It’s true. It’s officially been 5 days since I last stepped foot inside of a Starbucks, which means even though my new year officially started today, I have been making good on my promise to not spend as much money on my coffee habit.

Of course, the year is young.

Maybe one day I will get to a point where it will have been five days since my last glass of wine as well, but let’s not get excited.

On a high note, I did work out tonight. And this guy says if I work out 30 minutes, 4-5 times a week, I will get maximum results.

We’ll see what he can do for me.

On a business school note, I have finally finished my admissions essays for USC, but the revision process is hardcore. I thought I would only need a couple of hours for polishing, but after two solid hours tonight, it looks like I’ll need at least 3-4 more.

But this is the final week, the week of all weeks, where I will finally finish and submit my essays for review, finish up my resume, send my transcripts out, and fill out the information sections for each application. My letters of recommendation will be done by Friday, and once both applications are submitted…well, let’s just say you’re going to be seeing a lot more of me. And hearing a lot more of me. Yes folks, the video bloggin will be BACK IN EFFECT. I can’t wait.

Till then, I’ve been spending a lot of time with Alan Watts. His zen lectures align a whole lot with this book I’m reading called New Self, New World by Philip Shepherd. It’s all about how we cannot exist outside of our relationships with the world, and how we are brought up to live inside our heads, rather than our body. At least, that’s what it’s about in a nutshell. Anyway, I’m digging it. And it leaves me feeling more confused and perplexed about life than ever, and the way I should be feeling. But at 174 pages in, I’ve come to realize that I was never meant to understand what I am feeling. I was only meant to feel it.

It’s trippy shit.

I’m going to post a review on Examiner once I’m done with it, but I’m about 278 pages away from being done with it, so it probably won’t happen until the end of the month.

Also, I started watching Weeds. I’m about 8 years late, but God I love that show. And now for a little parting message from Sir Alan Watts before I go.

“Where there are rocks, watch out.”

We are nearly done with the first week of the new year, and I’m still living in 2012. The year doesn’t feel new to me. I’m still working on my Admissions essays, still haven’t started a workout routine, and haven’t really made any big moves to do anything differently. I have no real excuses about it either. But since I’m living in my own reality over here, in my book, the New Year starts tomorrow.

New Year’s Eve was a blast, but cold. We were on the roof of a small building, with a tarp over head, but still, it was cold. I was glad I didn’t have on a cuter dress, because the jacket stayed on the entire time we were up there.

Well, except for that one minute when the drinks kicked in and I was feeling brave.

But that moment was short lived. It. was. freezing.

New Year’s day was chill, as it was my dad’s birthday, so we all pretty much gathered around with family, drank, and ate large portions of finger foods and chili.

Since I went  back to work on Wednesday, right after New Year’s day, that entire week felt ‘off’. I didn’t quite know what day it was, and it still sort of felt like we should have been on vacation. When Friday came, I just felt sort of bleh about it being a new year, and wasn’t feeling at all new.

But now it’s starting to feel like 2013. I’ve just woken up from an hour long nap, after a weekend of birthday-singing, vodka-sipping, Les Miserables-watchin’ fun. I also just had a Tikka Marsala from Trader Joes, which means I’m feeling on top of the world.

So as my first post for the New Year, I don’t want to reflect anymore on 2012. I want to think about moving forward, and being still. I want to embrace the remarkable present, and always be in awe of the beauty around me. I want to go slower, so as to process things better, and not let too much of it slip by without my notice. I want to be more reflective about my place on this earth, and ultimately, let in a lot more light and art.

On the material side, I’m cutting Starbucks down to once or twice a week. I got an espresso machine for Christmas, and it’s high time I started living within my means when it comes to little purchases.

Other than that, I do want to start being better about my spending overall, and perhaps drinking a bit less on the weekends. My entire body right now feels like a cotton ball someone chewed up and spit into a fire pit. And I’ve noticed it takes longer now for me to recover, than it used to. Like almost three days. It doesn’t feel nice.

Also, now that my applications are nearly done (end of this week!) I intend to read more books, watch more movies, and take a bunch of classes in art, web design, math, and HTML coding. All while I still can. When I get accepted to business school, I would start in early August, and it would be all business from there on out, leaving me no free time to do the things I enjoy (probably). So I need to get it all in while I still can.

So officially,  2013 begins tomorrow. I’m still going to be the same me, but I’d like to be better about a few things, and I’m excited to see what the year will bring. I have a really strong sense in my heart that it’s going to be a good one. I feel good about my relationship with Adam, I feel strongly that I have a chance at getting into business school, and I think overall it will be another great year of learning, roller coaster emotions, and major change. Plus, I’m moving out on my own this year, so that alone will be an experience. I plan on starting to look for a new place this month, after the applications are done with, and I’m 110% looking forward to being out on my own. For real on my own.

So how about we let’s do this shall we yes?