A New Year

My parents took me out to dinner tonight for my birthday and my mom asked me about the hopes and wishes I have for this next year.

There a various levels of that response. On the one hand, I hope that I can keep to a more regular schedule for writing here - everyday that I'm not out of town or otherwise away from my computer if possible. I hope that I will go out and shoot more photos. I hope that the business does well. I hope to grow in my knowledge and skills.

I have things I can plan on and look forward to this year - at least in the next few months. At the end of the month my dad and I will be going down to NYC for a couple of days to shoot some interviews for a video project we're working on. In April I'll be heading to Photoshop World in Boston, my first time going for the full event. (By the way, if any of you will be there, let me know and we can try to meet up at some point.) And I'm in the process of planning a vacation to Greece with my best friend from college for early May (thanks for the continuing advice, Michael).

But that's not quite what she meant, I know. I'm sure what she meant was for me to talk about what I personally hope to come out of this next year of my life. When I look back on my 26th year in another 26 years, how would I like to remember it? All I can say is that my wish for this year is that it will be one that is filled with the blossoming and deepening friendships, with personal growth and self-discovery, with greater understanding, and with as much peace and love as possible. And I wish the same for everyone.

I recall a fitting entry I wrote a few years ago in my personal journal just before I left for Semester at Sea:

Life has so much yet to teach me, I pray that I'm open enough to learn from it. May my days to come be filled with more joy than pain, more laughter than tears, more love than hate. May I live a life that is full of life - with no regrets!

I could say more, maybe even be more detailed... but then it wouldn't come true!