The morning after Christmas, I heaved a sigh and finally put down Eat Pray Love after a month or two of reading it (yes, it took me that long) (school eats up most of my energy and time). It's an account of a woman's journey who, after losing everything she deemed important in life, literally flew around the world to experience pleasure (Italy), to regain her faith (India), and finally, to attain balance and to find peace and love within herself (Indonesia). It was about change, about how it's possible to regain the things you've lost, including yourself. It was a story about redemption.

In two days, 2011 ends. And before I take another step forward and bid this year goodbye, all I'd like to say is despite the varying bouts of hell we've all had to go through now and then, despite the fact that this year has never been easy, never been without pain, I can still say with pure conviction that it has been amazing and I treasure every minute of it. I met new people, said goodbye to old friends, walked through the streets of places foreign and colossally different to the town I grew up in, moved to a different school, got worse, got better, and a whole lot of other things but what it all comes down to is somewhere in between 2011 I was given the opportunity to start again. And I promise that I will keep starting again and again after every mistake, after each time life spins around, hits me hard on the face and problems start resurfacing, no matter how much time it takes.

I never want to get older if it might mean looking back at my life someday and only feel regret, but to say that I don't have anything I might jump at the chance to change if I was given the opportunity would be a lie. After all, I'm the girl that when asked what superpower she'd want to have would answer without any hesitation, Time Control. But I can't change what's already been carved in stone. So here's to looking forward. Here's to savoring each moment, and learning from everything that will come my way.

And I have so many people to thank, a lot of things I am eternally grateful for. Mainly family, friends, God, and everyone else who's made me smile, people who've shed some light and has touched my life along the way. People who've come and left. People who stayed. You have all been a major part of the person I have become now, whoever that person even really is.

Let's all welcome the brand new year with bright eyes, open minds, and open hearts. This is a year of new possibilities. 

Attraversiamo!

(Let's cross over!)