i bid you adieu, 2012

365 days ago, i was not in a good place. we were not in a good place. we felt stuck in a city that we loved fiercely. we were so helpless, do we leave this wonderful life that we know and love? or do we wait it out, until we get to the point where we start to resent it? i remember telling pat, "if in five years, we are still in chicago, living in an apartment that we are paying way too much money for, and i'm pushing a stroller in a foot of snow, i am going to hate our life." we knew that if something didn't change, and change fast, that would be there before we knew it. we would start to resent chicago, resent our jobs, and worse, resent each other.

and so pat did a really grownup thing. he applied for an amaaaaazing opportunity that happened to be very far away. in a part of the country that wasn't so expensive, wasn't so cold, and wasn't anywhere that i ever imagined living. and pat got that new job. and miraculously, i got a job 3 months later. a job that was perfect for me. a job i had been DREAMING of doing since i graduated college. 

and patrick found us a wonderful apartment, in beautiful (not at all touristy) winter park.

and almost as soon as we were settled into our new lives, we went to anna maria island for a weekend and pat asked me to be his wife. and i said of course. 

and we finished the year eagerly planning our wedding and our honeymoon.

and life is good. life is great. life is how it should be. 

but i catch myself. because i know that life will not always be great. life will be very hard. and that all the years to come will bring about trials and tribulations that i cannot imagine. while we continue to advance in our careers, and venture into uncharted territories like home ownership, parenthood, etc., i am not so naive to believe that everything will be easy. but i do know that i am lucky. because my best friend happens to be my best guy. and we are going to be married. and we have already gone through so much; so much change, so many hurdles, so many lessons learned, that i can't help but say, that while i don't know a lot, i do know that no matter what, as long as his hand is the one i am holding, the pieces will fall into place.

so here's to 2013. you have some pretty large shoes to fill and i hope you do. i hope you are the greatest yet.