Happy New Year

It seems to be a trend that people reflect on their past year when a new year arrives. I think this is a very good practice and should be done more often. The more we reflect, the more we learn and advance. So here is me reflecting on my year 2013:

The year started beautifully in Vegas with my dear husband. We spent 9 days there and did so many fun things. We rang in 2013 on the strip with thousands and thousands of people from all over.

A few days after that, I started my current job and have loved every single day of it. I think I am good at my job and I have an amazing boss who never shies away from imparting knowledge from her brain that is so full of magnificent information. I've made many new friends in this place and call it my second home and we even got a new BBQ at work this year :D

I became a Canadian this year and am so proud of it. Many years of struggles went into achieving this. I still hold my Bangladeshi citizenship which I am also proud of. But I had to work to get this one. Makes it a different kind of a feeling.

We moved to our current home. We had to buy furniture for the whole house and we got to decorate and accessorize in any way we liked. I am so thankful for having such a beautiful place to call home.

I also graced the home of my in-laws for the first time this year...in Italy! God blessed us enough to be able to make such a wonderful trip to see my new parents, my new sister, and my niece. It was 2 weeks of fun and exploration. We went all over Rome, and even got to see my cousin and her family in Bolognia. We saw David's statue in Florence, and spent a night in Venice. I instantly fell in love with Venice and it is still my favourite spot in Italy.

Education and continuous learning is an extremely important part of my life. Therefore, starting my Masters was a huge thing for me. I've finished one semester so far and I've loved every single class. I look forward to finishing this stage of my life, no matter how hard it is to balance school, work, social, and domestic life.

Many special people in our lives got hitched this year. It was an incredible year full of weddings and engagements. Happy memories that I was so thankful to be able to partake in.

Being able to see friends who have moved away, or who I moved away from has also been a blessing this year. I've had friends come and visit from Whitehorse, Vancouver, Ottawa, and Arizona, and hopefully soon I will see a friend who lives in South Korea. I am thankful for such amazing friends and value their friendships.

Near the end of this year, my city got hot by the ice storm that left over a million people without power. It was an extremely difficult time but it brought people together. Friends and family gave shelter to those left without heat in their homes or the ability to cook. It helped me realize how reliant we are on things we don't really control. We can't even warm up or cook food without electricity. I am thankful that nothing too serious happened, despite such dangerous circumstances. It was also a beautiful time and admiring nature was easy.

So that's my reflection on 2013. It's been an eventful year. It hasn't been perfect, but I choose not to dwell on things that didn't work out like I wanted them to. Instead I am focusing on all the wonderful and happy memories I created with those I love and thanking God for making them possible.

Here is to wishing each and every one of you a very Happy New Year and hope you get all your wishes come true and get to keep all your resolutions. Think happy thoughts and rejoice in the moments that are given to us so that we can keep regret away.