New Semester=New Year's Resolutions

Even as a child, I always loved the first day of school. I loved new pencils and paper, new binders, new bookbags, and the smell of classrooms the first time you walked into them. I loved the new chalk, and the clean chalkboards, and the way it was still dark outside when I woke up the first time in my new grade. My mom and dad fostered this love with pancakes and Beauty and the Beast backpack, and new school clothes. And to this day, I love the first day of school.

Which is why I'm sad that tomorrow is my last first day of school. Tomorrow, I'll wake up early, ride the bus to my classes, and maybe even pack my lunch. I'm come home to a dog who's glad to see me, and with shittons of work already assigned. And, like always, I'll take this time to write a list of New Year resolutions, because, let's be real: a school year is a more definitive change than the first of the year. I'll probably break them, but for a little accountability, I figured why not put them on my blog for the entire blogging community to see? So, without fail, as I have done every single year since Kindergarten, I'm making my list:

1) I will be organized -- I make this promise every single year. I'm actually a whole lot better at the whole organization thing than I was in Kindergarten. Back then, my desk was disgusting and I forgot my homework all the time and left my lunch on the table at my house. I still do this, actually (although not as much). Perhaps this will be the year I can get a handle on everything, as I now have a lot more stuff to be responsible for and organized about. This includes my house, my car, my locker, my desk, my bookbag....well, you get the picture....

2) I will be active -- as I get older, my metabolism slows down more. I get complacent. My ass gets bigger. I'm marginally disciplined about my health, but perhaps this will be the year I actually start actively participating in sunrise yoga. I really want to. I do. But it's at 6:00 in the morning. Perhaps I'll fall back on my Jillian Michaels' yoga tape and sleep in a little more. Regardless, my dog is overweight and I'm not getting any younger, so I'm definitely resolving to start putting myself first in the health department. (No, I'm not resolving to lose weight or work out more. I actually work out more than you'd anticipate, and I'm at a very good weight. I just want my mind to be more centered, to participate in a 5K in under 27 minutes, which won't happen by itself, and not forgo the gym to finish that brief.)

3) I will figure out what I want to be when I grow up -- this is a first on the list. The clock's now ticking. Obviously, I will be a lawyer. I enjoy criminal law. I also like eating. I'm not that picky, but as there are limited career options out there for me, I'd really like to find something that I enjoy doing and not make peanuts doing it. I've even considered auditioning at a cattle call for one of the legal dramas. Maybe even write for one. God knows I'm not lacking in the imagination department. Regardless, I'd like to pursue a career. And anyone who has watched Chris Rock's standup routine knows there is a difference between a career and a job.

4) I will read for my classes -- let's  not kid ourselves. This one will probably fall by the wayside at least a time or two. Or five. Don't judge me. 

5) I will make memories -- I have a limited amount of friends. My mom likes to say I'm socially inept. She's right. I find a few, and I'm good with that. So this year, I'm saying fuck making new friends (because I may, and I may not), and building memories with the ones I've got.

I'm sure I'll add to this list, and I'm going to make a list of more insignificant things that will play second fiddle to these. Regardless, this is going to be a good year.

Because I said so.