Always, Megs

New Years always makes me a bit sad. Time passing, another year gone, and all that. However, a new year holds new adventures, and I can't wait to see what 2013 has in store for me. 2012 brought with it more change, more love, and more happiness than I could have ever imagined. Who would have thought at the beginning of 2012 that I would end up here...but here is where I'm meant to be, and I wouldn't trade it for anywhere else.

I rounded up 12 pictures from 2012. It was so nice to reminisce and it reminded me of how much I've done this year...

January:

October:
 December:

Life has become very busy, very fast. The days fly by in a whirl of songs and games, and coffee. I became employed as a nanny for a cute little 21 month old girl about a month ago. She is full of life and energy and giggles. My days are brighter but go by exponentially faster, and I must admit, I miss having the time to myself that I once had. I am also in the midst of applying to grad schools, taking the GRE, and tracking down letters of recommendation from old professors and acquaintances. Needless to say, with the holidays surrounding us, I could use a break.

Jimmy and I drove to Lake Arrowhead and Stockton to celebrate Thanksgiving with our respective families. I enjoyed every minute (despite the traffic), and can't wait for the Christmas time. I'm in need of hot cocoa and Christmas movies on the couch. I hope to be done applying to schools by the time that magic part of the year comes around, but only time will tell.

This post is mainly to remind myself, that I can make time to do my own thing. There can be a balance. Even though the days fly by, life still belongs to me.

Autumn meant trick or treating with your parents? Putting on a costume and pretending for a night that you weren't really you. The one night out of the year that it was okay not to be yourself; you even got rewarded for it. It meant that school had just started and you were just getting back in the routine of pencil sharpeners, and reading for class as well as pleasure. Fall equalled trees ablaze with color, and that instead of playing outside until 9pm, you found yourself coming in to the warmth of your home and family early. That while the world around your died, you made plans to celebrate the most important things in life.

Between becoming stressed for circumstances beyond my control and the hustle and bustle of trying to find work, I found a gem of a weekend. I cannot lie to you, and say that the last couple of weeks have been easy for me. I've found myself bogged down by emotions and stressors that have not plagued my mind for some time. I kept asking myself, 'what good are you?,' 'what are you doing with your life?', and 'when will I take my life back into my own hands?' Luckily I am surrounded by an amazing man who helps me realize all that I have done in the past year, and also how much I have to look forward to. He helped get my eyes back on the horizon, and told me to focus on all the things I can and will do, instead of focusing on the moments that I have let slip past. I've realized that yesterday is finished, and tomorrow hasn't happened yet, and therefore, my only focus is today.

This weekend we got our of the house and into real life again. We piled into the car and braved the LA traffic to see an early screening of Flight, had the best tacos of my life at a little hole in the wall place in LA (seriously, better than the ones I had IN Mexico), walked outside our front door to the annual pumpkin festival, and saw the Perks Of Being A Wallflower, which had me in tears by the end (I told Jimmy that every time Emma Watson came on screen, I felt like a mother watching her child on stage...insanely proud, but so nervous that something would go wrong). We ended the weekend by cuddling up on the couch and watching Sleepy Hollow (a tad disappointing when you realize instead of being scary, it's Tim Burton running around doing whatever he wants).

Overall, this weekend was just what I needed to get my heart and soul back on track.

This past week my dad and I hopped on a plane to NYC. We walked through Central Park, saw shows, ate amazing food, and enjoyed each other's company. Despite all the rain, the leaves had yet to change to the colors of Autumn, but the weather was full of clouds and and hope for a new season. Once stole my heart with it's music based on 2007 movie of the same title, and the voices of Swell Season singers, Marketa and Glen. A heartbreaking story about two people dumed to love the wrong people. Before the show, guests were invited onto the 'Irish Pub' like stage and poured pints of beer while listening to good ol' fashioned Celtic music; I was in my element. 

The moment was almost topped by being offerred twenty dollar a piece tickets to Nice Work If You Can Get It with Kelli O'hara and Matthew Broderick whilst standing in line at TKTS. Needless to say, we jumped on them! 

I was so grateful to spend time with my dad in one of my favorite cities in the world.

Florence, Italy.

Yes, my best friend and I have been to Mexico and Italy together. Lucky. This was on the balcony of Juliet's house in Verona.

The Chianti Region