i always believed in futures.

Happy 2013, friends! I hope you all woke this morning to hangover free happiness [or at least some awesome hangover food]. I guess this will be my cliche reflection post, where I get super sentimental about all of my accomplishments in 2012 and get teary eyed thinking about 2013. Right, because I'm super heartfelt and emotional. But really, 2012 has been one for the books. As I sit here sandwiched between two sleeping dogs (still worn out from last night's festivities), I keep trying to put both feet on the ground and stand still for a brief second, realizing that if this past year has been any indication as to what the future holds, 2013 is going to be a whirlwind.

I can't really be anything less than tacky when I say that Rob and I had the ultimate relationship year in 2012. We celebrated our one year anniversary, adopted our second dog from a rescue, bought a new car, road tripped to Virginia Beach, Outer Banks, Hilton Head [twice - one for wedding planning, eek!!], made countless trips to the lake, took hundreds of long walks with the dogs, visited family in Florida, survived a broken hand and its accompanying surgeries and therapy, started a new job, celebrated countless birthdays, engagements and marriages with our best friends and oh, I don't know, GOT ENGAGED. Damn.

On a personal front, I managed to lose 35 pounds, buy pants in a size I have not worn since high school (did you read that - HIGH SCHOOL), fell in love with two new exercise routines in addition to continuing my love with running, found this wonderful thing called "balance" between work, play and taking care of myself, and managed to get rid of a lot of my "fat clothes" for the last time. I bought a wedding dress, watched one of my best friends marry her best friend and was asked to be maid of honor in my best friend's wedding in 2013.

Every time I sat down for a minute to relax and take it all in, we were on to the next adventure. And as I sit here now, I realize that my moment on the couch will be brief (especially if there's not an SVU marathon on today). There are wedding plans to be made, pounds to lose, new recipes to try, friends' successes to celebrate and dogs to be walked. There is wine to be drank, hugs to be given and one very large man child that I'm marrying who has already decided that this year, we're going to be more adventurous and outdoorsy (squeeze that in between getting married on the beach and Wednesday night Zumba). In years past, I've always made my only resolution to simply be to improve on the previous year. And so far, it's worked. But this year, I've set some concrete resolutions and I've never felt more intensity and dedication to see them through than I do now.

Hit my goal weight. I'm more than halfway there, and I have a wedding dress to fit into. If that isn't motivation enough, then someone just shoot me in the face.

Be more proactive about "adult things." Like that chip in the wall, the unfinished cabinet, or the fact that my office at home looks like an episode of Hoarders.

Tweet more, Facebook less. This has been a long time coming, and I already started. If you care to continue seeing the sarcastic details of my life, I suggest to come to Twitter and play with me [@lmayberry].

Socialize more. Rob and I were pretty bad about going out and socializing this past year. With several trips, workouts, and big life events taking place, we took advantage of any downtime we had and enjoyed it on the couch. Celebrating the holidays with friends these past few weeks has made me realize how much I missed it.

Marry my best friend. I know, right?

Be a better listener. I'm horrible about listening to things that don't interest me, or that come up when I'm in the middle of something. It's poor manners, and not good for my relationships with others. I will try harder. Try.

Stop saying "fuck" so much. But damnit, it's so hard.

They're simple things, and easy to do in the midst of all the big things that will happen this year. I hope that whatever you resolve to do in this new year, it will involve laughing more, loving harder and being more engaged with your own life and less involved in things that do not concern you. Life is too short, and human relationships are so undervalued in this world of social media and technology we live in. Be there, listen, and actively participate in your own life. Cheers!