2013: A Year of Endings & Beginnings

Last year (wow - it feels weird saying that) was a year of many endings for me. A lot of these endings were really, really nasty and left me unable to function for several weeks at a time. Thankfully, the majority of the year was spent dealing with beginnings - and how wonderful some of those beginnings turned out to be. (I'm sorry I don't have photos for January or February - I couldn't find any good ones!!)

January: In January, I was starting my second semester of college, with some pretty awful classes. I also became a military girlfriend, as my then-boyfriend took the Oath of Enlistment and became an army bandsman. I was so excited for the rest of my life with him that I stopped paying much attention to others, which really was a dumb idea.

February: I spent my first Valentine's Day as a "taken" person alone in my dorm room, with nary flowers nor chocolates to show that I had a loving boyfriend (and I use that term very loosely here). I also started blogging at the insistence of my then-boyfriend, and discovered how much I loved it. I also scored a job in my hometown, at this arcade. I applied only because Hunter told me to, and somehow I wrangled the job. It was great!

March: I became a sad sack of death in March, mostly due to the fact that I went to visit my army-bound boyfriend for two days and he treated me like a piece of furniture before he shipped out. I still wrote him every day, because I thought he was stressed. I was also inducted into the Alpha Lambda Delta honor society because of the grades I'd achieved as a freshman in college.

April: I spent most of April studying and working as much as possible, to keep my mind off my soldier-in-training (SIT). I also tried to get out more in Montevallo, and I made some new friends right before the year ended. The picture to the right is from a tree in Orr Park. There are a lot of carved trees in Orr Park (I may have to republish this post somewhere down the line), and I went with one of my friends to see all the trees. He couldn't believe I hadn't been there yet!

May: I spent all of May working as much as possible and saving every penny I came across. Unfortunately, it was all for naught, as my SIT became my first ex-boyfriend only one week before I was due to go see him graduate from Basic Training. (I then spent about $200 retail-therapying. That's where these shoes came from.) I also had my wisdom teeth removed this month, and looked like an abuse victim for about two weeks.

June: June was spent working, gaming, reading, writing - anything to keep my mind off my ex. I tried to contact him, to get some sort of explanation, but I just kept making myself sicker. I did go to my grandmother's for a few days and got to sort through this neat box of old books (both schoolbooks and fiction) and take some home with me. I did several puppet shows with my puppet team - Stepp Up (which, as EVERYONE points out, is indeed puppets spelled backwards). I got to be John Lennon in the Beatles song, too!

July: I worked ALL THE TIME. I made bank in July, but I still had breakdowns. I let my ex control my life, even though he was no longer in it. The Fourth of July party at the house of my parents' friends was hard for two reasons: my ex wasn't there like he had been the year before (and I was asked about him several times), and it was the last time I saw Mrs. Carolyn alive. She died at the end of July due to complications after a "routine surgery" she had. (They gave her a bad mix of painkillers. It really tore my dad up.) I also went shooting for the first time, and managed to get two bulls-eyes: one with the .357, and the other with the 9 mil. It was a great day all together. (My sister took out a small sapling with the shotgun.)

August: I worked the first part of August and I spent the second part preparing for my sophomore year of college. I collaborated with my new room mate, bought a fridge, and started counting down the days. Move-in day was a lot less hectic than it was the previous year. I also celebrated my nineteenth birthday.

September: I was bound and determined to forget my ex, but my mind kept coming back to him. I went to all the free events on campus. But on September 13, I woke up to the most heart wrenching phone call - my friend Jake had wrecked his car, killing himself and grievously injuring my best friend (we're close enough to be siblings), Hunter. Bailey and Marina were also injured, Bailey slightly and Marina nearly died (she was in a medical coma for nearly two weeks). I spent most of that day in the trauma unit, waiting for Hunter to wake up. When he did wake up, I was the first non-family member allowed to see him. It was the worst day of my life.

October: My room mate and I worked on our dwarf costumes (we went as Fili and Kili from The Hobbit, based on their movie costumes). They turned out REALLY nice. I got to debut mine first, at an anime club party. And that's the night I was asked out by someone named Matt Lord, who was dressed in a Superman onesie. It was gutsy on his part, so I said "yes." I did bring pepper spray on our first date, because I had only interacted with him in anime club. It turned out to be a needless precaution. My first date went fantastically and Matt and I were boyfriend and girlfriend.

November: I spent most of November playing Pokémon and ignoring Animal Crossing (and my blog). I did two trips with Matt to his comic book store and met a lot of his friends (who all told him: "DON'T MESS THIS UP"). I went as Harley Quinn to Matt's birthday party and gave him his present - a Joker figurine from the New 52 series of DC figures. Matt met my parents the next week. Thanksgiving was at my house and it was pleasant.

December: And then came December. I aced my finals and pulled off all A's for my third semester of college. I did it while having a social life, too, which amazed me. I worked all of Christmas break, but had a fantastic Christmas with my family. Matt came by and we traded presents on December 30th, and we essentially got each other the perfect gifts. I got him a Pandora figurine (from the New 52) and some blind DC mini-figs, as well as a little human-shark hybrid pirate thing. He got me a leatherbound copy of The Hobbit, a "Don't Blink" bracelet, a mini Link plushie, a Justice League magnet, a TARDIS car magnet, some fuzzy socks, some pins for my bookbag, and some Batman earrings. The final day of 2013, I spent shopping with my mother and sister. I also got my ears pierced a second time. Then Sarah & I went to Hunter's house for his nineteenth birthday party, where I, hands-down, got him the best gift ever. It was a great end to a rather ho-hum year.

How was your 2013? Was it just a bad year all-around (like my boss seems to think), or did some of you break the curse of 13? Talk to me below! I'd love to hear about your years!

Come back tomorrow for a look into the future!