2013. A brand new year. I’ll be honest – as an event planner, I should love New Years Eve. But I actually find it to be an over-rated holiday, more often than not a holiday that is built up and up and up and then therefore is somewhat of a let down.

But. I love the new year. I love new beginnings. I love taking a break and thinking about goals for the upcoming year. Fears and hopes and dreams. It’s inspiring and scary. Sort of like learning to ski when you’re 30.

I learned to ski two years ago in Whistler, BC. I’m not ashamed to say that I did it for my husband. He loves to ski, and one of the reasons I married him is that he challenges me to do things I wouldn’t normally do. So I took lessons. And I cried. A lot. It was hard, but at the end of the 3^rd and final lesson I had the basics and was proud that at 30 I’d learned to do something completely new.

I then tried again last year. And cried. A bit. But got a bit better, too.

This year I was at my in-laws’ lake house in Deep Creek Lake, MD for new years. And once again I went skiing with my husband. And this time? It was fun! I still only did the green slopes. I still took my time. But I only fell once (if you don’t count the time an as$hole snowboarder ran right into me…that was truly not my fault) - and the only tears shed were tears of joy and appreciation.

Somehow it felt really right that my skiing journey clicked into place as the new year began. Learning to ski meant conquering lots of fears. It meant trusting my husband. It meant learning to be patient. It meant enjoying the challenge. And it meant I got to fly and glide with freedom over fluffy snow.

So I’m taking this time to look ahead to what 2013 might hold for me. Lots of challenges await as I continue to get my new business on its feet. But the increased inquiries have been so wonderful and encouraging. The news of Maryland’s same sex weddings brought a huge smile to my face. I look forward to continuing to meet the amazing vendors in the DC area – those I met in 2012 exceeded my expectations for both quality and friendliness.

So let’s do it, 2013. Here’s to conquering fear, looking ahead, and giving it your all. If we do that, we just might fly.