'Tis to the new year.

Another year has gone, and another year is to come. 2010 has been quite an interesting year, full of highs and brimming with lows. I went through a couple of life changes and have learned a vast amount of things about myself and others. It was never pretty, but if I have learned anything in 2010, it's that everything (and really...everything) has a silver lining. Always.

I've never been one to celebrate New Year's Eve in a glamorous manner, so this year (much like previous years) I will be spending my NYE in peace and quiet, baking cookies, watching Bollywood movies, and reflecting on life.

At the beginning of every year, I usually make a list of all the things that I expect to accomplish throughout the next twelve months. I guess you could call them resolutions, but they are usually the exact same things repeated every year, so the idea of having resolutions loses its novelty. And it wasn't until recently that I realized that having all these resolutions, from losing an inch off my waist or to getting a higher GPA, adds a ridiculous amount of pressure! And thus, the pressure ends up breaking my own morale and self esteem. Definitely don't want a repeat of mental breakdowns in 2011.

So, this year I'm keeping it rather simple: be true to myself, feel confident, and work hard. With these thoughts in mind, perhaps it would be much easier to conquer those "resolutions" that have been haunting me for the last couple of years. I entered 2010 with extremely high expectations, and while some things met my expectations, I was still left wanting more. All I ask of 2011 is that I will become a happier person and will experience the world as a much wiser and knowledgeable person.

Happy new year to you all, hope you all have a fabulous year full of happiness and life!

Have yourself a merry little Christmas.

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I wish you all a Merry Christmas, and even if you don't celebrate, I hope that you were able to spend some quality time with friends and family. There are times when family can be annoying and embarrassing and just plain old miserable, but there is still a sense of comfort when spending the holidays with family. I spent a night out catching up with some high school friends on Thursday, and it was so great to see them after all these months living in my own "Philly bubble." Contrary to previous years, I am spending a very quiet Christmas at home with my parents and siblings. No big dinners, no little cousins running around the house, no mounds upon mounds of ripped up wrapping paper by the end of the night. Just the five of us, enjoying some prime rib roast and turkey and all the fixings. I miss seeing my other relatives for Christmas though. After all, I rarely see them now that I am at school, and it was always a fun time seeing my cousins and spending time with them. But I must say, it's quite nice being able to relax at home in my pajamas, not having to worry about the dangerous edges of the coffee table when my baby cousin is running around.

Every year my family goes to Christmas Eve mass, and after a crazy shift at work (the holidays make for absolute retail hell), I had to quickly change out of my red and khaki and into a glittery gold sweater dress. For many years now, I've always been extremely reluctant to go to church. I had always been forced to go, and ever since I was little, going to church seemed more like a chore than anything, and that defeats the purpose of the whole principle of it all, doesn't it? My reluctance isn't so much about my doubts about God, but rather about the church itself. And that always embittered me about going to mass every Sunday.

But anyways, that's for another time. The point that I was getting to was that despite my disagreements with my parents regarding mass, I began to make a habit of praying when in church. As I was going to pray at Christmas Eve mass, I realized...I couldn't think of what to pray for. My mind blanked (even though there are many things that I could have possibly prayed for), and then I realized that I didn't necessarily have to pray that night. I can simply just thank God for all that I am blessed with in life. I've had some rough times this year, and it was never always easy, but I am forever appreciative of how things have ensued. And perhaps I really don't need much else.

So I suppose that I never really wanted much for Christmas. Sure, there are small, menial things I'd love to have. But the gift of pursuing dreams and enjoying simple pleasures is far more valuable. And amidst all the holiday shopping and gift receiving, I can still look beyond it all and enjoy the gift of a new chapter in my life and new adventures. What more can a girl like me ask for?

Oh how times can change.

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I am currently sitting on the couch, cozying up with a chenille blanket wrapped around me, a mug of peach mango white tea by my side, Food Network turned on the TV. I suppose that I am tired, and if I were to get anything productive done in the daytime, surely it'd be sensible to just clean up and go to bed now. But I don't think my mind is fully at the point of resting just yet.

At this exact moment  last year, I was fretting over finishing all my college application essays on time, making sure that all of them were outstanding and flawless enough for the schools that I applied for. At this very moment, though, my only present concern is whether I should bake sugar cookies or mint chocolate chip cookies later.

I know that time goes by rather quickly, that so much can happen in a concentrated amount of time. But I think this is the first time in my life that this principle has been really magnified. And I am sure this will be one of many times where "time flies" will really apply to my life.

The other day I met up with my high school mentor over coffee to catch up on life and other things. When asked about how my new life is in the city, I honestly didn't know where to begin. So much had changed, I was living a new life in a new place, full of new constants and new beginnings. While explaining everything, she seemed genuinely happy that I was getting on well as a "city girl." I told her everything and anything. After all, I told her everything from my high school days, it shouldn't (and didn't) faze her too much. By the end of it all, she asked me what I should have known would be coming: "So you are ultimately happy with your decision?"

And I can say with all of my heart that yes, I made the right decision. I didn't think my current life would be written in the books for me, mostly because I just simply didn't want it to be. But as much as I believe that I am in control of my own destiny, it is extremely humbling to know that things can be out of my reach, that life has something else planned for me, even if I initially am not pleased with it. These are the instances that usually almost always work out better than had I gotten my way in the first place. And I just find that simply beautiful.

I may not be studying amongst the artsy elite in Greenwich Village, or wearing hip, trendy clothes, or even working in a coffee shop or bookstore. But that's okay. The time for all my wants will come in due time. My life has changed substantially in the past couple of months, who knows where the yellow brick road will take me in the future.

Holiday Break To-Do List

• Last-minute Christmas shopping

• Write and send all my Christmas cards

• Bake infinite batches of cookies and cupcakes

• Catch up on Misfits 

• Sign up for Netflix; watch a movie a day

• Take up knitting again

• Work for a few needed paychecks

• Learn how to make the perfect roast

• Continue French lessons

• Find the perfect sequin sweater

• Have a marathon of Travel Channel and Food Network shows

• Spend quiet nights curled up reading with a cup of citrus green tea

• (Hopefully) build a snowman

• Write about anything and everything

• Spend time with people who care 

Close, but not quite.

I finally finished a paper for my American Political Systems class. But sadly, to my dismay, all the work isn't done yet. I have hours of arduous studying for finals left to conquer. In a week, I'll be completely free of all this end-of-semester doom and gloom. It's difficult to keep an optimistic outlook in these stressful times, but I'll be trying my best to keep it together. Until then, I will have to make the best of studying with an abundance of Christmas music and mugs of Mandarin orange green tea.

Speaking of Christmas music, one of my favorite holiday songs ever is "Baby It's Cold Outside." It's a cute and fun song (I've always dreamed of singing a duet of this song with someone), and it also is quite apropos for these especially freezing days in Philly. I've been listening to the Zooey Deschanel & Leon Redbone version on repeat in the past couple of days, though any version has the ability to warm my heart. Even this funny and adorable scene from the movie Elf: