It’s officially January 1, 2019. The New Year has begun. Am I excited? A little. Am I having one of my yearly existential crises? Of course.

For the last few years I’ve essentially given up on resolutions. I’m not great at finishing them, and to be quite honest whenever I do make them I feel so guilty for not achieving them. Yet, I still want to go into 2019 with some intention.

I’ve been trying to find purposeful and fulfilling intentions, and this is what I’ve come up with:

1. To make a significant dent in the 30+ unread e-books I have sitting on my Kindle
2. To step back from social media a bit and be more present in life
3. To write more creative work that inspires me, such as poetry and screenplays

Hopefully those intentions come full circle, but, regardless, 2019 still stands to be one of my best years yet. A lot of things are happening:

• I’ll be starting my first writing internship in just a few days.
• This spring semester will be the start of my senior year at Westminster College.
• In the fall I’ll be studying abroad in London while finishing my senior thesis.
• And then, I’ll graduate in December with my Bachelor of Arts in English.

I’m hoping there will be lots of fun and laughter mixed in between those milestones. I can’t wait to see what surprises the year will bring.

Here’s to the next year filled with hope, sunshine, and good company. Here’s to the next year of accomplishing my goals and chasing my dreams. Here’s to 2019.