I was dancing in the middle of a bridge in Würzburg. Fireworks sparkled off into the clear night sky as the masses counted down, “fünf, vier, drei, zwei, ein!” With a gal pal by my side and dreamy German men within hand-reaching distance, it was the perfect way in ringing in the new year.
2015 was the year of adventure, passion, and honesty. I discovered a different side of my personality; a woman who’s passionate for culture and respect. In a year, I went to 13 different countries, graduated from university, made friends with a group of badass gals, and uprooted my American life. All in all, it was a whirlwind of a year filled with laughs and cries.
As I lounge with the housemates watching Summer Stock, I’m drafting up the new adventures for 2016. Originally, I thought to work loads and save to pay off all my student loans in a year so I could pursue a masters, debt free; I’ve decided against it now. This new year will ring in the last two continents to explore: South America and Antarctica. My full year in Australia may be cut short, but I’m eager to ride on the cliffside of the Death Road, and shiver in the arctic with the polar bears and penguins.
A prospective business endeavor? Graduate studies? Nomadic ventures for years and years? Who knows, but the one thing I know for certain is, I want to continue the streak of celebrating the new year in a different country, every year.
So what are my new years resolution(s)? There are loads, but the most important one that I’ll share is: to focus. To date myself and forget about what others think. Namely, to be selfish for all the right reasons. I’ve seen in this past year that women are put down for doing things our way, or performing such acts that men can gloat upon but we shrivel back in embarrassment; it’s time to put an end to this madness and play on equal grounds, judgement pushed aside. I want to adapt the bluntness of the Danish, the suavity of the French, and the energy of the Irish. The mentality that needs to set in for me is to adopt the pace of nature and forget everything else.
So in ringing in 2016, let’s set aside all our grievances and start anew, as cliché as it is. Cheers to good health, happiness, and many more fantastical years to come.
