friendship had the potential to go either way, but you wind up becoming more connected with them, even though you are further apart in miles. For me these were the people who had faded in and out of my life for many years. 

There are also those people who you have only known for a short amount of time, but somehow it feels like you have known them for your entire life.  I have encountered several of these over the course of the past year. No complaints on this one.

And then there are those people who who you have been close with for quite some time and your relationship with this person just becomes even stronger.  You don't necessarily have to see or talk to these people everyday, but they would do anything for you on a moments notice.   It is these people who you truly know you will be friends with for a lifetime.  

I like to have a positive outlook on things, so I say everything happens for a reason.  There is always the chance that people who aren't really in my life will come back and things can be fixed, but as for right now that doesn't seem to be happening.  At this point in my life and with the experiences I have had, I am okay with having a smaller amount of close friends rather than a larger number of friends who I can't trust.

2013 has been filled with many ups and downs.  From every experience, this year, I have learned a valuable lesson, and every lesson has helped shaped me into the strong young woman I becoming.  I am thankful for the opportunities I have had this year and  the wonderful people who are in my life.

Here's to a new year!

xoxo

mQs