Hello, My Name is...

Oh, hello there.

...I'm not really good with this kind of stuff...you know, blogging. I, gosh, I'm not exactly sure how to introduce myself. If you're here, chances are you already know me. I mean, you must know me a little bit. But in the off-chance that you've stumbled upon this by some random miracle, then hi, I'm Desiree.

*Changes cup of coffee from right hand to left in order to shake yours.* It's nice to meet you.

I'm not exactly sure how long you're intending this visit to be. I mean, you're welcome to stay for just five minutes or you can stay here the whole year! That'd be great, too. It's whatever you like. Regardless, I'm going to be here for the next 365 days. And gosh, who knows. Maybe after that, too!

You see, I've started up a project. Maybe it's because Christmas was just yesterday or that 2014 is right around the corner, but I feel like it's time for something new in my life. And after thinking of it for a while, I'm finally able to pinpoint it: love. Not love in the romantic, Nicholas Sparks kind of way. But a love that is found in the beauty of everyday life and who has given it to us. 

I've gone through a lot of changes in the past year. I've graduated from high school (a milestone that was in the making since Seventh Grade), I've started my schooling at the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln (go Huskers!), and I've officially begun my journey to becoming an independent and successful woman.

And let me tell you, it's been a crazy, fun ride. But it's also been scary.

So now that 2013 is almost over, I've started reflecting on why I've been scared in the past twelve months. And I've come to the conclusion that my heart has not been in the right place. Throughout the year, my heart has been worried by schoolwork and change. It's been aflutter with the thought of entering a new relationship. It's been broken after leaving said relationship. Still, 2013 has been a pretty great year, but I want 2014 to be better. In 2014, I want my heart to be happy and overflowing with boundless love and confidence, no matter what the year throws at me.

Which is why I've devised the year-long challenge of finding love and creating a strong and lasting relationship. With God. With my family. With my friends. With my school. With myself.

WithOUT a boyfriend.

In previous months and even years, I told myself that I wasn't going to worry myself with finding a guy and entering a relationship. "Whatever happens is going to happen," I always told myself. "I'm going to fill my heart with Jesus before I fill it with someone else."

But to be honest, I cheated. I cheated a LOT. I made excuses and let my head wander from where I intended it to be. I lost my focus, which is what put me into a whirlwind of emotion and uncertainty. Now, it's time to get that certainty back.

And 2014 is the year! I'm going to focus on what truly matters: faith, family, friends, and my future. When it's time, the fifth "f" (the fellow) will enter my life and my heart will be full and willing to make room for someone else because I am already strong in my other relationships.

So. 2014 is the single year. It's my year to fall in love with me. It's my year to fall deeper and deeper in love with Jesus, with no other man.

Shakespeare once wrote, "Love is merely a madness." And that's absolutely accurate. But the madness doesn't stop there. Love, life, and the people in it are all madness. Here's my year of all of it. The crazy, fabulous, weird, and wonderful madness. 

So yeah, I'm Desiree. Welcome. Please enjoy your stay, however long it may be.

"She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future because her hope is in ME." Proverbs 31:25