You probably thought I failed. It would be just like me (and the rest of the world) to have given up on my new year’s resolution now that it’s February. You know, two months in. I’m here to say that I’m still on track and completed not one but two new things this month! One is more impressive than the other but I really like feeling accomplished so I’m counting both. (And I have a feeling that the thing I’m more proud of, you will find to be extremely underwhelming.)

Earlier this month, my family took a vacation to sunny California. We were able to hit Palm Springs and San Diego and I now want to move even more. We typically visit eastern states, so this was the first full family trip to California. No, I’m not counting this as my new thing. That would be cheating.

I think this view could’ve carried me through the year, though.

While on the trip, we stopped by the beautiful Hotel del Coronado in San Diego because well, why wouldn’t we? We had fewer days in this location and were on a bit of a time crunch, but we were able to walk the grounds, take a few photos, and see the beach. Here’s where my excitement begins.

For the first time ever, I touched the Pacific Ocean! Sure, I’d seen it while driving or flying in but I had never made contact with the water until this trip. And just like that, my February mission could be marked as accomplished.

Mission accomplished in 3…2…

We have made contact.

Now, one would think checking that off my list would be a bigger deal than my second task but alas, for me it is not. Every award show season, I try to catch as many nominated movies as I possibly can. This becomes a bit difficult when jobs and life get in the way, but I was pretty bound and determined to check off all of the Oscar Best Picture nominees this year. Even if it meant going to see a movie by myself.

Gulp.

Which happens to be something I’m irrationally afraid of.

Me. All alone. In a dark theater. Where no one can see me.

I get it; it sounds very strange, yet, it was something I hadn’t done until this month. Since I’m writing this post, you can see that I did, in fact, survive to tell the tale.

I will forever retain this ticket stub.

That’s right. I walked into that movie theater, Airhead Xtremes Bites in hand, and handled going to a movie alone like any honorable twenty something would do. I quickly slinked into a seat and counted how many people were in the theater (eleven, including me), let out a deep sigh, and caught Selma.

And you would think I’d be more proud of touching a new body of water. Maybe I’ll even go to a sit down restaurant alone this year.

…I think I just had a mini panic attack.