2014, You Were Lovely.

I cannot believe that tomorrow is the last day of 2014. 

2014 has been the best, and most exciting year of my life so far. I've made so many memories. I've met so many new people. I've learned so much. And I've broken down so many walls I had been building up for years.

Instead of scrolling through a boatload of pictures, I decided to put together a little video of my year. Click below to see! :) And don't worry! If you'd like to read more, below is some little tid-bits and further details of my year. 

(I would reccommend enlarging the video, so you can see the pictures better, click the little box looking icon in the bottom right corner once you play the video!)

At the end of 2013, I had an overwhelming feeling of peace and comfort. I knew 2014 would be amazing. I was sitting on my couch in my footie pajamas, drinking sparkling juice and knowing in my heart that 2014 would be absolutely amazing. I looked through my journal earlier today and found my resolutions that I wrote on New Year's Eve last year. This is what I wrote:

• Get things done and don't procrastinate so much.
• Write down something that made you happy every day.
• Write/draw every day.
• Make someone smile every day.
• Be positive.
• Believe in yourself.
• Talk to people more.
• Be more active. 

The ones bolded are the things I accomplished. Six out of eight things I accomplished. That's huge. I am so amazed that I actually followed through.

Here are some of the things that happened/that I learned this year.

• I turned 18.
• I modeled in the prom fashion show and that's when my shell began to chip away.
• I got my ears pierced the same place my mom got her's pierced and I didn't even cry.
• My last tennis season of my high school career. ):
• I went to prom by myself, and even though I was upset at first, I had an amazing time. My shell was now just a transparent layer around me. I could finally see out, and see the world without feeling insecure about myself.
• I played my last tennis match of high school.
• One of my sweet friends brought me a cupcake on my last day of high school.
• My last high school lunch was pizza. Still wishing it coulda been chicken nuggets...
• I placed 1st in my last high school art fair.
• I had my graduation party and so many people showed up that I didn't expect would come and I was so happy.
• I got to walk with two of my childhood friends during graduation
• I GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL HOLY MOLY. 
• My cousin Bobby graduated and I was so proud.
• Bobby, Baker, and I were together again for our traditional photo. (We've known each other since we were little kids, when we played baseball together.)
• I went to my great grandmother's house for a family reunion and we saw a snake while playing corn hole.
• I went to Michigan again and stayed in the most gorgeous hotel.
• I saw ONE DIRECTION IN CONCERT AND I'M STILL NOT OVER IT. IF YOU WATCH THE VIDEO YOU CAN SLIGHTLY HEAR ME TRYING TO SING A DUET WITH HARRY. I'm sure I was annoying everyone at that concert, but I needed my Mariah Carey moment.
• ONE DIRECTION YALL ONE DIRECTION. I've loved them for over three years now and I finally saw them this year. And I made a Harry tshirt and a girl yelled "HARRY'S HOT" at me on the streets of Nashville. 
• I moved into college and cried for two weeks. Not the happiest memory, but I needed that. 
• I attended my first college football game.
• I got my first A on a college paper.
• I participated in the "Gov Run" with my mom and sister.
• I finally visited The Hermitage after wanting to go for years. And I won an Andrew Jackson tshirt!
• I dressed as Wayne Campbell for Halloween. And it was awesome. I got told by a couple people that I seriously looked like Mike Myers. I'm not sure if that was a compliment or not.
• I finished my first semester of college with a 3.6 GPA. 
• My cousin, Jenni, brought a selfie stick to our Christmas gathering at my grandparent's and we took the most epic family photo.

And the one thing that sticks out the most about 2014 to me is this,

I came out of my shell and am no longer in that dark, insecure place I was. 

I remember being so scared to go makeup-free in public. I was worried what people thought of me. I cared more about what other people thought rather than what I thought. Those feelings fizzled away this year. I started seeing a confident girl in myself. I started seeing someone who was beautiful, someone who had a reason to be here, I started feeling more like myself in 2014. I still have my days, but I'm happy to say nearly all of them have been happy days.

I didn't mean to make this a long post, and I'm sorry it's going up so late. But I just wanted to say to you all, 

Be good to yourself. Love yourself. The good Lord is always watching and He's always there for you. Run to Him. Be kind to people. Love everyone. Bake a cake. Don't lose your inner child. Sing out loud. Cut a rug (figuratively or literally, make sure it's okay if you literally cut a rug though. Rugs can get expensive.) 

I hope you all have a very, very, very Happy New Year. And know that your little curly headed girl is here for you and is currently in bed waiting for That's So Raven to come on. 

Rachel xx

Oh! And here are some songs that I listen to every New Year's Eve. 

Auld Lang Syne - Frank Sinatra & Dean Martin (gets me so pumped)

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? - Ella Fitzgerald (makes me want to slow dance)