Only one day in, and it’s already been an awesome year.

After a night that included champagne wishes and caviar dreams in the most literal sense, I woke up in the peaceful Connecticut countryside with a resigned calm about the year that was, and a determination burning just as brightly as the sun interrupting my sleep that this year is ripe with possibilities.

Last year at this exact time, my outlook on life was such a juxtaposition to the current one.  My 35th birthday had set the tone for what would come to be the worst holiday season on record (which is a fairly extreme statement when you’ve worked in retail for years).  Already disheartened by lack of employment or a home of my own, I’d experience additional struggles and uncertainty with family, finances, friendships and love which would continue in the months that followed.  Although life has yet to reach the level where I can finally exhale, today I am at least hopeful that the moment will arrive very soon.

Two and a half weeks ago, I celebrated my 36th birthday surrounded by an amazing group of people.  Some have been in my life for years, and others only a few weeks.  As we all ate, drank and laughed… it hit me.  For the first time in my lifetime, I entered a new year on this earth realizing that everything will be okay, and excited about what was to come and reveling in the fact that I got to share the moment with such an extraordinary mix of people who represent the many pieces of me — all coming together that night so beautifully and giving me a feeling of completion I’ve never known before.  If I’d needed further convincing of how blessed I was, all I had to do was consider that it was the middle of December, and not only was it an unseasonably warm night, the rain that was expected in various forecasts never happened.  That night was a game changer.

So here’s to a new year of new discoveries…  Of working harder… Of making better choices… Of pushing boundaries… Of refusing to settle for anything less than what is deserved…  Of opening my heart and mind to more people, places and experiences that challenge, enlighten, humor and maybe even spoil me a little… And most importantly… Of getting what I want.

Cheers…