I've had a case of wanderlust for quite some time now, and it's only gotten more extreme lately. I'm just itching to travel and go see new sights. My parents are probably getting tired of hearing what countries I want to visit in the future because it's been a main topic of discussion for me lately. My mom  finds it funny that I'm looking up costs and picking places that I want to visit when I don't have enough funds yet but hey, dreaming is the first step but making a plan is the next. One more semester to go before I start working to save up more money to explore the world. My list of countries to visit is extensive, so I have a bunch of saving to do!
 

I was feeling a bit adventurous today so I walked into a local bookstore that I have never been in before. As much as I love bookstores, I actually have never been to a locally owned bookstore before. I usually go to chain stores to get what I need if I don't feel like ordering online. But today, I probably stumbled into the best place ever. The atmosphere was so calming, with the smell of musty books waiting to be opened. Regular customers chatted with the store owner as others sifted through vinyl records. There were handwritten signs for each section and creaky floors. There was just so much character in this bookstore, it was so awesome. I bought two books, A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (already read the book but wanted to own a copy) and Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. I got both at a cheaper price than what I would have paid for one book at Barnes and Noble, so I came out super happy. I didn't really have much time to choose more books, although I could have easily spent hours in there. I can't wait to explore the rest of it next time because there is still a whole downstairs music section that I haven't gone through yet. :)

I feel like everyone needs to see this, because I'm sure most of us have encountered or been a part of almost every single one of these situations at some point. As technologically advanced as we may be now, it's a good idea to disconnect and be present in the moment.

As the year 2013 is coming to a close, it's always nice to look back on the year to see how much you've done. I know people always say this at the end of a year, but this year has been the best year for me yet. I've gone through my share of bad days in 2013, but not without an abundance of spectacular days that I will always remember. It was a year of new experiences and late nights. From spontaneous adventures in the woods to staying up late watching superhero movies with friends, I've had so much fun this year because of the amazing people that I have been blessed to have in my life.

I can already see it coming; 2014 is going to be a year full of changes. My last semester in college, graduation, job searching... It all seems very scary to me, but I'm ready for whatever. As for resolutions for 2014? Besides trying to establish my habit of doing yoga regularly, there isn't really much else that I have in terms of goals. Looking at a giant list of New Year's Resolutions is intimidating to me, so I think looking at one goal and focusing on that will be better than trying to tackle fifty of them at once. I think the main reason why many New Year's resolutions go down the drain is because one, we often take on too many of them at once, and two, because we start off with big steps instead of little ones. If we focus one goal at a time, with consistent baby steps, it will achieve better results in terms of establishing a habit. It may not be how everyone goes about things, but this has actually been effective for me in terms creating new habits. To end this spiel, I'm expecting to learn a lot more about myself in 2014 and grow more as a person through plenty of new experiences, no matter what they are. I'm pretty psyched.

Anyway, I just wanted to end this post with some of my favorite moments from 2013.