2011/29 & expectations

well. happy new year! i used to hate that my birthday was on the same day as the last day of the year. no pressure. not only the weight of "did you live the last calendar year to your full potential?" but also "how was this last chronological year?" gah. for a girl who thinks all.the.time. and gets all caught up in memories (and regrets) it's hard. it always has been. i'm hoping it won't always be.

so my birthday ended up...nothing like i expected. not bad, just not what i had planned (i had planned quiet cups of coffee, a walk outside, hours shopping in anthropologie, books read by my still lit christmas tree). it ended up being one quiet cup of coffee, lunch with the fam, seeing War Horse (soo. good. go see it!!), running in and out of anthro, chipotle for dinner and catching up with dear, dear friends.

About half way through my day i laughed at my failed plans and unmet expectations. Why would the last day of 2011, be any different than the year as a whole? again. not bad. it wasn't a bad year, not at all. The resounding theme just seemed to be my expectations not being met. probably because the things i were expecting, hoping in would always disappoint. i blame no one but myself.

in the unmet expectations-i got to experience so much more than i could have thought (expected) this year. ironic. mainly. i found myself on a plane to a new favorite place every oh, 2 months or so. what a beautiful (and expensive) addiction.


[downtown portland at night]


[rocky mountains]


[frontier ranch, co]


[pikes market, seattle]


[fairhaven, wa]


[sandpoint, id]


[great grandmas ranch house, bonners ferry, id. mom & i]


[ft.lewis, wa. my little bro on the left. stud]


[montreat college, nc]


what will 2012 hold? i think its too early to tell, although i already have tickets to San Jose in march...so i have a feeling it will be a grand, grand year.