In a years time

Time is such an interesting thing. It can heal wounds, both physical and emotional. It can give things time to grow, it reveals the magical essence of progress...

Exactly one year ago today, my birthday, May 31st, 2011 we stood in this exact spot together.

I had just arrived here in North Carolina not even 2 weeks before. I was still in my "did I really just drive accross the country, alone?" high. Not even 'officially' with Riley yet. I remember when he surprised me with my first trip to Wilmington, NC for my birthday last year and it was the most whimsical time of my life, so in love and I got to spend it with Riley; The love of my life. The one I've been waiting for for 14 years and now here we are, finally able to just be together, just us. I couldn't be happier.
This year he took me to a restaruant called Circa 1922 in Wilmington. Such an amazing place. He had salmon, I had lamb, and we both tried es cargot for the first time ever and you know what? we actually really liked it!
We then walked around the water front, just like last year, basking in the sun and enjoying each others company.

This year I turned 26. As I've said before, about turning 25, I had been feeling like I was going through my quarter-life crisis. Feeling like, "what have I done with my time on earth?" and like I haven't properly spent that time, but I feel like now that I'm actually past 25 and I've made it to year 26 (skinned knees, elbows and all) now I'm really ready to stand up, brush myself off and say, yea I may already be 26 but I'm ONLY 26. Time to live the rest of my fabulous life!

I have SO many things I'm excited to start doing. I have always been one to have crazy, irresponsible, two-sizes-too-big dreams and ideas. The most exciting thing to me is doing things that people say cannot be done. Things that people roll their eyes to, or mock. They're MY things. The things that rile me up, that drive me.

So heres to another 26, even better years.

With the things I know that are happening I know these next few years are going to be one great big exciting adventure.
Now, for the things I don't see coming... well, that's another exciting part of my life that I cant wait to see!
I still can't believe it's already been an entire year that I've been here, we've been through so many amazing changes, we've grown... I've certainly grown and learned so much about myself and life...

I'd never been the type of person to "plan" or to expect things to happen in the future. For example, I always bought new stuff for Christmas every year because I always figured I had no idea where I was going to be, how I was going to feel or what my life was going to be like in a whole years time. It just seemed so far away. But now, for the first time in my life, I have a lasting "Christmas box", and I actually see things happening for me in the future.

Time means something much more now, more than ever.