Today I wrote...

... 2011 for the first time.

Weird. So, so weird.

This year I rang in the new year in Asheville, North Carolina, with some of my very favorite people. We skied, we ate, we hot tubbed, we laughed, we lounged. Morgan and I started an alliance and laughed until we cried; David and I overcame our fear of hugging each other-- we're both so very awkward; Wade, more commonly known as Papa Bear, took out the trash and kept us all in line; the girls sat in a line and played with each other's hair for hours (this is what my version of paradise looks like); JoJo, Kim, and I "sacrificed" and slept three to a bed... an extremely large, comfortable king-size bed; Clay talked me through a terrifying skiing experience-- next time, I just want to ride the ski lift up and down; and my team dominated at Fish Bowl. The hot tub broke more times than I can count, Kim cooked ziti for our family dinner night, and we visited a beer garden that was out of most beers. At midnight on New Year's Eve, we watched the ball drop at Pack's Tavern with a champagne toast and sang 'Auld Lang Syne' (well, David and Katie sang the actual lyrics... Annie and I just sang 'Na na na na' to the tune of 'Auld Lang Syne'). On the ride home, Annie, Jordon, and I subjected Wade to an earful of girl talk and song after song of classics like 'C'est La Vie' by B*Witched and 'Say My Name' by Destiny's Child. While he couldn't dial down our chatter, the volume did seem to mysteriously decrease periodically.

All in all, the trip was a success. Many memories made, many jokes told, many Oreo balls eaten. I wish there had been more snow-- there was a snowman on our porch when we arrived; by Day 2, it was just a scarf and some twigs in a puddle-- but I'll settle for beautiful weather and crisp mountain air... and be thankful for ice-free mountain roads.

A trip with ten people doesn't exactly provide the best atmosphere for reflection, but now that I'm home again for another week before school starts up, I feel predict some serious reflection in the forecast. Maybe I'll make a few resolutions. I'll let you know.