Saturday, January 1, 2011

The Year of the Grown-up

Many blogs I read and adore on a daily basis have posted a year in review by way of highlighted blog posts. 

I love reading them and hope to be able to do the same a year from now, but seeing as my baby blog is a mere 3 1/2 months old and still trying to figure out who she is exactly, I'm going to have to wait.

With the theme of self-exploration in mind, it's time to get a little personal.


Going back to South Carolina for Christmas opened my eyes to a lot of things. It came as a complete surprise to me, the girl who'd packed up everything to leave the south behind and conquer the anything goes state of California, that the place I thought had taught me everything it could would come back and surprise me with more.


Reuniting with old friends and relatives I hadn't seen in years showed me a great deal about the world, how things change and that growing up is inevitable.

Here in LA, I admittedly get stuck in the self-indulgent bubble of getting ahead and making a niche for myself in this near impossible-to-crack industry.

Seeing so many childhood friends engaged, married or pursuing what many would consider nobly humble careers, I realized that maybe it's time I grow up.

By "grow up," I don't mean to resign from adventurous fun on the daily, get a mundane desk job and wilt- quite the opposite, in fact. What I plan to do this year is explore and truly nurture what I'm here to do, keeping my loved ones (rather than selfish aims) a primary focus along the way.


When I spoke to a very wise friend of mine about this whole "grown up" conundrum, she argued, "But who says that 'real jobs' and marriage is what growing up is?'"

I shrugged, the twenty-something waitress in me eager to hear more.

"To me, being a grown up is knowing exactly what you want out of life, having a rational plan and going after it with the confidence and know-how that a child lacks."

That explanation really clicked and allowed me to breathe a sigh of relief. I'm in no rush to give up on my whimsical dreams and trade them in for a monotonous "expected" sort of life (not that there's anything wrong with that- it's just that I'm a scorpio and get bored VERY easily).

That's why I've decided that 2011 will be The Year of the Grown Up. It's time to stop lollygagging around and take the pursuits I have seriously.

Will fun be had? Um, are vegetables good for us?

The main idea is to enjoy life, complete with its inevitable ups and downs, all the while keeping my eyes on the bona fide prize.

To push myself to limits that are absolutely necessary to make the life I want possible.

No more excuses, no more self pity and no more settling for less.

In all this too, I aim to make others- my family, friends, even strangers- a big part of 2011.

In a city that's arguably the most self-centered in the world (you've all seen The Hills and read about the Kardashians in the checkout lines), I want to become part of a supportive community.

I know there are like-minded people out there who long to escape the trappings of the Gucci sunglasses-clad bleach blonde driving the Range Rover her daddy bought her while sporting an unappealing scowl on her face for no good reason.

There are loving, generous people all over this town (hell, I'm in love with one and he's a native).


This is the land of hope where countless dreamers, idealists and romantics come to make something happen. And believe you me, I will FIND THEM!

I hope you'll stick with me on this foray into adulthood- because you betta believe it means even BETTER food in the kitchen, more deliciously picturesque restaurants to explore and exciting stories to share.

Does anyone else have a "theme" for year?

Alright, it's breakfast time for this girl.

First plate of 2011?


Perfect Protein Pancakes
recipe courtesy of The Fitnessista

Let's get this party started!


HAPPY NEW YEAR!

5 comments:

  1. Hey, I'm new to your blog and apparently we started ours around the same time!
    Just like you, I'm always wondering what the difference is between being a child and being a grown up because as far as I can tell, you can be a grown up and still be childish... Hmm, I loved reading your thoughts on the subject! My dad says that you can be young at heart at any age but its important not to be "childish" as in whiney or immature. Anyway, happy new year and I look forward to reading more from you!!
    Nicky

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  2. Loved this post, M!
    Really inspirational. I hope you succeed on 2011 - I'm sure you will!
    Happy New Year, love :)
    xoxo

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  3. I think you really hit a key point about what being a grown-up is! It's so hard not to hold ourselves to other peoples' standards and ideas, but it's so much more grown-up to just develop our own and then stick to those.
    As an early 30-something, I can tell you that even more and more of your friends will get married and have babies and settle into the "safe" life...it can feel judged and/or not so great all the time, but being confident and poised in your own path is an awesome thing!

    Happy 2011!
    ~Lisa

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  4. THANKS for the great feedback, ladies- it's great to know i'm not alone on this journey... happy new year!! hope to see you around more often :)

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  5. Hi Madeleine! Happy New Year to you! I just came across your blog and am looking forward to reading your future posts. I think your goals for 2011 sound great! x x

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