life // the start of a new year...

...means a chance to look back on the happenings of the last one.

I was sending some Twitter "shout outs" to say "Happy New Year" to some of the amazing people I met in 2012.  And I realized, there are a lot of them.

In 2012, I got to meet some photographers who have pretty incredible talent and inspired me to push myself in skill and commitment to my now full-time profession.  I got a lot of patience, advice, and encouragement from Megan, Mark & Candice, Jill, and Jessica and I thank them so much for the support they showed me.

I had opportunities to meet up with some crazy-awesome bloggers, too -- what an exciting thing it can be to meet, in real life, the people whose blogs I read every day!  Lots of love to Sandy, Julie, Evani, Joelle, Alissa, Kristina, Lauren, Nichole, Summer, and Maggie.  It was surreal to get to meet you ladies!  And so much fun.  I better be seeing each and every one of you again in 2013.

And I don't forget my virtual blogger friends I've connected rather profoundly with, either... we'll be meeting in person someday.  Sarah, I'm talking to you.

Tammy and Gina, we are seriously overdue.  Looking forward to something in January!

I just have so much to be thankful for.  I'm not going to cover up the yucky parts and pretend that 2012 was all butterflies and rainbows, but I won't sit here and moan about my misfortune, either.  I accomplished a lot, learned a TON about myself, and I'm starting 2013 as a completely different person than I was just a year ago.

It's now 11:30 p.m. in California and I'm going to head out to drink champagne with my loved ones (and my dogs.  No champagne for them; just bacon-flavored biscuits).

See y'all on the other side.