Before the 1-4

 I can confidently look back at 2013 and declare it a phenomenal year, just a real stellar time. It's amazing to think of all the things you've accomplished or seen or experienced in 365 days- blows your mind sometimes. The past year brought endless amounts of joy and laughter and worries and what if's and I hope that proves true for 2014. 

"Let us not forget what the year did for us, but what we can do for the years to come"

                                                   -(possibly) Abe Lincoln

Top Highlights of 2013- in no particular order

College Graduation. My 8 month internship with Northlight Theatre. Wedding Season '13. Concert Season '13. Living in Chicago. Paul Rudd and Jimmy Fallon as SNL Hosts. Being hired on as an admissions counselor at TCC. Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup. Feeling 22. Catching Fire. Maternal grandparent's 65th Anniversary. The Breaking Bad Series Finale. Paternal grandfather's 90th Birthday. The 20/20 Experience.

Excited for what's to come in 2014

Flying cars

The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon

Tina and Amy hosting the Golden Globes

Justin Bieber's retirement

Sochi Winter Olympics

Grandma Doris' 90th Birthday Rager

My 5000th tweet

March Madness

The ban of ALL cell phone usage while driving in Illinois

Late Night with Seth Meyers

NHL Playoffs

Mockingjay Pt. I

The return of disco

Lollapalooza

What I hope will disappear upon the new year

NOW That's What I Call ___cd's.

The hashtag "smh" 

Facebook bitstrips

Driver seat selfies 

The phrase 'Let's get weird'

Folks that yipe about Obamacare

Avicii

Bad grammar from 20-somthings

Unreasonable gas prices

Anything that rhymes with Biley Fryus

(Note how I'm not really wishing for a lot here, I'm sure a fair amount of you are nodding 'yes' to a few of these anyway).

And so, here's to another year gone, and to wherever the new year takes you next. Maybe it's to a different job, or starting a family, a new hairdo, or finally attempting that one hobby you don't think is lame but your friends have assured you is definitely lame. May time be on your side and you make time for others. Make an effort to send out good vibes in all you do.

Two Thousand Thirteen

It was fun while it lasted.

Mom we're out of milk.

                       -Gina, age 23 



Recap of Wedding Season 2013

It has been one month to the date since the last wedding I attended.

This seemed like decent timing.

I've never really been the kind of girl who has dream after dream about what her wedding will be like, my brain can't think that far ahead. But getting to experience such a day with friends who have worked so hard to make their weddings perfect and unique is dreamlike enough. Within 7 months I had the privilege to see 6 amazing couples from all over the country pledge themselves before God and each other through unending love and commitment. All of these wonderful people and I became friends at some point in college and have made some kind of positive impact in my life. It's probably best to break down the year and introduce you to the newlyweds, eh?

Karley and Sam Staal
May 25th, 2013

I became friends with Karley during sophomore year. We had a good handful of mutual friends and  we would all hang out from time to time. By junior year, my close friends and her close friends would always gather for fun get-togethers or movie nights or Super Bowl parties; you name it, Karley probably planned it. This is also how I got to meet Sam and his group of friends as well. Together Karley and Sam bring energetic conversations and stories that always make you smile or laugh, and are always worth requoting.

The wedding day was nothing short of awesome. The ceremony was full of familiar faces from school and both families were large and well-attended. The reception was a hoppin' time full of food, candy, photoboothing, and every blue candy imaginable! Constant dancing (even choreographed routines by her side of the family) from what seemed like almost all the guests made the night one to remember. I left with mounds of blue candy and sore feet, but wouldn't have traded it for anything. It was most definitely a memorable way to start my summer.


Kayla and Dan Thayer
June 28th, 2013

Dan and Kayla are like 2 peas in a pod. I knew Dan all throughout school, and we were both heavily involved with theatre and campus leadership and had several classes together as Comm majors. I first met Kayla my sophomore year through FYF, Trinity's freshman orientation program. Kayla has such a fun energy about her and Dan matched it flawlessly. Getting to know them separately allowed me see just see just how compatible they were when they would be together.

Making the trip out to the beautiful state of Washington for their wedding was an adventure in itself. The farthest west I'd ever been prior to the wedding was Iowa..I think...gahh that's sad. I diiiid however get to see friends from the area that I hadn't seen in months and was able to spend time near the touristy parts of the bay scenes as well. When the wedding actually started I remember thinking how vibrant the front of the church looked with all its fun summer colors and flair.  The ambiance of the reception was no exception. Mountains. EVERYWHERE. From the view of the bay on the balcony to the stunning chandeliers above the dance floor, everything looked amazing, not to mention the newly married Kayla and Dan.


Kerianne and Jordan Malm
August 17th, 2013

Kerianne and I first became friends sophomore year when we spotted each other in Dick Cole's Psych 121 class as the only people each other knew. She later introduced me to her roommates (who later became my good friends) and we hung out all throughout the rest of college. She is now one of my closest friends and probably the only lab partner who could ever put up with me. I'm just so blessed to have her in my life. I first remember meeting Jordan when they started dating our senior year and thinking "Kerianne's gonna marry him. He talks a lot. This is great." It was clear that they brought out the best in each other, because it was smiles all around, especially when he proposed.

Picture the perfect summer day in mid-August: this sets the stage for the Malm wedding. The ceremony brought me to tears as I witnessed one of my closest friends walk down the aisle and recite her vows to her husband-to-be. As the other guests and I sent them away on a boat with the rest of their wedding party, we made our way across the lake to the reception hall and beautiful patio area on the lakefront. The reception itself was, for lack of a better word, fabulous. I drank 3 mojitos and my hair actually held its curl for once- all good things. From the wedding party speeches to the last call for alcohol, my friends and I were there to send off our newlywed friends on their honeymoon in style, with a spirit-finger tunnel. Every couple's dream, amiriight?


Jenna Rae and Jason Stoit
October 5th, 2013

I was partially intimidated by Jenna Rae when I met her. She was this petite, spunky girl who really held her own and certainly knew how to act and deliver characterization in a given moment, just because she could. Getting to work with her in several college theatre productions made our friendship fun and spontaneous, which rolled over nicely when we both acted together on Trinity's improv team in its early years. I got to know Jason through summer holiday parties and random hang-outs that Jenna would host. These two are so goofy. Jenna knows the right punch to every joke and Jason gives the best responses. Never fails. They're so great.

Although Mother Nature found it in her best interest to bring a little rain to the ceremony, it didn't stop us all from having a ragin' time. It's always neat to see a different friend group at a given wedding and I'm happy to have had the chance to catch up with people that I've fallen out of touch with in the past year. Aside from the guest list, this day breathed class: the dress, the church, the reception, et al. We danced, took 100 too many selfies, and danced some more. The happy couple, surrounded by family and loved ones partied with us all night until they kicked us out, but not before sending us away with to-go boxes of leftover desserts. Hashtag yum.


Jacquelyn and Kevin Drenth
October 19th, 2013

I met Jacquelyn freshman year during the annual black and white "jazz night" on campus. We talked about where we went to high school and shared our love for dance. This soon evolved into a shameless love for Kristen Wiig and Bud Light Lime and that will probably never change. Of our core group of friends, she is the one with a killer fashion sense. And though she be but tall, she is fierce. I didn't meet Kevin until Junior year-ish, just because sometimes that's how life is. But he and Jacquelyn are so fun to be around and I don't see that changing, ever.

The night of their wedding was out of this world. I literally thought MTV was going to walk in and start shooting 'My Super Sweet Wedding: Drenth Edition' at some point, or maybe there would be entrance elephants somewhere. I didn't know, but I wouldn't have doubted it at the time. Invite all of your friends and family to a gorgeous ceremony and a long night of dancing and drinks and midnight hour tater tots and you've concocted a successful party. Per always, it was so great to see friends from out of state and be reunited with them for the time being and to have all us girls together again was the proverbial cherry on top. Plus I caught the bouquet like a BOSS.

Nicole and Brian Clark
November 2nd, 2013

Nicole and I secretly should've been roommates freshman year instead of suite mates, we laugh about it now...but that's the truth. Nicole is a friend who is not afraid to speak her mind, which I totally admire. Always a bright and beautiful individual who is a natural leader. If I needed to watch Tangled for the 3rd time in a single day, she would encourage it. Tangled's a great film, y'know? Thrice is nice, or something. Brian and I had a handful of classes together and pretty much kept each other sane during Senior Seminar. Kid's got some great one-liners, that's for sure. Always gotta keep an ear out for the quiet ones.

This wedding was, much like most of our beloved Disney go-to flicks, an absolute fairy tale. In a dress hand-made by her grandmother, Nicole had never looked more stunning. Assisting in the hair and makeup department for her bridal party was a huge honor, and to be around Nicole and her girls was such a memorable time, even getting to chill exclusively with Brian and Nicole's wedding party behind-the-scenes was honor enough! After the lovely ceremony the guests of honor met up with us at a ZOO (Ya, a zoo, a. zoo.) for food, slideshows, toasts, photoshoots and corny wedding dance moves. That wedding was the perfect bookend to the now complete season.

So many weddings,

So slow to blog about it,

I need to sleep now.

                                                                         -Gina, haiku, age 22