The Year Without Resolutions

As each year comes to an end, I review the previous year’s resolutions and begin to compose new resolutions. It’s a process I have been doing for a good 10 years, on this blog and previous personal blogs. But this year? For some reason, I could not write New Year’s Resolutions. I would try to write them; I would fail. The only thing I could come up with was to flat-iron my hair more often. I kinda failed at that as well. So I thought I’d end this year with the first picture and last picture I took and a re-cap of all that happened this year, the year without resolutions.

This was the year.

This was the year I did not write any resolutions.

This was the year of many firsts.

This was the year I began in Cedar Key, Florida.

This was the year I rode a bicycle backwards on a tight rope across the second floor of a museum.

This was the year I felt heartbroken.

This is the year I ate and drank nothing but a handful of French fries, beer, and tequila for three days.

This was the year I announced my sexual identity on my blog.

This was the year I converted my patio into my office.

This was the year I didn’t move as planned.

This was the year I went to a fetish party.

This was the year I very confidently voted for a presidential candidate in the primaries.

This was the year I was publicly humiliated.

This was the year I had to find forgiveness without compromise.

This was the year I purchased my most expensive car.

This was the year I traveled through 19 states.

This was the year I tried Ethiopian food.

This was the year I met relatives on my dad’s side of the family.

This was the year I saw the second largest whale in the sea.

This was the year I started drinking coffee.

This was the year I reached 10,000 Instagram followers.

This was the year I thought I had breast cancer, liver disease, an autoimmune disorder, and a tumor on my gall bladder; I had none.

This was the year I learned that those who you call family are not always family.

This was the year I completely rebranded my blog.

This was the night I spent four nights in a hospital.

This was the year I was invited to an exclusive blogger event for the first time…and had to cancel my reservations.

This was the year my father died.

This was the year I celebrated my birthday with more close friends than I ever have before.

This was the year I went to a nude beach.

This was the year I ran my fastest 5K.

This was the year I drank an entire bottle of wine in one day by myself.

This was the year I was called to do jury duty for the first time.

This was the year I took my daughter to the ballet for the first time.

This was the year I began singing lessons.

This was the year I had to process so many truths and make peace.

This was the year I found more strength than I ever knew I had.

This was the year of letting in and letting go.

This was the year I learned the lessons of a lifetime.

This was the year I ended in New Orleans, Louisiana.