2013

2013 was a good year. I was optimistic as 2012 ended, and it paid off. I'm so much happier than I was last year. I'm looking forward to the future, but don't see it as an escape anymore, and that is something I'm very thankful for. At the end of last year, I was extremely unhappy with school and Lubbock. While I am still excited to graduate soon/never live in Lubbock again, I'm no longer embittered. Sure, college hasn't been a barrel of laughs and, yeah, Lubbock's not for me, but that's no reason to be a dick about it. C'mon, Past Maggie.

The year started off great with a short trip to Austin and visit from Shelby (a.k.a. the Tina to my Amy). Then school started again, and while I had classes and professors that I enjoyed, it still wasn't the best semester. In February, Fall Out Boy made my life (and everyone else's), KaCee and I drove to Austin for Melany's twenty-first birthday, and I found this awesome spoken word poem (which is definitely worth noting in this recap). March brought Spring Break, and Melany, KaCee, Husmann, and I were reunited for the first time since September for the Mystical Road Trip of Magic and Wonder, Part II. A wonderful trip full of four-wheeler riding, gun shooting, and tequila drinking.

I turned twenty-one in April, which I celebrated with a weeklong trip to Austin. This included seeing Two Door Cinema Club in concert, which was fantastic. Fall Out Boy's Save Rock and Roll also came out in April, and it has my vote for Best Album of 2013. I also made friends in April. By that I mean I hung out with work friends outside of work, and they have definitely made Lubbock a much better place. So thanks to Kiera, Angie, Gabby, Austin, Brannon, and so on for being my bros.

In May, another less than stellar semester ended, but my professor did the coolest thing and I drank several margaritas. The next month, Britny and I got our Harry Potter tattoos. The next day we saw Fall Out Boy in concert and it was easily one of the greatest moments of my life. In July, I got to spend two whole weeks in my favorite place with my very favorite people.

August saw the start of the best semester I've had since I started college. I had wonderful classes and professors that reminded me why I loved school in the first place, and I can only hope my last semester is half as good as this one was. I drove to Austin to celebrate Britny's twenty-first birthday in September, and was reminded of all the silly things I'll miss once I move to Austin. October and November were primarily focused on school, but I did dress up as Kevin from Up for Halloween, and that was fun.

December, always one of my favorite months, did not disappoint. After finishing school, I drove to Austin for another visit which included a Frightened Rabbit show and kayaking. I went home for the week of Christmas and it was wonderful. Originally, my dad was supposed to work on Christmas Day, but his boss texted him late on Christmas Eve and said his shift was covered. Late Christmas night, KaCee, Melany, and I bundled up and went stargazing.

I'm ending this year in a much better mindset than I ended the last. I'm even more optimistic about 2014 than I was about 2013. My cousin Julia and I are moving into a house this weekend. I graduate in May. I'm (finally) moving to Austin in October.

2014 is going to be big, guys.

-Maggie