Reflections

It's new years eve.

Much to write about today, the last day of the year. Well let's start off first with a summary of my weekend yes? Ok. 

So I left on Friday for the beach house with a terrible cough, which I still have. But it was seriously the best time I ever had at the beach house, all things considered. Perhaps what I enjoyed the most, apart from being with my cousins was the scenery and nature. On Saturday I 

woke up at 5:30 a.m. with Nathalia and went for a walk on the beach, all the way down to the 

mouth of the river which is about half an hour from where we were. The sun was just coming     up and it was.... well beautiful to say the least. Really a sight. There were only a few other 

people on the beach, but I felt like we were the only two people in the world. Definitely need to do that more often- get up at the crack of dawn and go for a walk. That same day we went to Puntarenas at night and ate some snow cones. SO GOOD. Then we took a walk on the pier, there wasn't a cloud in the sky and there were so many stars...another really cool thing we did. The beach at night here is just like nothing I've ever seen before. It's almost spiritual. Ugh. Anyways.

The rest of the trip consisted of going to the beach, getting a tan, coming back to the pool, beach again, pool again, board games, scary stories, a trip to Jaco, and sweet tunes as always. Amazing trip, considering I was sick the entire time. 

And now I'm here sitting at my computer, my parents are at the house because the container with all of our stuff conveniently decided to come today, and I'm reflecting on everything that's happened in the past year, trying to think of a way to sum up my thoughts and feelings towards 2008. 

Well. 

I wouldn't say 2008 was the best year of my life, but without a doubt the most interesting, the most evolutionary. At the beginning of the year, I was a bumbling senior in high school, eagerly awaiting the next senior munch, taking in every moment that was left of my high school career, I still had my braces on (haha) and was anxiously waiting to graduate in June. If you had told 

me then, that I would be here, in my grandparent's house in Costa Rica, starting college in January, and would be living here for the next several years of my life I would've thought you were crazy. At the beginning of '08, I had every intention of going to Cal State Long Beach and following my dream of becoming a director. Nothing was going to take me away from California and my friends, the only two things I had ever really known. And then in early April, after much coaxing and almost pleading from my parents, I made the decision to move down here, without really knowing what I was getting myself into. But I made the decision in big part to the fact that I had planned out the rest of my life for the longest time. And I looked down the road and there were no more surprises left. I felt like my life was over, and I was 17 years old. So I thought, "For once in your life, do something spontaneous, something you never planned for. Take the chance." So I did. 

I turned 18 in May and almost instantly, I started questioning everything I had ever known, with big thanks to the presidential election. I realized that my entire life I had blindly been following the beliefs and points of view of my parents without questioning why I thought this way. So I sat down and took the time to question every aspect of my life: religion, politics, love, morals etc. And I said, what do I want out of life? What do I believe and why do I believe it? And finally I had an opinion about life and the world I live in. 

Then I left in August. Probably the scariest thing I've ever had to do. I left my home and Chris and Casey behind, the things I loved the most in the entire world. But it was something I had to do. For myself, for my own personal growth. I needed to get out of California (as much as I loved it) and experience new things, meet different people, get to know a different way of living. I still miss home and my friends as much as the day

 I left, but it gets a little better every day. Nevertheless, I'm counting down the days when I see them again. 

And now it's the last day of December. A year ago today, I was getting ready to go to my uncle's 

house for New Year's. Tonight we're going back up to my aunt's house and I'm definitely looking forward to the fireworks. 

God. Goddy God. Haha. It's definitely been quite a year. One for the books. I've definitely never changed as much as I have this year. Looking back at that kid with braces and looking at myself now, ready to start university and living in Costa Rica, I don't feel like the same person. But that is life. If there is one thing I've learned this year, it's that change is inevitable. We are defined as people by how well we handle that change, and how we learn from our mistakes. If anything, I feel like a much more wiser Sarynelli now, at the end of 2008. I mean, go back to 2007 and look at my one entry in December. It seems like everything I wanted then, I pretty much have right now. Completely different person.

So here's to an even more amazing 2009. It's a year that I'm ready to take on with more conviction than ever before. This is where the real change begins, where my life here really starts, and where I hope to continue to grow even more as a person. I hope I never stop growing. 

Song of the day: Skinny Love- Bon Iver

Until next year

Sary