There was a lot about 2013 that was difficult and awful.
There was a lot that was absolutely incredible.
I was thinking about some things I accomplished this year (by the grace of God) and decided to list them here.
1. I went to London for the second time and Portsmouth for the first time.
2. I decided to go to Paris for my 30th birthday and reached 20% of my first savings goal for that trip.
3. I got in better physical shape and started running more often, and for longer periods of time.
4. I tried new recipes, including risotto and crumpets.
5. I read a bunch of new books, including a lot of C.S. Lewis—I read Mere Christianity for the first time.
6. I dug deeper into my spiritual beliefs, and in the process read some history of the Christian church and got a more solid grounding of my faith. This is an ongoing process, but I’m pleased with where I’ve gotten so far.
7. I started working on aspects of my attitude and saw some promising results that are difficult to explain in writing.
8. I qualified for my concealed-carry permit (but haven’t gotten it yet).
9. I got into Myers-Briggs personality types, learned a lot about my personality type, and became better reconciled to my introversion.
10. I completed the Below the Line Challenge.
11. I took a very healthy and helpful break from Facebook.
12. I started learning French. (I’m behind on that…I should work on that more.)
13. I made new friends, both on- and offline, and rekindled existing friendships.
14. I’m still alive.
A happy and blessed new year to all of you readers. Seems like 2013 was a tough one for a lot of people. I hope 2014 is better for everyone!
Emily Jacobs: Freelance Writer 