Dear 2011

Helloooooooooo everyone!!

How are you doing on this fine Monday?

I'm doing magnificent thank you!

I would first like to say happy new year to you all! I hope each and every one of you had a happy and safe new years celebration. I myself had a terrible experience with some hasty tequila and well....I'm sure you can fill in the rest. Not the best way to ring in this new year if you ask me. But forty eight hours or so later and I'm feeling much much better! And it's safe to say that I won't be drinking tequila ever again. And when I say I'm not going to do something ever again I fully mean it. I will never again drink tequila. Lesson 100% learned. But I digress......

I've been going back and forth in my mind about how I want to conduct my first post of the new year on CCH. I am the type of gal that has to embrace and then let go of the past before I can truly step into the future. This is me embracing and saying goodbye to 2011 so I can fully step into 2012. A love/hate letter if you would..........

Dear 2011.....

Hello there, it's me again! Jenna Black! B-L-A-C-K like the color. Sheesh if I have to spell my last name for someone in 2012 like I had to relentlessly in 2011 I'm going to lose my marbles. I know you're over and all but I figure you still deserve a little recognition for a few things you've put me through. Both good and bad.

The trials and tribulations that dreadful 2010 left on my psyche led you to happily push me out of Ohio during the second week of your existence and into Florida for a mind, body, and life detox....

You placed me in Orlando Florida with my wonderful cousin and her family. And of course you did me a solid and helped me land a job at Disney World in a matter of weeks. You taught me what it's like to be the new girl in town, and how to enjoy time spent alone in a brand new city. You taught me to enjoy days spent alone at the beach, and nights spent with new friends running around Disney. When the newness of Orlando began to wear off and when money became tight you happily ushered the new and improved Jenna back up to Ohio.

You were by far one of the best summers I've ever had. You were filled with more alcohol than I care to remember, all night dance parties, late night pizza, arts & crafts, girls harassing me at the bars for being what they refer to as "a curly headed fuck" (that one still makes me laugh) and stories that will be told over and over and over again, because your stories never get old.

You brought friends in, kept the awesome ones that I know and love, and you took friends away as well.

Such is life.

Friends will come and go like breaths of air in my twenties, this I know to be true, but did you really have to take Ginger away from me?

But I will always be grateful that you filled the hole in my heart with three new furry friends....

Marcie is the light of my life....I suppose Edie Kiddy and Lady Kat aren't too bad either, but Marcie is my one true love. Thank you for bringing her to me.

You somehow managed to throw me straight into my current job at Olive, an urban dive within a week of my moving back from Florida.

This job has brought on so many experiences and creative energies into my life. Not to mention a loving crew that acts more like a big happy family than co workers, which is pretty much unheard of in this industry. As stressful as the job can be I'm grateful that you brought me to it for the good times have vastly outweighed the difficult.

You brought my roommate and bff into my life this summer in the exact same manner that you came to an end when the ball dropped on new years eve......with Shar holding my hair back in the bathroom after a long and regretful night of my partying way too hard.

It isn't exactly the way I envisioned a friendship blossoming... I myself would prefer a more Breakfast At Tiffany's glamourous type of beginning, but hey - you weren't really a very conventional type of year now were you?

You helped Shar and I come together to create a brand new, exciting, funky, ridiculous, confusing, fun, and beyond hilarious blog entitled Blaquemour that we're still trying to this day to get a true hold on.

Looking back you were 365 days of pure chaos. You were an absolute trip (literally and figuratively speaking). You took me back and forth across the country in search of myself. You lacked a few food experiences I would've liked to have.You aided in my gaining and losing weight and gaining it all back plus some. You made me realize that I am a lot smarter and a lot more capable than I give myself credit for. You showed me how hilariously and utterly fabulous I am. You knocked me on my ass more times than I can count, and you always put a good friend near by to hoist me up. Although a lot of times you taught me that I'm merely a ridiculous 21 year old girl, you were the one year in which I truly grew up. And for that I am truly grateful

<3 Jenna, Jen, JB, Jblizzy, curly headed fuck.

More than anything this blog is a reminder to myself of my experiences in life both big and small......

I have a terrible memory and I do my best to salvage any bits and pieces that might get lost between the recipes and lists running through my head. This means I must document as much as possible without giving away too much about myself.

In light of reminding myself of things in the past - I've dug up the very first post of last year!! This post consisted of goals I wanted to accomplish by the end of 2011. I am happy to report that I completed a nice handful of those goals (but not all of them as I suspected).

This year I.....

Learned how to change a tire

Learned how to do laundry

Moved into my own apartment

Visited the beach every week (when I lived in FL)

Gave hugs every single day

Danced as often as possible.

Now I know resolutions/goals aren't for everyone......

Most people give up on whatever resolution they give themselves in a matter of days. And that's fine. But that isn't me. I am a go getter. I make about thirty or so goals, some of them I know are a stretch, but the more goals I make the easier it is for me to complete them. I am a list maker. There are thousands of pieces of paper floating around my parents house and my apartment. Grocery lists, daily tasks, money saving lists, lists of things I want to do the upcoming weekend, etc. so it's no wonder I have so many resolutions every year!

This year my list is simplified - not because I am less ambitious than previous years, but due to the fact that one of my goals is to fly by the seat of my pants more and to stop making so many lists lol. But instead of sharing my goals with all of you like i've done previously, I'd rather keep them to myself. A lot of my resolutions are personal and I prefer not to share them with others. But the one in which I think is extremely important to share is this:

Do whatever you want, whenever you want, however you want to do it without fear, regardless of the situation, and most importantly without caring what anyone else thinks. Let me put it in the most simple terms I can in a very 'Jenna' type way: Quit giving a fuck and do exactly what you want.

Do you hate your job? Quit. Are you in an unhealthy relationship? Get out. Do you want to spend more time with your family? Then find a way to do it. Quit making excuses. This is your life. You literally have one shot to do whatever it is you want to do, and make yourself into whatever person you chose to be. You don't get do overs. So spend what little time you do have (because let's be honest.....you could drop dead at any minute) doing the things you want to do and being exactly who you are. Your experience with anything is entirely dependent on you, and nothing else. Do absolutely nothing else than the things that you love to do. Don't waste a single moment.

That is the best advice I can possibly give you.

Quit giving a fuck and do exactly what you want.

Plain and simple.

Although this post was more for my own benefit than anyone else.......

I hope all of you got somewhat of a kick out of it, enjoyed what I had to say, were able to relate to my life experiences, or gained some sort of insight into your own life through a glimpse into mine. Whatever the case may be thank you for spending this year with me. This year was a whirlwind blog wise. There were moths when I posted every day, and months when I updated maybe once or twice. So thank you all for coming back regardless of the circumstances of my life or your own.

I truly appreciate all of the e-mails and comments I receive. You are the driving force of this blog....well....after me that is. I am my own driving force. But I'll give you guys a close second :)

I hope each and every one of you have a wonderful day, and even more important a wonderful year!

<3 Jenna

I will leave you with cliche yet real words to live by......

"This is your life. Do what you love, and do it often. If you don't like something, change it. If you don't like your job, quit. If you don't have enough time, stop watching tv. If you're looking for the love of your life, stop; they will be waiting for you when you start doing things you love. Stop over analyzing, life is simple. All emotions are beautiful. When you eat, appreciate every last bite. Open your mind, arms, and heart to new things and people, we are united in our differences. Ask the next person you see what their passion is, and share your inspiring dream with them. Travel often; getting lost will help you find yourself. Some opportunities only come once, seize them. Life is about the people you meet, and the things you create with them so go out and start creating. Life is short. Live your dream, and wear your passion. "