Many Thanks.

I want to acknowledge the people who helped me get through this year. I know I’ve done a thank you post before, but life continues to happen, and people continue to remind me how glad I am to have in them in my life.

Taylor Shideler –

Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Thank you for always being there for me. Thank you for always telling me like it is, whether it’s what I want to hear or not. Thank you for always listening to me vent, no matter what. Thank you for still being there when I need you to be, even when we don’t talk on a regular basis. I’m so glad that we’ve made it this far. Ten years. It’s officially been ten years since we met. Middle school and high school were so…insane. So much happened during those years. So much has happened since then. YOU GOT PUBLISHED! I'm so goddamn proud of you for that. It’s amazing we’re still friends, and it couldn’t make me happier. I’ve seen you go through so much and grow up along the way. We’ve helped each other survive so much it’s incredible. But really, I want to thank you for how much you’ve helped me. No matter what problem I’m having, you make time for me. You tell me whatever it is I really need to hear, whether I like it or not. I love that I can trust you to be honest. It’s a truly amazing trait that isn’t present in a lot of people nowadays. I can’t wait to see what life brings us both as we continue on. And I’m glad I don’t have to question whether we’ll still be bessfrens along the way.

Cassie …Barbee –

I still have troubles remembering to write your new last name instead of your maiden name. I can’t believe how much has changed over the years. For us also, it’s been ten years. An entire freaking DECADE. God that makes me feel old. I’m so unbelievably glad that I have you in my life. You’re always there for me when I need you, and even when I don’t need you. I can always count on you to make sure you have time for me, despite the insane schedules we both have. I’m so proud of who we’ve both become and what our friendship has managed to survive over the years. To quote our song, “I can’t wait to see you again.” I know that no matter what happens over the years, I can count on you. I can’t wait to see how our lives continue to grow and change with each new days. I love you. <3

Kimberly Ann Possible…err..Kim Cieplik –

For some reason, I still want to call you Kimberly Ann Possible. Especially when I’m drunk. I just find it hilarious for some reason. You’re one of the most awesome, trustworthy, down-to-earth people I’ve ever met, and I’m so so so happy I have you in my life. I still remember how we met – we had matching rings in Benson’s math class. :) We’ve been through so damn much it’s amazing. Many years, school, Jones sodas, pockets full of pens we jacked from shows at the Carlson Center, and so many boys. I don’t think I would have been able to survive it without you. You helped me become who I am today. I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve helped me through over the years. I can’t wait to see what life continues to bring us, and to see you dominate everything thrown your way. You’re an amazing person, Kim. It takes a lot for my dad to want to replace me with someone specific…so it says something that he likes you that much. He doesn’t like many of my friends that much. But I love you darlin. I can’t wait to see how our lives continue to unfold.

Genileigh Erin Krystine Grey –

I know I’ve done one of these before, but you never cease to amaze me. You are always always always there for me when I need you, even when you have your own stuff going on. I can always count on you. You know what to say to make me feel better, even if it is something that I may not want to hear…you say it in a way that makes me feel okay anyways. I can’t imagine my life without you in it anymore. It’s amazing to think we met roughly 13 years ago (even though we decided everything after a decade is just knowing each other for forever). I am so incredibly proud of what you have managed to accomplish and survive over the past year. This year has beat up the both of us, and we’ve both survived it better people. Plus, you have an absolutely BEAUTIFUL baby girl. She’s so lucky to have such an amazing mother. I can’t wait to watch her grow up. And as always, you know I’m here for you. No matter what. Anytime of day. I’m hoping and praying that I get to move to Seward after graduation so I can be close to you and Zoëigh. So I can watch her get bigger, and be close to you to help with whatever I can. I love you Genileigh, and I thank you with all my heart for being the amazing and incredible person you are.

My AMAZING parents –

Finally, and last but certainly not least, my incredible parents. I can’t thank you guys enough for what you’ve done for me, what you’ve given me, over the span of my life. You guys are the reason I’m where I am today, and I’m who I am today. You guys have saved me so much during my life. You sent me to school to follow my dreams. I will forever be grateful for what you do for me. I love you guys so incredibly much, and I hope you know that. And I hope you’re proud of me. Proud of the person I’ve become.

2011 Reflection. 2012 Resolution.

It’s funny. I spent a large portion of 2011 counting down to 2012, and now that it’s here, I wish it wasn’t. If I could, I would do this year all over again. All the ups, downs, tears, smiles, laugh, pain. Everything. I would do it all again. And sure, there’s some things I would like to have been different, but really, if I had the option to do it again, I wouldn’t change anything. Everything happens for a reason. And I don’t believe in regrets. And I think in order to truly be able to live without regrets, you have to be able to, given the chance to relive something, live it without changing anything. No, this year hasn’t exactly been the greatest. But it taught me a lot about myself.

Everything that happened with Will…as much as it sucked, I wouldn’t change it. He taught me so much about myself, and I’d never want that to have not happened. It was a good memory, despite how he reacted after the fact. He taught me so much about myself and about what I need to do, who I need to be, before I can truly be in a successful relationship.

But anyways. This year, 2012, is graduation year. And honestly, that terrifies me. I find it hard to believe that almost four years have already gone by since I graduated high school. Four years ago, I didn’t honestly believe this is where my life would be. I’ve lost friends I never thought I would, but I also gained many more friends that have helped me become who I am today. And I’m so incredibly thankful for those people in my life. But with graduating, comes the real world. I’m not sure I’m ready for it, but I guess I don’t really have a choice in the matter. However I want to keep learning. I’ve been watching a lot of the TV show “Bones” lately, and I want to be like them – not necessarily the catching bad guys, staring at bones all day part, but the whole “I have multiple degrees in this, this, and this” part. I like learning. I would love to have multiple degrees. If I get the chance, I think my next one would be political science. And then maybe psychology. I don’t know. I just know I want to learn as much as I can in this lifetime.

Now, for 2012, here’s my resolution: take the phrase “I don’t have time” completely out of my vocabulary. Normally, I’ll make a resolution, and then it fails for whatever reason, usually because I just forget about it. But this one, I’m determined to stick to. While, I don’t believe in regrets, I honestly think that if I keep saying I don’t have time to do the things I want to, I will regret it. I have roughly 5ish months left in Hawaii. I honestly can’t imagine not living there next year. Not doing Halloween in Hawaii, not being able to go to Mooses every weekend. But the idea of moving home (well, to Seward), being roughly a 10 hour drive away from my parents, and a 3ish hour drive away from my soul sister and niece…that overwhelms any need I have to be able to go to Mooses or do HalloWaikiki. And if I get the internship I want, I’ll be able to help sick marine animals. And that’s what I want to do more than anything. So that’s my resolution. To make sure I have time to do anything and everything I want to while I still can.

Before I finish this off, I want to thank everyone who helped me get through this year. It’s been one of my roughest years yet, and I survived it with the help of some amazing people in my life, and my truly amazing parents. Despite being terrified of graduating, and what’s going to happen afterwards, I’m looking forward to this year. To seeing what my next adventure will be.